We have all had those nights where we woke up trying to adjust to our surroundings and catching our breath only to figure that it was all just a dream. The idea of dreaming is very interesting because these are just a set of emotions, desires, and sensations at the back of their minds. Their brain involuntarily makes up scenarios in the form of a dream. While there is no definite meaning and function behind a dream is still not understood, it is one of the most researched topics.
The fun part about them is that people can dream about 5 to 6 times for about 20 minutes each, and when they wake up, about 95% of people do not remember their dreams. There is a link between dreaming and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in psychology. The brain goes through five different stages during sleep; the REM stage is where the brain is most active and experiences vivid dreams.
There are different types of dreams; one of the most known types is “lucid dreams.”
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Lucid Dreams:
Lucid dreams are the ones where the dreamer is aware of the fact that he is dreaming. These dreams tend to happen during the REM sleep stage. The fun fact about these types of dreams is that you can manipulate them, meaning that you can change people and emotions in the dreams, and you can decide what you want to dream about while the dream is going on.
About 51-82% report lucid dreams, and while they might wake up from one, the idea behind a lucid dream is to stay in the dream state and explore it. People who lucid dream are more confident and creative, as they know how to manipulate their dreams and work towards achieving their goals.
Before we move on to the topic at hand, let us tell you that there are multiple advantages of lucid dreams. Starting from the fact these dreams help relieve anxiety which is the result of recurring dreams and nightmares. Lucid dreams give you the control to change and manipulate them. When you have a recurring nightmare, you will instantly now manage it and decrease your anxiety significantly. Secondly, since you are conscious when lucid dreaming, you know that the nightmare you are having is also not real.
While we are on this topic, let us tell you how to lucid dream. There are a couple of ways of doing that; let us list some here.
- Make a comfortable bed:
It is very important to make your bedroom the perfect environment for dreaming. Ensure that you draw all the curtains and keep the room dark, noise-free, and comfortable. The surroundings need to be hospitable to dreaming.
- Keep a Journal:
When trying to induce lucid dreams, it is essential to record what you have dreamt of. Every time you wake up from sleep, you should write whatever you remember; this will help you record your dreams.
- Perform reality checks:
These checks will help you differentiate between reality and a dream. You can perform these checks by looking at the time; in a dream, the time changes fast, whereas, in reality, it changes slowly. Similarly, you can put your hand on a wall to see if it goes through it or not; these checks will help you identify your state.
- Using the MILD technique:
The MILD technique is also known as “Mneomic induction of lucid dreams,” in this step before you fall asleep, you should think of something that might be strange or regular in a dream and then sleep to it and keep telling yourself that the next time you dream, you want to remember it.
- Waking up in bed technique:
You should put up an alarm that will go off 6-7 hours after you sleep because REM sleep normally starts. Once you wake up, you should stay up for about 30-60 minutes and do something because it keeps your brain awake and your body sleepy. Then once you go back to sleep, you should focus on the dream.
Understanding Dreams:
It is always a mystery to figure out the meanings behind dreams, and some are so real that they make you question yourself while the others are too symbolic and strange to be understood.
One of the most asked questions is, “what does it mean when you dream about someone” and trust us, we understand your curiosity. It might be too distressing or worrying when you see the same person in your dream and different scenarios. Let us help you get rid of that curiosity by giving you the answer.
You dream of different people and in a different context; for instance, if you dream of someone close to you, the dream could be more about you than them. It means that while you are dreaming about their qualities, they might be your qualities in reality.
Secondly, dreaming about a stranger, as creepy as it sounds the truth, helps you understand that dreams are not all about our daily lives. Dreaming about someone dying does not necessarily mean that they are in danger; instead, you are entering a different phase of your life. These are some of the most common dreams.
A little help from our side:
In this article, we have discussed some of the most common dreams that more tha 50% of people tend to experience, but if you are worried that we did not mention your case, do not worry.
“Dream bible” is a website that has answers to all your dreams; all you need to do is visit their website and find your dream type; click on it, and they will give you the answer. They make their database from over 350,000 dream reports, so do not worry because your dreams are in safe hands.
Conclusion:
Dreaming is a fascinating phenomenon when you think about how our brains tend to store information we normally do not pay attention to. But while you might have heard multiple interpretations of the same dream, let us assure you that this topic is still under research at the end of the day. There have not been definite answers which means that every individual has their interpretation of their dreams.
