What Does Psychology Say About Dreams?

Everyone has dreams.  Sometimes they are colorful and vivid and extremely detailed, yet other times they are vague, with flashes of both fantasy and reality.  At times they are magical and enlightening.  They can make us wake up with feelings of wonder, while other time they can frighten us to the point where we feel like we never want to sleep again.  But what are dreams exactly?  Could they be an indication of our unconscious conflicts and desires? Do they have meaning, or are they just a byproduct of our neurological biology?  Where do they come from?    Although they are phenomena that all people experience, they are still somewhat of a mystery.  Through analysis of different studies on dreams, this paper will analyze empirical data, in an attempt to investigate the possible function of dreams.

Psychology is the scientific field that studies human behavior and the mind.  Dreams being strictly abstract sensations of the mind, it was only natural for the pioneer of psychology to tackle the phenomena.   Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory was the first theory of modern psychology.  Although some of Freud’s ideas have been discarded, most of them still influence the world of psychology today (Paplia & Olds, et al, 2006).   In Freud’s book, The Interpretation of Dreams (1911), he concludes that dreams function as wish fulfillment.  It is well known that Freud’s theorized the psychosexual stages of fulfillment.  He also believed that dreams themselves were unsatisfied sexual desires from childhood; however, to date, there is absolutely no empirical evidence that supports the psychosexual motivation theory.   Although the case study method have received widespread criticism due to its limitations of being repeatable and generalized, they do have usefulness for the formation of research questions, as well as produce very comprehensive information (Runyan, 1982).  Freud’s own case studies contained very detailed data and do suggest that the dreams of can be the fulfillment of wishes sometimes.  He suggests that even nightmares are unconscious repressed sadistic masochistic desires, which can be frightening, are still fulfilling a wish (Fromm, 1980), which is a major part of dreaming. His case studies have been used numerous times to form research questions.

Carl Jung, a colleague and apprentice to Freud and psychoanalysis, was another great contributor to psychology in general as well as dream theories.   Like Freud, Jung shared views of the unconscious, but was in disagreement of psychoanalysis with the emphasis on sexual gratification.  Jung founded Analytical Psychology which characterized the theory of archetypes which are “innate predispositions to experience and symbolize certain situations in a distinct way” (Cowgill, 1997, para.5).  These he used, in part, as evidence of the collective unconscious.  Archetypes play a large role Jung’s dream interpretation by comparing dream contents with universal symbolism which often appears in shared mythology across cultures.  He suggests that dreams are a method that our brains use dreams to compensate and balance out our waking life’s successes and failures by presenting the opposing scenarios, clues, and solutions.  Some of his research, consisting of the association method, shows that there seems to be some objective universal symbolism in dreams from the collective conscious; however, for the most part, his research was highly subjective, just as the dreams themselves are.  Although Jung’s ideas are fascinating, they hardly can be considered empirical since subjectivity cannot be falsified (Hergenhahn & Olson, 2007).

Cognitive psychology deals with internal processes of the mind such as perception, knowledge acquisition, and memories.  With the cognitive perspective, dreams are thought to be functionless.  They are simply the cognitive minds way of keeping itself occupied while one sleeps, since there is nothing else for it to do.  Basically, dreams keep our brains busy while our bodies can recharge.  They are nothing more than the sleeping mind’s thoughts and the meaning of them is from our own thoughts (Hall, 1953), activated by external stimuli, and our own internal interests in who we are, what we like, dislike, or fear, and where we wish to be (Domhoff, 2010).  The fact that the religious content of dreams usually fits one’s religious beliefs gives credence to this theory (Bulkeley, 2009).  Additionally, since people daydream when they are bored or performing autonomic tasks, also supports this theory.  Of course, since so many people deeply feel that their dreams are meaningful and often to the point of being troubling, this theory is not a popular one.

When viewing dream through the evolutionary perspective, one must assume that dreams have some sort of function that contributes to the survival of the species.  Viewing dreams through this perspective, “evolutionary theory of dreams stipulates that the biological function of dreaming is to simulate threatening events and to rehearse threat avoidance behaviors” (Zadra, Desjardins, & Marcotte, 2006, pg. 450).  An analysis of recurring dream content supports this theory since a high percentage contained some sort of threat to the dream persona (Zadra, Desjardins, & Marcotte, 2006,).  Another study concluded that there is a significant amount of the adaptive nature of dreams.  Empirical evidence of normal dream content suggests that some dreams do indeed give us practice on dealing with difficult situations sometimes (Revonsuo, 2000); however, since most nightmares rarely portray realistic dangers that can be a threat to survival, nor do they end in avoiding the nightmarish situation, one must ask how can they really contribute to avoiding a real hazard?

The information processing theory, a segment of cognitive psychology, uses computer processes as a comparison to the processes of the mind.  Like a computer, it processes information stimuli inputted through the senses, using different applications, emotions, sensations, thoughts, previously learned knowledge, etc.  Our brain actively receives, retrieves, processes, and stores information.  In this context, dreams can be viewed as the process of the brain defragmenting and compressing new information and move it the archives of your mind freeing up possible used space like a full disk.  There are several studies that support this theory (Rasch, 2008; Antony, Gobel, O'hare, Reber, & Paller, 2012; Born & Wilhelm, 2012). The conclusion to one such study states that “declarative memories require continual restructuring as new information is added” (Paller &Voss, 2004). 

An extension of this theory is that we dream to increase our learning capabilities.  To be sure, it has also been shown that there is a connection between learning, memory and REM sleep (Rattenborg, Martinez-Gonzalez, Roth, &, Pravosudov, 2012).  The main problem with this theory is that the majority of dreams that people have are forgotten.  According to dream researching expert Allan Hobson (1989), less than 5% of our dreams are actually recalled.  So if dreaming is for learning and memory consolidation, why do we forget? 

To date, there still just isn’t any definitive answer as to what dreams really are, what are their functions, and if they have any meaning; however, the Human Givens Approach seems to embody the most interesting theory.  The main idea of Joe Griffin’s Expectation Fulfillment theory explains that dreams are the brains way to play out emotional expectations that we have not dealt with during the day (Griffin, 2005).  This theory seems to be the best explanation for both good and bad dreams.  If we have a good emotional expectation, then we have good dreams, but if we are anxious about something, then we have nightmares.  This theory is supported with dreams studies that confirm the activity of the emotional center of the brain during REM sleep which is when the majority of dreams are experienced (Peterson, Henke, & Hayes, 2002).  So according to Griffin, Freud had it partially right in dreams being a mechanism of fulfillment, just not of wishes. 

Why do dreams need only have one function?  Perhaps they are all of the above.  Sometimes they may have meaning, sometimes they don’t.  According to some of the studies represented in this paper, there is obviously evidence of a biological function for them, but there is also indications of the mind using a biological function simultaneously for other purposes as well.  After all, our brain is a multitasking organ.  We are biological entities, but also our bodies are biological machines and work similarly in nature to machines, and our brain is the central processor and the hard drive.  We are also simultaneously, thinking beings, conscious of our own past, present, and future, unlike any other creature or machine on earth.  Just as computers need to backup archives, memories may need to do the same thing.  The image of how a computer sees the contents of a scan as it is backing up files can be visualized in the forms of flashes of complete files without looking at it completely.  If the mind was backing up memory files, like a computer, it would not see the complete memory, just a flash of it, which would then cause another part of the creative mind to add to the flash.  Evolutionary theory may be onto something when we consider rehearsing threat avoidance.  Some may be for inspirational purposes, others are coping mechanisms, conflict resolution, wish fulfillment, and maybe, even at times, be sexually motivated!  Although, science has yet to consider metaphysical possibilities it could be that dreams, like prophetic ones, expand way beyond our own understanding of the natural world as well.  Psychological theories are similar in nature to the religious beliefs, and non-beliefs of the world.  They all may have some truth to it, but none have the ultimate truth.  The ultimate truth is somewhere entrenched in all of them together. 

References

Antony, J.W., Gobel, E.W., O'hare, J.K., Reber, P.J., Paller, K.(2012). Cued memory

reactivation during sleep influences skill learning. Nature Neuroscience,15(8).  doi:

10.1038/nn.3152

Born, J., Wilhelm, I. (2012). System consolidation of memory during sleep. Psychological

Research 76(2), 192-203. doi: 10.1007/s00426-011-0335-6

Bulkeley, K. (2009). The Religious Content of Dreams: A New Scientific Foundation

Pastoral Psychology, 58(2),  93-106.  Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/ docview/199317943/13917E4CF2B67FC3DD1/20?accountid=32521

Cowgill, C. (1997). Carl Jung. Retrieved from Muskingum University History of Psychology

Archives: http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/ jung.htm

Domhoff, G. W. (2010). The Case for a Cognitive Theory of Dreams. Retrieved September 15,

2012 from: http://www2.ucsc.edu/dreams/Library/domhoff_2010a.html

Freud, S. (1911). The Interpretation of Dreams. (3^rd Ed.). Retrieved from Classics in the History

of Psychology: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Freud/Dreams/dreams.pdf

Fromm, E.. (1980). Greatness and Limitation of Freud Thought. New York, NY: Harper & Row

Retrieved from: http://openlibrary.org/works/OL1185025W/Greatness_and_limitations_ of_Freud%27s_thought

Griffin, J. (2005). Dreaming to forget: the real reason why. The Human Givens Journal,12(1).

Retrieved from: http://www.hgi.org.uk/archive/dreamtoforget.htm

Hall, C. S. (1953). A cognitive theory of dreams. The Journal of General Psychology, 49, 273

282. Abridged version in M. F. DeMartino (Ed.). (1959). Dreams and Personality Dynamics (pp. 123-134). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Herghenhahn, B.R., Olson, Matthew H. (2007).  An introduction to Theories of Personality (7^th

Ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall

Hobson, A. (1989). The Dreaming Brain.  New York, NY: Basic Books. Retrieved from:

http://booklens.com/j-allan-hobson/the-dreaming-brain

Paller, K.A, Voss, J.L. (2004).  Memory reactivation and consolidation during sleep. Learning

Memory, 2004(11), 664-670.   doi:10.1101/lm.75704

Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2006). A Child's World: Infancy Through

Adolescence (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Peterson, N.D.J., Henke, P.G., & Hayes, Z. (2002). Limbic System Function and Dream Content

in University Students. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences,14(3), 283-288. Retrieved from: http://psychiatryonline.org/data/Journals/NP/3921/283.pdf

Rasch, B. (2008). Reactivation and Consolidation of Memory During Sleep. Current Directions

in Psychological Science, 17( 3),188-192.  doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00572.x

Rattenborg, N.C., Martinez-Gonzalez, D., Roth, T.C., Pravosudov, V.V. (2012). Hippocampal

memory consolidation during sleep: a comparison of mammals and birds.  Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 86(3),  658-691.  doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00165.x

Runyan, W. M. (1982). In Defense of the Case Study Method.  American Journal of

Orthopsychiatry, 52(3), 440-446.  Retrieved from: http://www.williamrunyan.com/ article_content/Runyan_in_defense_of_the_case_study.pdf

Hartmann, E.  (2008). Nightmare after trauma as paradigm for all dreams: A new approach to the

nature and functions of dreaming. Psychiatry 61( 3), 223-38. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/220666135?accountid=32521

van den Daele, L.  (2006).  Direct interpretation of dreams: Neuropsychology.  American Journal

of Psychoanalysis, 56( 3), 253-268.  Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/ 204616267?accountid=32521

Zadra, A.; Desjardins, S.; Marcotte, É . (2006).  Evolutionary function of dreams: A test of the

threat simulation theory in recurrent dreams. Consciousness and Cognition, 15 (2), 450-463. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2005.02.002.