Do People Exist in the World Who Don't Dream?
If a normal human being's brain cortex doesn't completely quiet down and shows slight activity during sleep, that person enters the realm of dreams. The content of dreams varies from person to person. The existence of dreams itself is a perplexing question, as sleep is meant for rest, so why does the brain dream during that time? It's because the brain, like running a screensaver, restores vitality.
Some scholars believe that dreams are products of specific patterns in the brain. They are derived from your daily memories. Dreams are like playing movies, but they jumble up fragments of memories in the brain. Other scholars think that dreams are the result of random connections of unconscious brain information. Some of these fragments are things you have long forgotten, at the edge of your memory. It's truly fascinating.
Throughout history, some people have considered dreams as prophecies, believing that dream content represents events to come. A small group of people interprets dreams as messages from the departed. Additionally, there are a few individuals who claim not to dream. In medical literature, there are reports of dream loss caused by brain injuries. One account describes a seventy-three-year-old woman who experienced brain damage, after which her dreams disappeared. Even when awakened during the dream period, she denied dreaming.
In reality, everyone dreams, but they may not remember their dreams upon waking up, leading them to believe they don't dream. Data shows that ninety percent of the time, we don't remember our dreams. After waking up, you only have about five minutes to recall your dream before forgetting it completely, feeling like you dreamed but also feeling like you didn't.
Dreaming is a perfectly normal and essential physiological and psychological phenomenon. When people fall asleep, their brains remain active, forming the foundation of dreams. In fact, dreaming is beneficial. We should dream more because the more dreams we have, the more active our brains become. Apart from dreaming during the day, it's also important to dream during sleep.
In many cases, we dream as we fall asleep. Some dreams occur just before awakening, and upon waking, we can only recall the dream that happened just before awakening, not the initial dream.
Dreams can also reflect a person's desires. Often, dreams contain elements of our daytime thoughts, which manifest in our dreams. Hence, we may dream about negative things like exam failures or accidents, causing worry. However, this is all normal.
Furthermore, dreams can enhance cognitive abilities. Besides their similarity to how computers process data, dreams facilitate improved connections between the brain and the cortex. Dreams also play a positive role in mental health, maintaining a good level of mental well-being. If you go for an extended period without dreaming, it may indicate an issue with your body, so be cautious.
Dreaming also allows for the swift processing of unimportant information, freeing up space in the brain for learning other things while cleverly strengthening and retaining important information.
Some people can embark on a world-spanning adventure with a brief nap, while others believe they have never dreamed. However, there are no individuals who don't dream. If you sleep until morning without remembering your dreams, it's simply because you can't recall them.
Regarding the content of dreams, there's no need to worry too much. They are just fragments of the brain combined and played together.