What Can Dreams Tell Us, If Anything?

Okay, fellow weirdos. It’s that time of year approaching, when things quieten down a little over the summer holidays. You relax a little more. You drift off into a daydream. You’re able to take afternoon naps. At night, your dreams can be more entertaining than Netflix. Or you might jolt awake from a hideous nightmare. Actually, a sudden traumatic awakening is more of a Hollywood scene than a common sleep experience. Even if a dream is on the dark side, we’re not always likely to shake ourselves awake in a breathless, cold sweat of terror.

The dreaming state of sleep is called Rapid Eye Movement (REM). That’s when we're in our deepest slumber, a state of paralytic rest, where the mind seems released from any kind of logic. And then off it goes, on a surreal rampage. Ever seen a dog barking in its sleep? Or “sleep-running”? That’s the same thing as human REM. Our eyes are closed, but they are darting back and forth under the eyelids, as if entranced by a movie screen inside our heads.

Just as the body rests and recuperates during sleep, the brain, serving as an archive of memories from the past day and a store of thoughts, has the capacity to 'release' and 'reconcile' itself. In the early days of psychology’s development as a medical science, dreaming came to be thought of as a sort of “wish fulfilment”. Dreams, however bizarre, are not constricted by daytime logic, but somehow reveal the true, inner self. So, we try to interpret them, hoping to gain some kind of sub-conscious insight into ourselves.

Dreams can seem so vivid the instant we awaken. We’re amazed by thoughts and creations that could not possibly be within our remote grasp during waking hours. And, within a minute or so of waking, we can hardly “re-watch” a dream in our minds' eye. It dissolves into a non-dimensional feeling or emotion. No less real, but suddenly inaccessible. It just receded, as if it never happened. Because it didn’t!

A dream can make complete sense when we’re in the middle of one. Surfing a tidal wave down an office corridor, totally rocking it. Moving celebrities like chess pieces across a board. Picking stars out of the sky to see what they taste like. Somehow, you can already tell which are ripe for the picking.

The dreams we do tend to recall, however faintly, are free-range thoughts that might intrigue us for different “reasons”. There’s a feeling of elation we’d like to tell the world about. Or a shocking embarrassment we wouldn’t dream of sharing with anyone. We might be going through challenging times. A dream might come as a pleasant respite. Or a heavy reminder. Or not at all.

Yes. And no.

Recurring nightmares might certainly want some daytime reflection. A persistent state of fear and anxiety is no way to sleep. In fact, you are almost certainly not enjoying a replenishing state of rest. It may even lead to a fear of sleep, with the possible consequence of insomnia. Nightmares are probably better thought of as disturbing dreams. And, therefore, disturbing our quality of sleep. You may want to seek professional consultation for that.

No – consuming dairy products before sleep is not proven either way to be dream-inducing. Dreams do not potentially “show you the future”, or “warn you” of impending calamity. Nevertheless, dreams are dreams. If you dream well, you’re likely sleeping well.

Yes – there can be a correlation between a more creative mind and the intense spectacle of dreaming. But let’s get real. A really talented, creative mind is best demonstrated during waking hours. A “dream come true” is usually an afterthought, a reflection. None of us know where we’re going. Until we get there. Dream on.

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TAKE CARE: Lifestyle recommendations are not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional should you be experiencing prolonged sleep difficulties or related health issues.