bbc_tae_why_do_we_dream_download (mp3cut.net)

[00:00.42] There are no clear answers to the question of why we dream, but there are different theories.

[00:07.59] Dreaming is extraordinary and strange: you hallucinate, believe impossible things, and people you know may merge into one another.

[00:19.02] And then, to top it off, you will likely forget all about it.

[00:25.13] Memory storage could be one reason for why we dream.

[00:34.69] When you are asleep, the brain decides what information you should move to your long-term memory and what should be unlearnt.

[00:38.41] In a TED Talk, psychologist Amy Adkins described a 2010 experiment involving participants studying how to get out of a complex 3D maze.

[00:51.16] It was found that they were much better at attempting it if they had had a nap and dreamt of the maze.

[00:58.86] Another purpose of dreams could be the processing of our daily emotions, which may add to emotional memory consolidation.

[01:07.89] In 2003, the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience published research that experimented with the idea of dreams being a replication of our daily lives.

[01:19.31] Diary entries and dream journals of 29 healthy young adults over a two-week period were compared, and it was discovered that emotional themes from the day were replicated in dreams 35-55% of the time.

[01:36.84] Antti Revonsuo, a Finnish scientist, has suggested that dreaming helps us to prepare for and deal with stressful situations.

[01:46.41] He studied children’s nightmares, giving an example of being continuously chased by wolves.

[01:52.78] He believes dreams like this stem from our ancestors and could be a rehearsal for daily struggle and survival.

[02:01.03] In modern times, dreams and nightmares may be preparing us for social situations such as having a fight with a friend, going on a date or having a job interview.

[02:12.99] With such a variety of theories on why we dream, it seems that more research is needed before we can completely understand their purpose.