Aryanna Reid Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102

What does it mean to dream?

Definition: A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a persons mind during sleep Occurs in the Rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep *Brain activity is relatively high and resembles that of a conscious individual (eyes constantly moving back and forth Enter REM ninety minutes into sleeping & this stage is undergone 5-6 times per night Brain activity (1) No delta waves (a type of high amplitude brain wave found in humans) (2)Voltage activity low and fast Almost a full clampdown of muscle responses of the body, seems paralyzed

Why is the exploration of dreaming significant?

The reason for dreaming has been sought out for years and various theories have been proposed Science is uncovering that dreams play a central role in our emotional health, our memory, our learning and as a way to help us to find solutions to our problems. They say that our unconscious mind is often showing itself in dreams (link into the subconscious)

Brain activity while dreaming

the release of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and histamine is completely suppressed. person dreaming is not aware that they are dreaming, no matter how absurd or eccentric the dream is because of the prefrontal cortex. *region of the brain responsible for logic and planning, exhibits decreased activity during dreams.

 Introduces dreaming by explaining the sleep process Identifies 2 phases of sleep(SWS & REM) and states the amount of time, on average, that a person spends sleeping/dreaming Explains the brain activity (delta waves, beta waves, voltage activity) that occurs at all four stages of sleep States the amount of time spent in each stage and the number of times each stage is undergone during a sleep session Explains the dysfunction of sleep and what it means ( psychological disorder) Puts emphasis on the neurocognitive system in relation to dream interpretation Explains neurotransmitters role in REM phase of sleep

The Huffington Post

Introduces dreaming by explaining early observations on infants during REM sleep Explains purpose of dream occurring during REM sleep (muscles are temporarily paralyzed - protecting us from physically acting out these dreams with our bodies) Explains how sleep studies are difficult to conduct because they just prove that people do dream not the reason why States that ordinary dreams can help us get in touch with our feelings, continues to go in depth on this theory States that dreams allow us to rehearse or practice for future events, learn about our bodies' physical needs, improve our diets, and heal emotional wounds from troubled relationships, continues to go in-depth on this theory

Reflection on Sources
Thinkquest - Created by the Oracle Education Foundation - Widely acclaimed education technology program - Articles organized into educational categories - Target Audience: Teachers and students *NOTE: States directly on website use the ThinkQuest Library for school projects, assignments, or personal research. -uses .org instead of .com - Clear descriptive paragraphs that support main point

Reflection on Sources
The Huffington Post -an American online news aggregator and blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, Andrew Breitbart, -up-to date -Target Audience: Individuals that want to stay informed - Created by a doctor ( Dr. Angel Morgan) - Contains several references - Backs up information with facts and previous studies

Works Cited
"How Do We Dream." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. DreamsCloud. "Theories Abound to Age-Old Question: Why Do We Dream?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Dec. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. Obringer, Lee Ann. "How Dreams Work." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 27 Jan. 2005. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. Santillano, Vicki. "Sleep Amnesia: Why Do We Forget Our Dreams?" Divine Caroline. N.p., 25 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Feb. 2014. "Why Do We Dream?" Scientific American Global RSS. N.p., 10 July 2006. Web. 05 Feb. 2014.