A scientific tour of your dreaming brain

Our modern society has lost its appreciation for the dream state, despite growing evidence suggesting that REM sleep was crucial for the evolution of human cognitive abilities and creativity. While some view dreams as insignificant, others believe they serve a vital purpose. Human REM sleep is characterized by body paralysis and heightened brain activity every 90 minutes, forcing us to experience dreams. Older models, like Freudian and Jungian thought, suggest dreams have a purpose, such as wish fulfillment or revealing anxieties that can be analyzed to inform daily life. Proponents of psychoanalysis focus on dream meaning to help individuals during their waking hours. In contrast, some modern perspectives consider dreams mere brain processing of daily events with no inherent meaning, just flashes of imagery. Others acknowledge a purpose but are unsure what it is. Some believe dreams hold psychological representations without needing deep analysis. Another view suggests dreams are a re-enactment of the day, where the brain processes what to retain and what to discard, like organizing a filing cabinet of memories. REM sleep is also linked to creating bizarre and creative ideas. Increased access to REM sleep in our ancestors may have fueled cultural evolution. REM sleep is particularly important for humans due to its ability to create dissociative and associative experiences. Dissociative states, like dreamy or déjà vu experiences, can feel unreal due to immersive imagery. These states can transition into associative states where previously unrelated ideas combine, fostering creativity and innovation. Traditional cultures highly revered dreams, a reverence our current culture has lost. Reinstating some respect for dreams could foster greater openness to creativity and diverse ideas, helping us find innovative solutions to complex problems and "unknown unknowns."