Science Behind Dreams Essay -- Scientific Research

Did you ever wonder why you dream? Or if your dreams mean anything? Dreams can tell you many things. Dreams are a mental activity associated with rapid-eye movement or REM period of sleep. REM is in sleep, which the eyeballs dart back and forth under closed eyelids. When awakened from REM sleep, people frequently report they had just been dreaming.(Lemonick) They are made up of visual images, scenes or thought expressed in terms of seeing rather than in those of the other senses or in words. During dreams the blood pressure and heart rate increases, and breathing is quickened, but the body is still immobile. Science has uncovered the purpose and meaning of dreams. While they were looking for their answer, they researchers are probing the minds of cats, sleepwalkers , and stroke survivors. They found it is a mix of personal stories and fascinating study results keep the show moving at a lively pace. The dreamworld affects both mental health and problem solving in our waking lives.(L. K.) Electroencephalography studies electrical; activity of the brain during REM sleep. They have shown that young adults dream for 1 Â ½ to 2 hours of every 8-hour period of sleep. While infants spend an average of 50% of their sleep in the REM phase. They are believed to dream more often than adults, and it will decrease steadily with age.(Hobson) Research shows that infants in the womb spend nearly all their time in REM sleep and scientist think they’re using that time to develop brain circuitry, which suggests that the very structure of our minds may be something we have dreamed up. While extensive experiments on maze-running rats and video game playing humans, along with studies of people experiencing failing relationships and depression, have demons... ...Dreams are complex and confusing to understand. There are a lot more questions to be answered about dreams, and why we dream. I don’t think we will ever completely understand the dream world and the questions that want answered. Works Cited Coeman, Bennett. (2012): n.pag. Web. 20 April 2012. . Greengroos, Gil. "Why Do Memories of Vivid Dreams Disappear Soon After Waking Up?." June 3, 2011. n.pag. Web. 20 April 2012 Hobson, J.A. "The Dreaming Brain." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia 6. 11/1/11. n.pag. Web. 20 April 2012. JackWh, . "What Cause Dreams?." 3/17/12. n.pag. Web. 20 April 2012. Kasschau, Richard. Understanding Psychology (2008): 188-189. Web. 20 April 2012.z Lemonick, Michael D. "Time International (Canada Edition)." 163.10 3/8/2004. 44. Web. 20 April 2012. Tyrrell, Mark. "Why Do We Dream?." n.pag. Web. 20 April 2012.