The images formed in our brains while we sleep have always attracted attention and have been associated with many scientific or non-scientific phenomena. Here are 15 scientific facts about dreams for the geek.
Much has been written and drawn about the dreams we have while we sleep. And most of them are generally not based on scientific data. Here are 15 scientific facts about our dreams:
We Forget 90% of Our Dreams
We forget half of our dream 5 minutes after waking up, and 90 percent after 10 minutes.
Blind People Dream Too
Those who lost their sight after birth may see visual images in their dreams. Congenital blind people cannot see pictures; but senses smell, sound, touch and emotions at the same level.
Everyone Dreams
Everyone dreams except for people with extreme psychological problems. If you think you are not dreaming, you are actually forgetting your dreams.
In Dreams We Only See Faces We Know
Our minds do not create faces. The faces we see in dreams are the faces we encounter in our lives but do not remember or do not know who they belong to. Since we all see thousands of faces throughout our lives, we have the ability to see unlimited faces in our dreams.
Not Everyone Has Colorful Dreams
12 percent of sighted people see their dreams in black and white, the rest in color. According to research conducted between 1915 and 1950, the vast majority of dreams were seen in black and white. However, results began to change from the 1960s onwards. Today, only 4.4 percent of people under the age of 25 have their dreams in black and white. Recent studies attribute this change to our shift from black-and-white film and television to color imagery.
Dreams Are Symbolic
A dream involving a particular object or event is usually not directly related to that object or event. Dreams speak in a symbolic language. Whatever image your dreams see most likely does not represent that image.
Feelings
The most felt emotion in dreams is anxiety. Negative emotions are more common than positive emotions.
We Have Four to Seven Dreams Every Night
On average, we dream for one to two hours each night.
Animals Dream Too
Studies on many animals have revealed that animals dream in their sleep just like humans. If you watch a dog sleep, you may see it move its feet or paws, as if following someone.
REM (Deep Sleep Phase)
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) is a standard stage of sleep, during which the eyes move quickly. REM sleep covers 20-25 percent of all sleep in adolescents, which is equivalent to 90-120 minutes of a night’s sleep. During REM sleep, the body cannot move even though the body moves in the dream, so the body goes into a temporary ‘sleep paralysis’ state.
Dream Merging with Real Life
Our mind can combine with our dreams what our body actually heard or felt at the time. For example, we may dream that we are listening to music at a concert, but there may be music playing on the radio at that time.
Men and Women Dream Differently
Men dream more about men. 70 percent of the characters a man sees in his dreams are men. In women, these rates are equal. On the other hand, men feel more aggressive in their dreams than women.
Dreams Showing the Future
Studies show that between 18 percent and 38 percent of people see images with ‘future’ in their dreams, and 70 percent experience ‘déjà vu’. The proportion of people who believe that the future can be seen in dreams varies between 63 percent and 98 percent, depending on the research.
You Can’t Dream If You Snoring
Although not scientifically proven, studies have concluded that people who snore have fewer, shorter, and often forgotten dreams.
You Can Have an Orgasm in Your Dreams
You can have sexual intercourse in your dream, and also experience an orgasm as strong as the real thing. Even during this orgasm, which may be more severe than the real thing, ejaculation may not even occur.
