So, Why Do We Dream? - Theories on Why We Dream
Do Dreams Represent Unconscious Wish Fulfillment?
2009 marks the 110-year anniversary of Sigmund Freud's book, The Interpretation of Dreams. Freud viewed dreams as guides to the unconscious. Freud said, "I shall demonstrate that there is a psychological technique which makes it possible to interpret dreams, and that on the application of this technique, every dream will reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of significance." He believed the thoughts, feelings, and drives that threaten the waking mind are released as distorted and disguised images in our dreams. Thus, dreams operate on two levels: the manifest level, which can be consciously recalled after waking up, and the latent level or unconscious level where the true meaning of the dream exists.
The theory of why we dream that considers neuronal activation, stimulation, and state of wakefulness is known as the Activation-Input-Mode (AIM). The AIM theory is one of the more popular biological theories for dreaming. According to AIM, activation involves the amount of neural activation and ranges from low to high activation. The input level of consciousness is the extent to which stimulation is external or internal, and the mode consists of dimensions that range from wakeful to dreaming states.
Cognitive Theorists
suggest that dreams are not different from everyday thinking. They point out that memory, problem solving, and speech also take place in dreams.
Other theories, not discussed in this textbook, include the following:
Proponents of the Reverse Learning Theory (Crick & Mitchinson, 1983) propose that dreaming is a way of flushing away unnecessary information accumulated over the day – a kind of mental housecleaning so that we do not go into overload.
The Dreams for Survival Theory purports that dreams permit information critical for daily survival to be reconsidered and reprocessed during sleep. According to this theory, dreams represent concerns about daily lives and illustrate our uncertainty, indecision, ideas, and desires.
According to the Activation Synthesis Theory, the brain produces random electrical energy during REM sleep possibly due to changes in production of certain neurotransmitters. This electrical energy randomly stimulates memories lodged in various portions of the brain. The brain then takes chaotic memories and weaves them into logical story lines.
