The psychological impacts of dreams on our daily lives are extremely powerful. While pleasant dreams may improve our mood for the rest of the day; nightmares, on the contrary, may spook us out with their pseudo-real aura. According to recent research, our understanding of dreams is based mostly on EEGs (electroencephalograms) that display the electrical activity of the brain. These electrical signatures vary as a person falls asleep and enters the REM cycle. Interestingly, it has been found that dreaming may hardly be considered as an involuntary process. It is an evolutionary process that is not exclusive to humans alone. And yes, animals dream as well.
What we didn’t know about dreaming is that the process helps build new neuron connections in the brain. The same is also linked to improved memory which in turn helps to recharge the brain. Dreams are processed in the same way as memories, depicting similar activity patterns as memory formation while awake. While most people do not dream lucidly, there are quite a few who are aware of the process and can control it by increasing their brain waves up to 40 Hz.
Dreams may even be considered as the emotional diffusers of our bodies and allow individuals to view things in a more positive light, especially after a tiring day. The reason behind this theory is that dreams are responsible for preparing the body to make a fresher start. This is perhaps the same reason why a lack of deep sleep or REM sleep (hence lack of dreams) detrimentally effects the performance of individuals who find themselves to be unable to process complex tasks and emotions during the day. The adverse impact of this fatigue is so profound that it may even lead to anxiety and depression if not treated on time.
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