Dreaming is the physiological result of sleeping. REM sleep causes the amount of acetylcholine to increase, while seratonin and norepinephrine decrease. The combination causes the forebrain to deactivate. By deactivating the forebrain we are no longer responding to sight, sound, and memory. When we are awake our forebrains process visual informatin in three stages: the primary visual cortex registers things like lines, color, and movement, which are then visually dramatized in a secondary association area; a third area relates those images to an idea, or abstract thought. Freud has hypothesized that "the dreaming mind regresses."in other words, the process from when we are awake is reversed. During REM sleep there is a heightened emotional state, with unusual, realistic imagery. According to psychologist Alice Finnamore, dreams are full of symbols whose significance isnt always easy to discern. Free association, letting your mind relax and wander, is a proven way to find out what your dreams mean. Dreaming is often tied to our repressed wishes or fears, and can often be a way of processing stressful situations.Freud has also described dreams as "the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious."Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon that described when a person becomes aware of being in a dream. Lucid dreaming can be learned. An increased awareness, leads to controlling the outcome of your dream.
Ferguson, Sue. "THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF | Macleans.ca - Canada - Features." THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF | Macleans.ca - Canada - Features. N.p., 4 Aug. 2003. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
