Dreams

There was this amazing cloud formation in the sky that looked exactly like a fish, the white clouds forming the scales, the sky a perfect, pale blue behind it. I kept trying to get in the best position for the perfect photo but there always seemed to be something blocking it, getting in the way. It was frustrating and then I woke up!

We all dream, some remember more of them than others, some dream in black and white and others in colour.

However no ones knows why we dream! Just as scientists have no idea why we sleep, there is no definitive answer to why we dream - however there are a lot of theories.

It is commonly agreed that we remember most dreams that happen in the REM stage as this our lightest level of sleep and if we are woken while in the dream, we remember it more easily.
There are theories that it is the brain sorting out information gathered during the day, either processing what is useful to remember and what is not, or as others believe, that dreams help us form new neural pathways in the brain to be able to access information more easily.
Other theories say that frightening and scary dreams are our subconscious trying out the brains flight or fight response.  Some say that they reflect the emotional part of our lives that gets shut down during the day as we are too busy with other stuff.
Another theory is that they do not really serve any function but are just a by product of the brain working while we sleep.

Though at the moment we cannot be sure of why we dream, we do and we spend a lot of time doing it! If you are someone who does not remember dreams vividly and would like to, then try this tip - the moment you wake quickly think back into your dream and try and recall just one image, or feeling or even a word. Just hold your self there and gently focus on that image or feeling then ask 'What happened before?' and see what image or feeling you get then. At first you may get very little, but the more times you do this and focus on recalling your dreams the more you will remember and the easier it becomes.

I learnt to recall my dreams when I was  teenager - a side effect of insomnia is that you dream more frequently and more vividly and have been able to do so ever since Most days I will get up without choosing to focus on my dreams, but enjoy having a little extra time at the weekends to go back and recall them. Most of them are run of the mill and the same old, same old but occasionally a stand out dream will make a big impression on me and it these ones that I take the time to interpret. I look on a dream interpretation as a fun thing to do, well you'd want to know why you were snorkeling with George Clooney, wouldn't you?

My dreams have definitely changed over the years, during one period of my life I used to dream of being chased up and down stairs, another time that I was trying to pack but couldn't fit everything in my bag. Then there were the fear dreams of being naked etc. Mostly at the moment I get obstacle dreams which I can relate to setting up a new business venture - and that's what the fish dream was about!

So what do you dream about?
I hope they're great ones!