Q: Why do we dream?
A: “A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep”, Cinderella sings. Freud believed that dreams were our wishes and worries coming to us in distorted and confusing ways. Almost everyone has dreamed of falling or arriving at a test without being prepared or forgetting essentials like books and pencils. These dreams refer to our sense of competence. Others dream of deceased loved ones and find there dreams comforting. Many people claim they do not dream but this is not true. The brain never stops thinking and dreams are merely our thoughts during sleep. They occur during Rapid Eye Movement, or REM sleep, and are an important part of the psychologically healing aspect of sleep. Deep sleep, when we do not dream, is the biologically healing equivalent. Both are vital for restoring us to face the next waking day. Good sleep is necessary to maintain physical and mental health.
