DREAMS, DREAMS, DREAMS, DREAMS, DREAMS OH WHAT D0 DREAMS OH WHAT D0

THEY MEAN???THEY MEAN???

DEPENDS ON WHO YOU DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK….ASK….

DREAM THEORIESDREAM THEORIES

Information-ProcessingInformation-Processing

Dreams sift, sort and fix the Dreams sift, sort and fix the day’s experiences into memoryday’s experiences into memory

REM sleep facilitates memoryREM sleep facilitates memoryConsolidates the day’s important Consolidates the day’s important

memories for further storagememories for further storage

EvidenceEvidence

People who get more REM sleep People who get more REM sleep have higher scores on memory have higher scores on memory

examsexams

Physiological TheoryPhysiological Theory

Dreams provide the sleeping brain with Dreams provide the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation that helps preserve periodic stimulation that helps preserve brain’s neural pathwaysbrain’s neural pathways

EvidenceEvidence- - Infants spend more time in Infants spend more time in REM sleep than older peopleREM sleep than older people

Cognitive TheoryCognitive Theory

Dreams are a natural part of brain Dreams are a natural part of brain maturation and developmentmaturation and development

They draw on our working concepts and They draw on our working concepts and knowledgeknowledge

EvidenceEvidence- - The dreams of small children The dreams of small children are more like a slide show…not the active are more like a slide show…not the active participants they will becomeparticipants they will become

Problem Solving TheoryProblem Solving Theory

Cartwright is the theoristCartwright is the theoristDreams are the continuity of Dreams are the continuity of

waking thought but in dreams you waking thought but in dreams you are not constrained by logic or are not constrained by logic or realism like you are when you are realism like you are when you are awakeawake

Thus the idea of, “I’ll sleep on it.”Thus the idea of, “I’ll sleep on it.”

EvidenceEvidence

People self-report that they solve People self-report that they solve problems in their dreamsproblems in their dreams

SIGMUND FREUDSIGMUND FREUD

Manifest Content: The story line of Manifest Content: The story line of the dreamthe dream

Latent Content: The hidden meaning Latent Content: The hidden meaning (symbols) within the dream (This is (symbols) within the dream (This is what Freud was really interested in)what Freud was really interested in)

Dreams are key to understanding Dreams are key to understanding inner-conflictinner-conflict

FREUDFREUD

Carl Jung: Freud’s student picked up Carl Jung: Freud’s student picked up and expanded where Freud left offand expanded where Freud left off

Least scientific of the theoriesLeast scientific of the theories Freud studied only housewives from Freud studied only housewives from

ViennaVienna Jung believed that you could Jung believed that you could

“decode” your dreams“decode” your dreams

EvidenceEvidence

There is no scientific evidence for this There is no scientific evidence for this theorytheory

Activation-Synthesis TheoryActivation-Synthesis Theory

Dreams are a product of activity from pons Dreams are a product of activity from pons and/or brainstem)and/or brainstem)

Cerebral Cortex attempts to make sense Cerebral Cortex attempts to make sense of neuron firings by creating a story of neuron firings by creating a story

Limbic system increase frontal lobe Limbic system increase frontal lobe decreasedecrease

DREAMS HAVE NO MEANING!DREAMS HAVE NO MEANING!

EvidenceEvidence

PET scans and other imaging techniques PET scans and other imaging techniques provide evidence for this.provide evidence for this.