Process V.S. Not

When a person sleeps their brain does not. In fact, the dreamer’s brain is awake during sleep, and is active. For years, scientist having been arguing over whether dreams are or are not a main process. Meaning that dreams are their own process in the brain similar to how thoughts are their own process. Although there are many theories. I don’t think you can pick a side.

Many scientist as well as many people believe that dreams are a main process. Recent studies show that sleep is a major role which preserves and enhances certain aspects of a memory. Those with the greatest emotional value are enhanced and those of lesser value are downgraded. An emotional memory becomes “unbound” during sleep (in which a dream is created). This enables the sleeping brain to selectively preserve only the information worth remembering. People also believe that dreams have many meanings such as when they are falling or are flying in their dreams that the dream symbolizes something. We dream for three reasons
1.) We dream to organize the brain. When we have had a long day and are given lots of information it can be really overwhelming. Dreaming is a way to file away the good information and throw away the meaningless data. Although this theory has not been 100% proved.If it were, completely correct our entire day would be replayed to us during sleep. Although often the majority of our dreams are not about reality.
2.) We dream to help solve problems. One common theory is that our dreams help us find small hints that are not seen by the conscious mind during the day. This is also why sometimes when people “sleep on it” they often find a solution to their dilemma. Although one problem to this theory is most people only remember some of their dreams.
3.) We dream to cope with trauma. Sometimes our emotions that may remain unseen from past events or current events generate during the night forming a dream to cope with the certain situation. For example, if someone had ever gotten in a car accident they may have been shaken up. There is a likely chance they may continue to dream about that moment. Dreaming about the event may help the person prepare for it if it were ever to happen again. This is also the reason we have nightmares. Our nightmares can sometimes be rehearsal for trauma. Although it’s not always a rehearsal sometimes when your subconscious is trying to find a solution to an emotion problem. Although; if it can’t find one it may turn your dream into a nightmare.


Many people claim that they have had dreams that have later occurred in reality. “ It does happened for real. but it takes a while, not right away. It is weird because if I forget my dream the next day, when its about to happen, that is the time when I vividly remember all of it. It feels like déjà vu It happens just like my dreams. Sometimes it scares me...” ‘-Rachel.’
Personally I have had one of these experiences. There was a boy that would walk me home from our bus stop. He smoked. One night I had a dream that he was walking me home. He was discussing with me that he hated the smell of smoke, that he wish he could stop. He told me that it was a mistake he wished he could take back, not to ever do it. By this point in the dream we had stopped by my mailbox, and continued talking. When I woke up the next day I thought nothing of it, just that it was odd. That day he walked me home and said word for word what he did in my dream.

Many scientist believe that dreams are not a main process that they are an underling cause of something greater a bigger process going on behind the conscious brain. When we sleep, the unconscious part of our brain is working to organize memories and strengthen connections from the day or the day before that we might need in the future.While getting rid of the junk that would otherwise clog the brain or seemingly be useless. There is an electrical impulse, (The electrical impulse is a byproduct of the unconscious working) that is detected by our conscious brain. Our cortex does understand this impulse so it tries to create a story that during the confusion seems like it would make sense, therefore creating a dream.Since we are asleep the brain doesn’t have much else to pay attention to. Therefore scientist remain to see that dreams are an accidental cause of the unconscious part of our brain organizing.

Both arguments are valid points, but the reason I believe someone can’t pick a side is because each side of the argument builds off of each other. For example, if a dream is an accident created by the byproduct of the unconscious working then how do some dreams happen. If the unconscious is organizing information and trying to solve information then the dreams could be an accident. Although if the brain is sorting the information as the form of a dream, then the dream is a main process. Neither theory is 100% proved. Since neither theory is proved, and they both run over the top of each other it’s almost impossible to pick a logical side without using almost 100% personal opinion.

In conclusion scientist have two completely different decision on whether dreams are or are not a main process. Many scientist believe that it is a main process due to possible symbolism behind the messages that the brain releases during sleep. While other scientist believe that it is not a main process but a cause of a greater process of the unconscious brain organizing. I think that since neither theory is proved, and they both build on each other that it is almost impossible to pick a side using logic and not basing it mostly on opinion. While both theories seem possible neither is proven, dreams still remain a mystery. I propose that scientist do more research, and find ways to prove their theories.