Well, what can you say about dreams other than they’re both bizarre and wonderful. The world of our dreams is a strange one. Our unconscious minds unfold into a firing frenzy of neurons (our brain cells), creating a picturesque landscape of non-reality. Nonetheless, our dreams can feel as real as our waking life when we are in the midst of them. Sometimes, they can feel so real that we actually wake up convinced that the dream we just had really did happen. If you’re fascinated by the nature of dreams, then these fun facts should only make you wonder some more.
External stimuli can penetrate our internal worlds
All too often the subtle noises of the outside world can wrangle their way into our dreams. Known as Dream Incorporation, it is a common occurrence that a sound such as the rain outside or the wind blowing can infest our dreams. It can also be the case that our own feelings can alter our dreams. So, as an example, if we needed the toilet in the middle of the night, we may well dream about urinating on a wall or two as a sort of subconscious primer. Amazing stuff! Well, apart from the urinating at least.
Give up the cigs for smoking hot dreams
Many of us wish we could have more vivid dreams. Well, there’s some good news for smokers (and it’s not about your health). Nope, the news regards long time smokers who decide to quit their tar fuelled addictions. Research suggests that recent quitters are much more likely to have more vivid dreams than usual. Around one third of recent ex-smokers will have very vivid dreams about smoking during their first few weeks of abstinence. This is down to tobacco withdrawal, showing that those relentless cravings can penetrate right into our subconscious.
Your dreams are more familiar than you may think
Do you think that guy who tried teaching you to fly in your dream the other day was just a figment of your imagination? Think again! We only ever dream about what we have seen in our lives, whether that’s people, places, or whatever else you’ve witnessed. Our brains keep a database of pretty much everything, whether we’ve consciously noticed it or not. This database then gets unleashed in our dreaming lives, forming those crazy strangers and mix-mash landscapes we thought we’d personally created.
Dreams are great for our mental health
In a rather sinister study (who likes being woken up?), participants were awakened at the start of each dream. They were still allowed to get their full 8 hours, but they just weren’t allowed to dream. In the matter of only a few days, these participants had difficulty concentrating, had hallucinations, were irritable, and even showed signs of psychosis. When they were eventually allowed to go back their dreaming ways (through REM sleep, in case you were curious), their brains slowly restored themselves to normality.
So, still think dreams are pretty strange and amazing? Good, same here!
Stuart Withers is a sleep addict who loves to dream. If you’d like to set yourself up for prime dreaming time, then he recommends getting a ridiculously comfy Surrey Down Duvet from the guys over at Landmark Linen. Just like him, you’ll be off to the land of nod in no time at all.
4 Fun Facts About The Wild World Of Your Dreams
