Inquiry Project
Project Journey
We have been working on our inquiry project since what feels like the beginning of the second quarter of first semester. We were tasked to come up with a problem in the world and a solution. We could choose any topic from education to 3D printing. At first I chose to study the unconscious and I wanted to research it so that I could teach people about it and hopefully have them become more aware of it. I found a great book about the unconscious but while reading it I realized it was so vast yet intricate that I didn't think it was a good topic anymore. At the time I was really interested in dreams and so I decided that it was a unique and interesting subject that I could switch my project to! So I started to research dreams and then lucid dreaming and I realized there was no problem that I needed to solve regarding dreaming but since it was such a unique topic, I figured I could just educate people on dreaming.
Essential Question: What is Dreaming and what's the point?
THEORIES OF DREAMING
Dreams can help you with so many things. They occur every night during REM sleep, even though you may not always remember them. You can have anywhere from three, up to seven dreams per night, lasting from a few seconds to thirty minutes, although most last five to twenty minutes.
There have been many theories as to why we have dreams. The Greeks and Romans believed that it was communicating with gods or the dead, they were thought to predict future. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams were ”manifestations of our deepest desires and anxieties, often related to repressed childhood memories or obsessions” he also believed that dreams have both “manifest and latent content” latent meaning deep/unconscious and manifest meaning superficial/meaningless. Carl Jung however, did not believe in many of Freud’s theories, he believed that dreams were messages to the dreamers and present them with “revelations that can uncover and help to resolve emotional or religious fears.” He also describes dream residue as the memories formed throughout the day that leave impressions for the unconscious, explaining why some dream content contains memories from the day. An interesting quote by Jung says “all dreams are part of one great web of psychological factors.” The Threat Simulation by Antti Revonsuo said that dreams would prepare people for recognizing and avoiding danger by presenting a simulation of threatening events. Lastly, the Activation-Synthesis theory, weird dreams are explained by certain parts of the brain trying to piece together bizarre information of a story.
There have been many theories as to why we have dreams. The Greeks and Romans believed that it was communicating with gods or the dead, they were thought to predict future. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams were ”manifestations of our deepest desires and anxieties, often related to repressed childhood memories or obsessions” he also believed that dreams have both “manifest and latent content” latent meaning deep/unconscious and manifest meaning superficial/meaningless. Carl Jung however, did not believe in many of Freud’s theories, he believed that dreams were messages to the dreamers and present them with “revelations that can uncover and help to resolve emotional or religious fears.” He also describes dream residue as the memories formed throughout the day that leave impressions for the unconscious, explaining why some dream content contains memories from the day. An interesting quote by Jung says “all dreams are part of one great web of psychological factors.” The Threat Simulation by Antti Revonsuo said that dreams would prepare people for recognizing and avoiding danger by presenting a simulation of threatening events. Lastly, the Activation-Synthesis theory, weird dreams are explained by certain parts of the brain trying to piece together bizarre information of a story.
SCIENCE AND HISTORY
Scientifically speaking, what are dreams? While in REM sleep, your brain waves are as active as they are while we are awake. You are more likely to remember your dreams if you wake up during REM sleep, which although leaves you feeling a bit groggy, allows you to better recall your dream.
Besides lucid dreaming, which I will touch on later, dreamers are not aware that they are dreaming. This is because the part of your brain responsible for logic and reasoning, the prefrontal cortex, is less active during dreams. Therefore you can interact with your dream more smoothly, without having to stop and think about what to do or how to react to what’s going on.
A physician from Hamburg suggested that dreams are a need and can either remove incomplete memories or deepen ideas. This later became known as the “reverse learning theory.”
Besides lucid dreaming, which I will touch on later, dreamers are not aware that they are dreaming. This is because the part of your brain responsible for logic and reasoning, the prefrontal cortex, is less active during dreams. Therefore you can interact with your dream more smoothly, without having to stop and think about what to do or how to react to what’s going on.
A physician from Hamburg suggested that dreams are a need and can either remove incomplete memories or deepen ideas. This later became known as the “reverse learning theory.”
BENEFITS
Personally, I like to dream because it’s like an alternate reality where anything can happen but there’s no real consequences.
Self-development: Dreams that help you realize things about yourself. They can also help with stabilizing emotions.
Fulfill desires: Joe Griffin found that dreaming “serves to expel the emotional arousals that weren't expressed during the day” and this frees up space in the brain to deal with the next day’s emotions and keep urges intact.
Problem solving: Perhaps thinking of an issue before falling asleep and then having a dream about it that can help you to see things that you may not see in waking consciousness
Some people even say that they have precognitive dreams, or dreaming of the future.
Self-development: Dreams that help you realize things about yourself. They can also help with stabilizing emotions.
Fulfill desires: Joe Griffin found that dreaming “serves to expel the emotional arousals that weren't expressed during the day” and this frees up space in the brain to deal with the next day’s emotions and keep urges intact.
Problem solving: Perhaps thinking of an issue before falling asleep and then having a dream about it that can help you to see things that you may not see in waking consciousness
Some people even say that they have precognitive dreams, or dreaming of the future.
LUCID DREAMING
Lucid dreaming is the conscious perception of one’s state while dreaming. Most often the dreamer will have control over their dreams but lucid dreams still qualify as being aware of dreaming. Lucid dreaming dates back thousands of years before it was scientifically proven. Tibetan Buddhist monks used it as a tool for meditation and enlightenment, called dream yoga. In 1975, Keith Hearne instructed a patient to move eyes left and right when they entered lucid dreaming, when the patient did so, the first lucid dream signals were recorded. However, lucid dreaming isn’t all that easy. It takes time and practice. First, you have to start remembering your dreams.
TIPS FOR DREAMING
If you want to start remembering your dreams, here are some tips. Tell yourself to remember them
Write them down right when you wake up because the more you move first thing, the more memory of the dream that you forget.
Set yourself up for the dream before going to bed, so relaxing and starting to imagine a scenario that you want to dream about.
Once you’ve conquered vivid dreaming, the next step is lucid dreaming!
The quickest way to lucid dreaming is to do reality checks all throughout the day, look at your hands, check the time, look in a mirror, all of these things are distorted in a dream. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in a lucid dream, make sure that you don’t wake up! To do so, spin around in a circle and stay calm, too much excitement will fully wake you up. Although it takes time, dreaming is more than just sleeping. Dreaming is filled with endless possibilities so escape reality for a while.
Write them down right when you wake up because the more you move first thing, the more memory of the dream that you forget.
Set yourself up for the dream before going to bed, so relaxing and starting to imagine a scenario that you want to dream about.
Once you’ve conquered vivid dreaming, the next step is lucid dreaming!
The quickest way to lucid dreaming is to do reality checks all throughout the day, look at your hands, check the time, look in a mirror, all of these things are distorted in a dream. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in a lucid dream, make sure that you don’t wake up! To do so, spin around in a circle and stay calm, too much excitement will fully wake you up. Although it takes time, dreaming is more than just sleeping. Dreaming is filled with endless possibilities so escape reality for a while.