Psychologists, Neuroscientists and well, the rest of humanity, have been wondering about the answer to this question for quite some time. But we will have to disappoint you here - despite landing a rover on Mars and growing functional organs in 3D printers, we still haven’t gotten a good understanding of the inner workings of our own heads. All we really have are hypotheses and theories. Which of them you think are plausible, and which you find to be total nonsense, is fully up to you to decide. Your guess is probably just as good as that of any scientist. Anyhow, here are some of the most famous theories on why humans dream:
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory:
Dreams as Unconscious Desires & Fears
Freud proposed that dreams are a manifestation of our unconscious desires and repressed thoughts. According to this theory, they provide a way for the subconscious mind to express wishes and anxieties which are not accessible to us during waking life. Freud even wrote an entire book on the interpretation of dreams, but we recommend reading it only at your own discretion…
Threat Stimulation Theory:
Dreams as Survival Mechanisms
According to this theory, dreaming has given us an evolutionary advantage. It serves as a mechanism to simulate threatening scenarios, allowing us to practice and refine our responses to potential dangers - increasing the chance of our survival. If this is truly the case, we are perfectly prepared for fighting any life-sized spider that comes our way.
Evolutionary Hypothesis:
Dreams as Adaptive Functions
Similar to the last theory, but somewhat more encouraging. This hypothesis believes, that dreams serve as a kind of “rehearsal” for social interactions, problem-solving and daily activities in general. In this way, they can help enhance our cognitive and social functions. Whether this is true or not, this mechanisms doesn't always seem to be working got us...
Ancestral Memory Theory:
Dreams as Genetic Memories
According to this idea, dreams are a way of “accessing the memories” of our ancestors. Proponents believe that certain dreams might be the result of inherited experiences or memories passed down through generations, encoded in our DNA. While maybe somewhat far-fetched, epigenetic inheritance itself is a well-documented phenomenon in biology and definitely an interesting topic to look into for our more medically-inclined readers!
The “Brain Detox” Theory:
Dreams as Waste Processing
This theory believes that during sleep, our brains might be going sorting through unnecessary thoughts, emotions, or memories, in order to decide which ones to “throw out”. Kind of like a computer running a cleanup program!
DMT Release Theory:
Dreams Caused by Natural Psychedelics
This theory believes that dreams are caused by the natural release of DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) in our brains (DMT is a powerful psychedelic compound, sometimes used recreationally). Some speculate that the brain produces it during REM sleep, leading to vivid and often surreal dream experiences. Proof that you don’t need drugs to have a good time!
Jung’s Collective Unconscious Theory:
Dreams as Shared Human Experiences
Jung believes we all have a shared reservoir of themes and symbols that we can tap into in our dreams. While a little creepy, we do sometimes have eerily similar dreams ...
Phew! If you've made it through all these, congratulations! - You've just picked up some decent facts to make you seem smart at your next gathering. And as for the final point - Regardless of the actual cause of our nighttime dreams, one thing has been proven beyond doubt: Resting your head on a Kissenly Pillow guarantees beautiful dreams - a fact backed by us and our many satisfied customers :-)
