10 Most Interesting Theories That Explain Why People Dream
There is a branch of science called oneirology which studies dreams. This discipline combines features of neuroscience, psychology, and even literature, but does not provide the answer to an important question: why do people have dreams? There is no clear answer to this puzzle yet, but there are some interesting hypotheses, some of which are presented here.
1. Hidden desires – Sigmund Freud
One of the first few scholars, who began to study dreams, was the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. After analyzing dreams of hundreds of his patients, Freud developed a theory which is still supported by some of his followers: dreaming represents suppressed desires and hidden inclinations of people.
According to Freud, while dreaming, people see what they want to achieve, literally or symbolically. For example, if someone had a dream that his mother had died, this does not mean that this person subconsciously wants to kill her, instead, according to the Freudian interpretation, (more…)
