Youth talk

Recently, I watched as a golden retriever was caught smiling in its sleep in what was an adorable short Instagram video clip. It looks like even animals dream (at least cats and dogs seem like they do) and yet scientists still cannot pinpoint exactly why it happens.

With the advancement of brain-scanning technology, several theories have been put out to explain why people dream.

Dreams help us consolidate new information, get rid of unnecessary ones, keep our long term memory running smoothly and hence are important when it comes to keeping  our brains working well.

They sometimes even allow us to solve problems while we sleep, as illustrated by the famous example of chemist August Kekule who, when contemplating the potential structure of six carbon benzene, dreamed of coiled snakes which hinted towards a possible ringed geometry. 

Experts believe nightmares especially to have been crucial for our survival as a species arguing that if this wasn’t the case, evolution would have done away with it.

In ancient times, a nightmare based on a traumatic real life experience was there to remind us how to cope better if a dangerous event were to repeat itself. By literally helping us practice our fight or flight response, it perhaps prepares us for life- threatening situations – say a wild beast giving you the chase of your life.

In modern times, however, nightmares might remind us of a need to address real life anxieties. 

These are just some of the hypotheses put out to explain why we dream but regardless of why they happen, most dreams are fun.

My dreams, if I remember them at all, tend to be quite realistic and are simply reflections of my conscious fears, wishes and well, future dreams (boring!) and that is why I really enjoy a good dream story.