Thread: What are Dreams made of?

I've always wondered...why do we dream?

I mean, I've heard the scientific explanation about how our subconcious is letting itself roam our minds, 'stretching it's legs', as it were. But I don't really buy that. Really, to be completely honest, I think scientists are just trying to bulk themselves up and seem smart.

Anyway...

I actually do believe our subconcious is the cause for our dreams, but what we dream and why we sometimes can't remember what we dreamed....it's a bit...well, a bit iffy. I mean, if I see something in my head, I want to know what I've seen, don't you?

Sometimes, I actually find myself thinking that our subconsious selves show us our future and what we'll be one day, or what'll happen to us or someone we know...maybe someone we even don't know. Sometimes, you have a really bad feeling about the day when you wake up and, what do you know, the day turns out horrible or something.

It's a tricky thing, a mind. Sometimes you'll remember your dreams and they'll be pointless nothings that seem silly and trivial compared to real life. And other times, you don't remember your dreams at all, or you just remember little parts of it. Then, the more you think about the dream, the farther it slips away, making itself invisible to you...only to return at night when you aren't paying attention.

It's silly, isn't it? Sometimes, in the mornings, when I'm half awake, but really still dreaming, I can see the dream happening in my mind and, because of my half asleep state, I can control my dream, making it end how I want it to. But then, when I wake up (for real, this time), I can't remember what I made up. It's scary...you don't know what your mind is capable of when you're asleep....you can't control it and neither can anyone else.

Other people mainly do control your dreams, far more than ourselves actually. It's no coincidence that it is usually people we know in our dreams. Is this supposed to be an essay?

Not really, just a random rant...

But thanks ^^

Hmm, I hear what your saying.

There are things I have dreamed that have come true. But i generally follow the scientists on this one. When I dream its unusually a gateway to my subconscious. My hopes, fears, dreams etc.

Who knows for sure? No one.

If this was an essay I would recommend many changes. But since you say it's just a random rant, perhaps the discussion would be better served in the Lounge. If it was to be an essay and you were wanting us to consider it and comment on it then I offer this.

Lose the "I mean." We're assuming by writing the piece you intend to tell us what you mean or what you're thinking on this topic. I'm not saying "I mean" should never be used, but think about it, if you have to tell your reader, "I mean . . ." everything you've been saying before that point may need revision so your point is well understood and the phrase is unnecessary.

I've done a sample revision below, drawing on the general premise. You contradict yourself twice in the piece, particularly between the first and second paragraphs, stating that you believe that dreams are derived from the subconcious, but denying the scientific suggestion they are. I've taken an affirmative stand in the revision and changed the question slightly, because it didn't fit what you were talking about or needed to be expanded to cover the points you were attempting to make. You didn't seem to be asking what they were made of so much as you were asking where did they originate, why are they so silly at times, and why can't we remember them after we wake up.

I mean, I've heard the scientific explanation about how our subconcious is letting itself roam our minds, 'stretching it's legs', as it were. But I don't really buy that. Really, to be completely honest, I think scientists are just trying to bulk themselves up and seem smart.

Let's take that last comment first. "I think scientists are just trying to bulk themselves up and seem smart." Omit this. It's juvenile and shows a lack of knowledge about who scientists are. Scientists are smart. Stupid ones rarely succeed in their field. You lose credibility with your reader when you make blatantly insulting remarks that have no basis in fact. You can disagree with someone's point without insulting them. Remember, scientists don't get to their position without years of study and lab work. Their published works are subjected to intense peer reivew and scrutiny. In order to accuse them of vanity and a lack of intelligence you better have something to back up your statement to that effect. Okay, now on to the work.

[Revision]Where do dreams come from and what is their purpose? The scientific explanation is they are our subconscious manifesting itself and roaming about, stretching its legs as it were. I agree. Dreams are a preview of future experiences involving people we know, and perhaps those we don't yet know. But why are we given these previews, why are they nonsensical at times, and why is it difficult or even impossible to remember them once awake?

[Paragraph 2 -- Answer the question: Why are we given these previews? Are we to act? Are we to abstain from acting? Are we being prompted to set events in motion so that others can take place?]

[Paragraph 3 -- Answer the question: Why do our dreams seem so extraordinary and nonsensical? Why is we see ourselves saying and doing things that may be out of character for us in our everyday lives? Why is it some see themselves having extraordinary physical or intellectual abilities?]

[Paragraph 4 -- Answer the question: What are the different stages at which we dream? Why can we sometimes dream in a half-waking state, or are we merely forcing our dream to continue? Can we manipulate our dreams or are they beyond our conscious control? Why is it that we can merely remember fragments of dreams? Why do some fully dissipate once we're awake?]

[Paragraph 5 -- Your summation. Restate your thesis, not necessarily as exactly stated above, but you need to close the circle on this and bring your reader back to the original statement.]

If this was to be an essay, or not, and you were planning to refute scientific knowledge, you're going to need to do much more research and reading into the anatomy of dreams, dreamstates, REM sleep, and anything else related to it, and perhaps try to capture and analyze a dream or two of your own. You could summarize the dream, very briefly, in a paragraph and offer an analysis based on your research. Short of some serious research on this to back up your assertions, the previously-offered essay, if that's what it was, was mere fluff.

Since it was supposedly a random rant offered for comment, then ignore everything I've said above. I hope you'll resubmit a more thoroughly-researched essay, as you've chosen an interesting topic.