It’s bedtime. You put the lights out. Your head hits the pillow, and you go into the state of slumber. And then it starts, you start experiencing fascinating, bizarre, and even terrifying scenarios. Yes, I am talking about dreaming!
We often muse about what dreams are, why they occur, and what do they mean. And we are not alone – scientists, psychologists, and philosophers have long been trying to understand everything about dreams. But there is still so much about dreams that we don’t know.
Below are 10 facts and myths about dreams which might help give clarity on what we think we know about dreams:
You don’t get dreams every night
It’s a myth! While you might not always remember your dreams, research estimates that individuals dream for more than 2 hours each night. However, some of these dreams occur during non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and hence the content is not easily remembered.
Men and Women dream differently
It’s a fact! When almost everything seems to be different for men and women, then dreaming is definitely not an exception. Studies claim that men dream more often about men, physical aggression and sexuality than women. Women’s dreams, on the other hand, contain an equal proportion of male and female characters, more aggression turned inwardly and themes of depression. I am sure most of us would agree to this!
If you die in your dreams, you will die in real life
It’s a myth! I have died in my dreams and here I am writing this, so the above statement is clearly not true. Death dreams can have a lot of meanings such as you could have a new beginning ahead or it can be a sign of anxiety or it could be a simple reminder that you should live your life to the fullest.
Not all of us have colourful dreams
It’s a fact! While you might have seen the blue open sky in your dreams or that you own a red coloured Ferrari, there are people who are not so fortunate. Research says that about 12 per cent of people dream in black and white.
You cannot control your dreams
It’s a myth! Imagine what would it feel like if you could direct your dreams! Well, there is a way to do that. Lucid dreaming is a dream state where you are aware of your dreams and to an extent have the ability to control what’s happening in your dream.
If you do terrible things in your dreams, you are a bad person deep down inside
It’s a myth! Ever murdered someone in your dreams? Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that you have criminal like instincts. Such dreams could just mean that you have gotten away with something that you shouldn’t have, perhaps maybe broke the no-smoking policy or cheated on a diet plan.
You only see the faces you know in your dreams
It’s a fact! Research says that the human mind is incapable of creating a new face. Every person that you dream of, you either know personally or have unconsciously come across them or their photos.
Dreams only last for a few seconds!
It’s a myth! Research shows that people usually have four to six dreams per night, and each one typically lasts for anywhere between 5 – 20 minutes. In fact, typically an individual spends six years on dreaming in a lifetime!
You can’t read in your dreams
It’s a fact! While sleeping, the language area of the brain is very less active. This makes reading, writing, and other related aspects nearly impossible to use while dreaming. In fact, a lot of dreamers say that they perhaps use telepathy to communicate in dreams.
Late-night snacking can lead to nightmares
It’s a fact! Love binging on those goodie good snacks before sleeping? Studies show that pre-bedtime snacks increase your metabolism, resulting in a more active brain which can possibly lead to nightmares. So next time, think twice before gobbling that snack down before sleeping!
I hope all this myth-busting has helped enhance your knowledge of dreams. So tonight, when you go to sleep, do keep these in mind and check for yourself if these make sense.
Remember, there is still a lot that we don’t know about dreams. So, keep dreaming and keep exploring! You never know, you might discover something new.
FAQs on Dream Facts & Myths
Do morning dreams turn out to be true?
B*******! 🙂
Busted! Tell me one more, please?
"If you dream about something shameful, it reflects who you are". It's stupid and whoever made that up is a grumpy human being. We already covered this but there was a need to emphasize it.
Okay, one more and I'll stop!
Video gamers can lucid dream better. That's a fact and I can assure you that. Omni-directional glide and teleportation, that's like a walk in the park!
Featured Photo by Min An from Pexels
Written by Kajol Bobra