What makes dreams feel so real

The science of dreaming is not very well understood. Although there is no definitive word on the purpose, mechanics, and nature of dreams, scientists have been able to make inroads into the study of our non-waking lives, theorizing why some dreams are different than others and why people experience dreams differently. Sleep is divided into five different stages: Stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM. REM sleep is characterized by a high level of activity in the brain , as well as a temporary paralysis of the muscles.

During REM, our heart rate increases, our breathing speeds up, and our eyes move back and forth beneath our lids. REM sleep is responsible for vivid dreams. We may dream during other sleep stages, but those dreams will feel fragmented; the types of dreams that have elaborate storylines and complex imagery are fueled by REM.

Researchers believe that this is due to the role that dreaming plays in memory and processing emotions. People who experience post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD are more likely to have bad vivid dreams than people who do not.

Vivid dreams and nightmares are common during pregnancy. Sometimes, the stress of preparing for delivery and parenting can contribute to this. Fluctuations in hormones can also play a role. People with depression can have vivid dreams. Themes such as poor self-image often feature. These dreams can sometimes lead to panic attacks.

People with schizophrenia or a dissociative disorder may have intense dreams during a relapse. It is also possible for people with anxiety to experience more vivid dreams. These may feature situations of high anxiety or panic, such as running late or general embarrassment.

People with narcolepsy often say that they have vivid dreams that can be bizarre or disturbing. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that blurs the line between sleep and wakefulness. People with the condition feel very sleepy and fatigued during the day. Symptoms include sleep attacks, wherein a person falls asleep and experiences a sudden loss of muscle control cataplexy during the day. When someone has narcolepsy, they fall into REM sleep shortly after falling asleep.

This can cause them to have vivid dreams even during a brief nap. Have you been dreaming about the events that have been undertaking in your life?

I'm no oneirologist but to me if a dream really does feel so real to you then maybe that is because you have a very strong bond with that dream or a very strong view point on the situation of that dream and you feel very strongly about it. Anonymous May 26th, pm. Anonymous May 19th, pm. Anonymous January 31st, pm. It is nothing harmful it is just a result of you being in a very deep state of sleep so you forget what reality is. Anonymous January 18th, pm. When a dream feels real it means that you are really involved in that dream and that you're thinking hard about something.

Dreams that you remember afterwards are the bizarre dreams that acquire your attention or that didn't make sense. But the things you remember were problems without solution. To be honest with you it happens to me all the time!

I personally don't think that it means necesarilly anything. Some people have more imagination than others and our brains can represent dreams more real rather than other people can! However, there are internet pages that you can check where they show you what your dreams meant!

If you are keen on this stuff maybe you could buy a book about it! If you want to talk about it or have more doubts please message me! I feel as you can look at a dream book and it can decode what is in your dreams I really do belief sometimes your dreams can predict the future or they can rewind and look at the past. People dream when they are happy about something or something is bothering them and their mind is busily trying to come up with a solution while they sleep. Your subconscious mind is your memory bank.

If they are frightening dreams stop and think if you have anything troubling you. If so your mind has gone into its library and tried to match your troubled thinking with outcomes. Depending on how upsetting the problem is. They are better because they feel so real and are better because we do not question their logic.

But why do they feel so real? Is it our subconscious telling us something? A message from God? A vision? These questions have been debated by philosophers and drunkards alike for centuries, but modern science can now provide very real answers.

According to Dr William MacLehose, a lecturer in the History of Science and Medicine at University College London, until the s, scientists explained dreaming by saying that imagination was the only part of the brain still functioning while someone slept. They believed the part of the brain that verified reality, on the other hand, was out of action, so the sleeper believed it all.

Medieval texts referrred to soldiers who were too cowardly to fight an enemy in real life but then dream about being brave enough to do so later on.