[Image via Legendary Pictures & Warner Bros. Films]
Why Do We Dream?
When you talk about science rabbit holes, this is a pretty deep subject. If you’re the average human, you’ve likely dreamed before. However, you might not dream every time you fall asleep. We know that dreaming typically only happens when a person is able to reach their “REM sleep.” This stands for “rapid eye movement,” and it is a period when your brain is actually pretty active as you’re sleeping. People assume when they sleep, their brain sort of goes into sleep mode itself.
[Image via GPointStudio/Freepik.com]Yet in reality, your brain never truly turns off or anything like that. However, when you reach the REM cycle, you’re likely getting great sleep. Could it be that when we reach REM, we’re not completely connected to rational thought? If our brain is also getting partial rest, it is clear that we’re not connecting to every major brain area. The issue in all of this is the “WHY?” part of the equation. We know HOW dreaming tends to happen, even when, but why does it? Science still has no definitive answer.