Why do we dream?

Posted in Psychology on Monday, 30 May 2011

Click on any image for details about licensing for commercial or personal use.

This edited article about Dreams originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 953 published on 26 April 1980.

dreams, picture, image, illustration

A boy dreaming of sailing on the high seas

During sleep the conscious mind, which controls our emotions and actions when we are awake, is at rest. This allows the subconscious mind to express some of our innermost desires, free of all inhibitions. But the conscious mind still exerts some controlling influence, so it is able to stop the thoughts being expressed in straightforward terms. Because of this, many dreams appear to be rather strange, for the various thoughts are being expressed in disguised form. It takes some skill to unravel all the symbols used in dreams. Dreaming fulfils a useful function in that it helps us to cope with the inevitable tensions of life.

Comments are closed.