Dreams have fascinated humanity since time immemorial. From the oldest cultures to modern psychology, the phenomenon of dreaming has been the subject of study and debate. Why do we dream? This question has given rise to numerous theories throughout history, each trying to explain this enigmatic mental process.
1. Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory
One of the best-known theories about dreams is the one proposed by Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis. According to Freud, dreams are the expression of repressed desires and unconscious drives. Through dreams, the unconscious finds a way to manifest what the person represses in their conscious life.
The Theory of Wish Fulfillment
Freud developed the idea that dreams Dreams are a way of fulfilling desires that are forbidden or not realized in reality. In dreams, the mind can satisfy what is forbidden to it when awake, thus releasing emotional tensions.
2. Activation-Synthesis Theory by Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley
The activation-synthesis theory proposed by Hobson and McCarley suggests that dreams are the result of random activity of the brainstem during REM sleep ( Rapid Eye Movement). According to this theory, the brain attempts to create a coherent narrative from the disordered neural activity that occurs during sleep.
Information Processing
According to this theory, Dreams would simply be the result of the mind trying to make sense of the random neural activity that occurs during sleep. That is, they would not have a deep meaning, but would be the product of the imagination trying to give coherence to disordered brain activity.
3. Rosalind Cartwright's Information Processing Theory
Another interesting theory about dreams is the one proposed by Rosalind Cartwright, a psychologist specializing in sleep disorders. According to Cartwright, dreams serve to process emotional information and resolve internal conflicts. During sleep, the brain tries to integrate past and present experiences to find solutions to emotional problems.
Conflict Resolution
For Cartwright, dreams focus on resolving emotional conflicts and processing meaningful information for the person. Through dreams, we seek to find solutions and achieve a greater understanding of the experiences lived.
4. Theory of Learning and Memory by Francis Crick and Graeme Mitchison
The theory proposed by Crick and Mitchison suggests that dreams help in the process of learning and memory consolidation. According to this perspective, dreams are a way to practice skills acquired during wakefulness and reinforce long-term memory.
Memory Consolidation
This theory states that during sleep, especially during REM sleep, neural connections associated with memory and learning are strengthened. Dreams would thus serve as a mechanism to integrate and consolidate the information acquired during the day.
5. Antti Revonsuo's Social Simulation Theory
Revonsuo proposes that dreams simulate social and emotional situations to prepare the person for possible threats and challenges in real life. According to this theory, dreams serve an evolutionary function by allowing us to practice responses to dangerous or stressful situations safely in a dream environment.
Evolutionary Training
In this perspective, dreams would have an adaptive role in preparing the person to face potential challenges and dangers. Through dreams, emotional and behavioral responses would be practiced that could be crucial in real situations.
6. J. Allan Hobson's Neural Network Activation Theory
Hobson proposes that dreams are the result of the activation of a specific neural network during REM sleep. According to this theory, dreams are generated by random stimulation of the cerebral cortex during sleep, which produces dream experiences without intrinsic meaning.
Dream Neural Network
For Hobson, Dreams have no specific purpose, but are simply the result of neural activity during REM sleep. This theory highlights the role of brain activity in the generation of dream experiences, without attributing them a deep or symbolic meaning.
7. Matthew Walker's Emotional Processing Theory
Walker suggests that dreams are a way to process intense emotions and manage emotional stress. According to this theory, during sleep the mind seeks to make sense of emotional experiences and find ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
Emotional Management
According to this perspective, the Dreams allow the mind to explore emotions and find ways to regulate them. Through dreams, intense emotional experiences are processed and coping mechanisms are sought for stressful situations.
8. Brain Hyperconnection Theory by Jie Zhang and Jessie Nyberg
This theory postulates that dreams are the product of a brain hyperconnection that occurs during REM sleep. According to Zhang and Nyberg, during sleep, different areas of the brain connect in unusual ways, generating unique and creative dream experiences.
Creative Connections
From this perspective, Dreams are the result of exceptionally rich and creative brain activity, in which unusual connections are established between different brain regions. This cerebral hyperconnection during REM sleep would be responsible for the generation of complex and surprising dream experiences.
9. Evolutionary Theory of Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell
Griffin and Tyrrell propose that dreams serve to discharge the emotional tension accumulated throughout the day. According to this evolutionary theory, dreams have the main function of releasing negative emotions and keeping the person's mental health balanced.
Emotional Discharge
For defenders of this theory, dreams act as a mechanism of emotional catharsis, allowing the mind to release tensions and internal conflicts. Through dreams, accumulated negative emotions are processed and discharged, helping to maintain emotional balance.
10. Cognitive Continuity Theory by Ursula Voss and Allan Hobson
Voss and Hobson propose the idea that dreams are a continuity of the cognitive and emotional processes present when awake. According to this theory, dreams are an extension of everyday brain activity and reflect the individual's concerns, interests, and thoughts in a dream context.
Continuity with Wakefulness
From this perspective, Dreams do not represent a separate process from waking, but are a continuation of daytime mental activity in a different format. Recurring themes in dreams, according to this theory, are a manifestation of the individual's concerns and thoughts during wakefulness.
In conclusion, the question of why we dream has given rise to a wide range of theories. ranging from Freud's psychoanalysis to the most recent research in cognitive neuroscience. While the enigma of dreams continues to intrigue scientists and psychologists, each of these theories offers a fascinating perspective on this unique phenomenon of the human mind.