Sleep and Dreaming

This paper will examine the physiological and psychological interpretations of sleep and dreaming. Prior to the 1940s, scientists considered sleep to be "a passive phenomenon during which major elements of the brain rested" (Long, 1987, p. 796). It has since been discovered that the brain is actually very active during certain periods of sleep. Physiologists have noted two distinct cycles which occur in sleep: the slow wave sleep (SWS) cycle and the rapid eye movement (REM) cycle. During sleep, these two cycles alternate from one to the other approximately once every ninety minutes. During the SWS phase, the sleeper's brain wave patterns slow down dramatically. During the REM phase the brain wave patterns become so active at times that they resemble those of a person who is fully awake (Palca, 1989, p. 352).

Experiments have indicated that there is a relationship between dreams and the brain activity in REM sleep. In studies where volunteers were awakened during REM, approximately 85 to 90 percent stated that they were dreaming at the time (Begley, 1989, p. 42). Current research also suggests that "the brain itself actively generates sleep" (Long, 19878, p. 796). In this regard, Dr. Wallace B. Mendelson at the State University of New York has suggested that sleep might result "from the complex interaction of sleep-generating neurons with neurons that control such other aspects of physiology as respiration and blood pressure" (Long, 1987, p. 796).

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7, p. 796). The followers of Sigmund Freud believe that dreams help maintain mental health by allowing people to "express forbidden wishes in disguised form" (Guinness, 1987, p. 59). Others feel that "dreaming is the brain's way of making sense of the day's events and discarding useless information" (Guinness, p. 59). Many psychologists agree with the perspective of Carl Jung that symbols and metaphors play an large role in the interpretation of dream images. J. Allan Hobson of Harvard University has stated that this is because the brain works on the basis of associations. According to Hobson, "high-level associations are metaphors, which pack lots of material into an economical unit" (Begley, 1989, p. 44). Jung noted that psychological symbols in dreams are often based on archetypes. These are the common symbols which all humans share, such as crosses, monsters, and mythological figures. According to Jung, these archetypes are stored in the subconscious mind and may be called forth during dreams, when the conscious mind is asleep. In this regard, it has been noted that common dream images such as flying, falling and being naked in public "seem to capture universal human aspirations or fears" (Begley, p. 42). Physiology

Category: Psychology - S