Oneirology: From Sweet Dreams To Nightmares

 

Source: Live Science 

Neel is playing with a variety of toys in a dreamland. Playing with Pikachu and Panda, he's fascinated by meeting all of his friends. Getting help from Jerry, naughty Neel pulls the tail of Tom and escapes. Getting tired, he steals some spinach from Popeye to gain energy. He doesn't want to miss his walk with Scooby either. 

Neel enjoys the chocolate valley. As he builds his empire with gems, he is dancing in the rain of fruit juice. Ice-cream fountains and wafer buildings await him. Candy is found in clouds and hills are covered in snacks. Neel is filled with joy and pleasure. It's Neel's dreamland. 

Source: Fine Art America 

The alarm suddenly rings at 6 in the morning. Suddenly smiling Neel feels a jerk. This is a very important day at his office. A presentation of his new project is scheduled. A busy schedule has robbed him of his dreamland. 

Despite their short duration, dreams can make us happier. Dreaming is something we all enjoy, isn't it? Despite its appearance, this dream is undergoing a lot of research. As a branch of philosophy, Oneirology studies dreams.

The Dreams We Dream

Dreams are a succession of images, emotions, and sensations experienced by a person while they sleep at certain stages. During an average lifespan, individuals dream about six years (each evening about two hours). Most dreams last only five to twenty minutes. 

In other words, these are the dreams that you have while sleeping, and not the goals you have while awake. Nowadays, we study dreams from a variety of perspectives. The psychological approach and the neurological approach are among the most important ones. 

Oneirology: The Study of Dreams   

Basically, it involves the analysis of dreams scientifically. The study of dreams can include studies of dream mechanisms, dream influences, and dream-related disorders. Oneirology overlaps with neurology and may involve quantifying dreams, analyzing brain waves during dreaming, or researching how drugs and neurotransmitters affect sleeping or dreams. 

It is important to study dreams as a function of brain activity, even though debate continues about their purpose and origins. Certain mental illnesses could be treated with the knowledge gained from this area, for instance.

Dream Interpretation 

Interpreting dreams is the process of explaining them. Oneirology is completely different from this. We give meaning to everything visualized as a dream here.

If someone sees childhood days in his dreams, it could be because he is missing his childhood or reminiscing about it. If someone has nightmares, it may mean that any hard feelings he still harbors are subconsciously bothering him

Mechanisms of Dreaming 

In normal sleep cycles, people alternate between normal, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Because most dreaming occurs during REM sleep, the brain waves related to dreaming are most commonly studied in dream research. 

At least superficially, the EEG  inactive waking and REM sleep appears similar. PET (Positron Emission Tomography) studies have shown that global brain metabolism is similar during wakefulness and REM sleep. 

Initially, it was thought that the brain was at rest when sleeping. Several EEG studies have shown that complex brain activity is observed during sleep. In most cases, dreams are studied with EEG waves or a PET scan. Some people might also experience what is called a Lucid dream. A lucid dream is one where the dreamer realizes he/she is dreaming.

Source: Frontier’s Blog 

What Makes You dream?

Our dreams are said to be influenced by our memories. That's why we often dream about our past. The sweet memories of our past are mostly what we cherish. Relationships with anybody also greatly influence dreams. Our dreams usually revolve around family members and friends. Except for nightmares involving strangers. 

The effects of some drugs on dreams can also be understood in medical terms. Psychostimulants are thought to stimulate dreaming in some patients with mental disorders.

Dreaming Disorders 

Dreaming disorders are associated with certain psychological conditions. In schizophrenia, abnormalities in perception or expression of reality primarily manifest as delusions and hallucinations.

In post-traumatic stress disorder, symptoms include re-experiencing the original trauma through flashbacks and nightmares, avoiding stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousals, such as difficulty falling asleep, anger, and hypervigilance.

Dreaming may be complicated, but it is a beautiful experience to wake up with a smile every morning and end our day with a wish for sweet dreams. Everybody, from kids to scientists, has been fascinated by the dream. Dreams are frequently quoted everywhere, indicating their significance as well.

Written By - Dr. Nayana Shree Suresh