I have often wondered why our dreams contain sexual images, dog fights, and car chases a la James Bond etc, but when I did some research, I couldn’t find a non-dream interpretation answer. That is, until I read a book by Dr. Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself. It states that tests have demonstrated that when we dream, the part of the brain in charge of processing emotion, and our sexual, survival, and aggressive instincts is very active. At the same time, the part that makes us human, which is responsible for inhibiting our emotions and instinct shows very little activity.
There you have it; it looks like during our REM sleep phase, the mind puts the “bouncers” to rest so that all the rest can enjoy the wild party.
What do you think?
Until tomorrow, be wise and have fun.
PS: Is Jane Teresa around?
Information provided in this blog is to be used for educational purposes only. It should NOT be used as a substitute for seeking professional diagnosis or treatment of any disorder.
This is a very interesting fact. I have also often wondered why this is, you have answered my question and now I will be able to relate to my dreams. Not that I have one like that every night
:)
Why does only that part of the mind stay active when we are dreaming?? Does this relate to everyone??
Thank You kindly
Jess
xxx
The sad thing about those exotic dreams is that they can generate a huge amount of guilt, particularly the ones involving an unexpected sexual encounter, like a work colleague, friend, or neighbour. If you share those dreams with your partner, jealousy can raise its ugly head. Keep them to yourself, and you may be eaten up with doubt about your real life relationship. So what’s it all about really? Do we kiss and tell?
Great blog Dr Juan
Yes, it’s true, the areas of the brain most active during dreaming are the areas involved in sensing and processing emotions, instincts, drives (such as sex, which is also instinctual and emotional), as well as the areas of the brain that normally, while we are awake, sense and process what we see, hear, smell, touch and taste.
The reasoning part of the brain is pretty much switched off during dreaming! You only have to look at your dreams to realise this is true. Logic has little place in the dramas dreams weave.
In simple terms, the right brain is active and the left brain is sleepy during dreaming.
Here’s the good bit:
Dreams - once interpreted - give you the opportunity to understand how your unconscious mind is programmed. This is important because it’s your unconscious mind that’s in control of how your life turns out . Your fears, whether you know about them or not, dictate how you act in life no matter how much you think your reasoning brain is in control.
Your deepest beliefs about life, the ones that affect how you go about your life and what happens in your life as a result, are anchored in your emotions. These beliefs are mostly unconscious, and because your unconscious mind is a more powerful driving force than you conscious mind, it ‘wins’.
So - isn’t it wonderful that dreams allow you to observe the emotions and beliefs that are really in the driving seat of your life? Knowledge is power - once you know about your unconscious patterns they can be changed.
Yes, we’re reasoning, logical creatures, and this distinguishes us from non-human animals. Yes, we can put a cap on our emotions and drives while we are awake. But I’d argue that being able to remember and interpret our dreams is also what distinguishes us from non-human animals, and it is this ability that enables us to be super-human: to evaluate our unconscious patterns and beliefs and change them so that we truly master our lives and the way we respond to the world.
Oh - you want to know more about sex dreams?
What is the personality of your dream sex partner? Choose three words to describe his or her personality. If the sex is good, you may be unconsciously absorbing these traits into your life. If the sex is not so good, the same applies but you may not be too happy about this fact. However, every dream is unique and it’s the rest of your dream storyline that is the key to the intepretation.
Hope this helps,
Jane Teresa
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