Angina

Dreams in psychology. Theoretical foundations of the problem of sleep and dreams in science Psychology of sleep and dreams within the framework of psychoanalysis

Human consciousness is designed in such a way that a dense, almost insurmountable barrier, an impassable border, beyond which extends a forbidden zone, is erected between “night” and “day” existence...

But the author of this book, in the role of a stalker, managed not only to overcome this barrier, not only to look into the forbidden zone, but also to examine and describe in detail the secrets that are hidden there. This area of knowledge stores about you, reader, something intimate, important, significant, often even the most important thing!

PART 1. PSYCHOLOGY OF DREAMS

INTRODUCTION

“Consciousness”, “psyche”, “unconscious” - continue to remain the dominant, universal and still mysterious categories in the scientific study of the human personality.

Dreams in psychology, as a mental phenomenon, seem to be even more mysterious properties of the human psyche. This is partly due to the inaccessibility and difficulty of studying this phenomenon (the difficulty of observing, setting up and conducting laboratory experiments, the problem of proving the theory). And partly due to the fact that scientists and sleep researchers approach this topic with different, often initially contradictory criteria, attitudes, philosophical, scientific concepts and worldviews. This makes the issue more and more confusing.

Dreams have much in common with such mental phenomena as hallucinations, illusions, visions, imagination, fantasies, hypnotic, oneiric and other altered states of consciousness. And this allows us to assume the existence of a certain unified mechanism for the occurrence of such phenomena. It is obvious that dreams are associated with the work and manifestation of both consciousness and the human psyche as a whole. And, therefore, a deeper, more thorough, and most importantly, correct study of dreams will help the researcher discover the essence and fundamental principles of the functioning of consciousness - in essence, approach the discovery of the most important secret and riddle of human existence in the world.

Many great world-famous scientists have turned to a detailed study of dreams. Among them, first of all, of course, we should mention S. Freud and C. Jung. As for these names directly, there is every reason to assert the opposite: these researchers became major, great scientists precisely because they were among the first to show serious scientific interest in this topic.

Thus, the study and research of the nocturnal mental side of human life remains relevant to the present day.

Quite a lot of ideas and assumptions have already been accumulated regarding the reasons for the occurrence and the very mental organization of dreams. But most of them are still of little evidence and unconvincing, and more often - not clear, vague and contradictory in essence. Modern scientific theories do not shed any additional light on the problematic nature of dreams. A single, universal, coherent, generally accepted concept of dreams still does not exist (just as there is no single psychological theory of personality and consciousness)! And therefore, the problem of scientific approaches to the study of dreams, as well as the creation of an appropriate model of consciousness, remains open.

HISTORY OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN DREAMS (BRIEF REVIEW)

The pre-scientific period of human interest in dreams has a long history. Actually, as long as our civilization has been on earth, this interest has existed. However, the dream theme of this long historical stage is shrouded in a veil of mystery and mysticism. It is more associated with superstitions, signs, pagan and religious cults, belief in spirits, divine revelations and messages from deceased ancestors from the “other world.”

As modern research shows, among the so-called primitive, primitive peoples and communities, the content of dreams was and is of paramount importance and serves as a fundamental guideline in behavior, relationships with nature and between people, in everyday work activities (hunting, fishing, choosing a place to live, etc.). d.). Research of ancient Egyptian, Tibetan, Indian, Chinese cults, myths, as well as modern living conditions of Indian tribes, such as Agwaruna (northern Peru), Ashanti (center, region of Ghana), Berti (Sudan), Voodoo ( Caribbean), Zulu (southern Africa), Senoi (Malaysia), Navajo Indians, Yuma Indians, Iroquois Indians (America), indigenous shamanic settlements of Asia, Siberia and the Far East - allow us to summarize such a diverse collective experience in just one formulation:

In dreams, a person’s soul leaves the body and travels in some immaterial space. She can meet with the souls of other people, as well as receive information and experience from deceased ancestors, heroes and spirits... For some tribes, dreams are the same reality as daytime reality. You should not be skeptical about such a “theory”. It deserves attention and in-depth consideration. With all the differences in cultures, ideas about the world, living conditions and everyday life, and the level of development of civilizations, both the most ancient, past, and modern nations strive to express a certain single, collective, universal truth about the world and man. Dreams carry a much deeper wisdom and philosophy of life than is commonly believed in modern science. And the very adjective “backward” or “primitive” peoples, applied, of course, not to the external achievements of scientific and technological progress, but to the inner spiritual world of man, does not correspond to its name.

Psychology, as a science, originated within the framework of philosophy. The first ancient Greek philosophers, of course, could not ignore such a mental phenomenon as dreams. Aristotle endowed them with the function of imagination and considered them a by-product of previous sensations. Democritus believed that dreams are special radiations emanating from all people and things. These radiations are able to penetrate the body and consciousness of the sleeper. According to Plato, the biological seat of dreams is the liver. And the ancient Greek philosopher Artemidorus from Daldis wrote the main work of his life, a kind of dictionary of dreams, which reflected the first attempt to generalize and interpret night images and situations.

In the era of the formation and development of the main world religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam), dreams were interpreted and explained within the framework of an appropriate, specific, religious description of the world. But in their essence and principles, such explanations were not very different from more ancient (primitive) interpretations. Only the forms and names have changed: in a dream the soul still travels, but the spirits that come into the dream are called demons (in Christianity) or asuras (in Buddhism). Significant emphasis is placed on revelations of God (or seduction by demons). According to the religious description, it is also possible for a deceased saint to appear in a dream, who will convey some secret information, reveal the future to the sleeping person, provide assistance, report the discovery of some ancient religious object (icon), etc.

Within the framework of the growing scientific materialistic worldview, various scientists and philosophers tried to give their own explanations to dreams. T. Hobbes saw in dreams phantoms of past sensations, the other side of human imagination. R. Descartes believed that this is the result of the activity of the sleeper’s senses, corresponding to his desires. However, a series of prophetic dreams led him to the idea that a deeper secret was hidden in them. I. Kant, like Voltaire, was a supporter of the idea that dreams are a meaningless prejudice and a consequence of upset digestion. No one has depicted and described impressive night visions (having a certain meaning) so well and accurately as people of art: writers, artists. Classics of Russian literature are asked to be included in this number: Leskov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, as well as the Spanish artist Salvador Dali...

By the beginning of the twentieth century, along with discoveries in the field of electricity, with the development of natural science, biology, and physiology, physiological models of dreams were formed. The greatest discoveries of I.M. Sechenov and I.P. Pavlov in Russia placed the understanding of dreams on a stable materialistic foundation. And although such scientific activity intensified a lot of research in the field of psychology and served to create entire scientific directions, the danger of reductionism arose and was realized - reducing the complex problem of consciousness and the psyche only to physiology.

According to Pavlov, dreams are the result of excited foci of nerve cells in the brain during the process of inhibition. “A dream is a trace and, moreover, for the most part a long-standing irritation of nerve traces.” Although such a theory provided an understanding of the connection between the mental and the somatic, it was quite limited and flawed, like any other physiological model that explains the human psyche and consciousness exclusively from a materialistic position.

Therefore, a true revolution in the study and understanding of the psyche (as a multi-level construct) was a parallel study of the world-famous founder of psychoanalysis - Sigmund Freud. He wrote:

“I consider it my duty to declare that dreams do have meaning, and that a scientific method of interpreting them is indeed possible” (1900)

The first serious scientific attempt at a psychological rather than physiological explanation of the phenomenon of dreams gave a powerful impetus to the search for new ways and possibilities in the study of dreams by various scientists. During the formation and development of the world psychoanalytic movement, certain provisions of Freud's theory were revised, changed, and supplemented. Points of view and emphasis shifted to the relationship between the levels of the psyche in the individual and to the understanding of dreams themselves. And for some time now (since the mid-twentieth century), dreams have finally taken their worthy and prominent place in the general psychological structure of other multiple mental manifestations. Not a single psychoanalyst (psychologist, psychotherapist) could now ignore any of the night dreams told by the patient.

The great psychoanalysts and neo-Freudians Adler, Fromm, Bern, Rogers, Maslow, Perls, Assogiolio, following Freud, sought to more thoroughly consider the territory of dreams - someone else's psychic reality. Carl Jung made an invaluable contribution to the understanding of dreams, significantly expanding and supplementing them with archetypal, mythological and spiritual content. Having separated itself from classical psychoanalysis, Jung's analytical psychology shed new, additional light on the essence of dreams, even surpassing Freud himself in some ways.

Nevertheless, the theoretical concepts and psychological models of Freud, Jung, and all subsequent modern psychoanalysts themselves remained a kind of myths, poorly (in the strictly scientific sense) amenable to empirical confirmation and evidence. They are far from fully explaining and explaining the universal principles of the work of the psyche and consciousness. However, such myth-theories, it must be admitted, still function in certain planes of human existence. The flawed theory of classical psychoanalysis with its emphasis on the omnipotence and omnipotence of libido (human sexual energy), as well as on the conflict and helplessness of the human “I”, drowned in the ocean of lower instincts and passions, has long been revealed and shown. But the greatest merit in the priority of the study of dreams in psychology and psychotherapy will forever remain with the fathers of psychoanalysis.

An important event in 1927 was the scientific discovery of Hans Berger, who showed that the difference in electrical potentials of the brain could be measured and recorded in the form of a graph - an encephalogram. And in 1937, A. Loomis, E. Harvey and J. Hobart first carried out an electroencephalographic description of sleep. Now sleep and dreams could be studied in the laboratory. Five sleep phases were identified: 0 - drowsiness, 1 - light sleep, 2 - semi-deep sleep, 3 and 4 - deep sleep.

And only in 1953 E. Azerinsky and N. Kleitman (scientists at the University of Chicago) discovered eye activity during sleep, which specifically corresponds to the phase of night vision. Thus, the opportunity arose for a more detailed and scientific study of dreams. It was discovered that it was possible to record the following biological parameters during sleep in the laboratory:

- brain activity (electroencephalography).

- ocular mobility (electrooculography).

- muscular activity (electromyography).

- cardiac activity (electrocardiography).

- respiratory rhythm (pneumography).

- psychogalvanic reflex.

Having studied and compared these polygraphic series, scientists W. Dement and N. Kleitman in 1957 created a classic diagram of sleep cycles.

By looking at the brain's nerve impulses recorded by EEG, we can clearly see two different phases of brain activity occurring during sleep:

The REM period is sleep without rapid eye movements, or orthodox, deep, passive sleep.

And the REM period is sleep with rapid eye movement, or paradoxical, shallow, active sleep.

During REM sleep, breathing becomes slower, blood pressure decreases, muscles relax, and there is almost no body movement. During the deep stages of REM sleep (3 and 4), known as delta sleep, brain activity is recorded in large, smooth, slow fluctuations.

Rapid eye movement (paradoxical, REM) sleep lasts from 5 to 45 minutes. and accounts for 20-25% of the total sleep duration. This phase is characterized by the appearance of fast, low-amplitude rhythms on the EEG and, in these manifestations, is similar to the first stage of slow-wave sleep and even active wakefulness! Fast rhythms may alternate with low-amplitude slow and short bursts of alpha rhythm.

During REM sleep, the following picture is observed: our eyes seem to be following a rapidly moving object or looking around the crowd, looking for the right person. There is an almost complete inhibition of the tone of the muscles of the diaphragm of the mouth and a sharp inhibition of spinal reflexes. At the same time, cerebral blood flow increases, muscle twitching occurs, changes in heart rate and breathing frequency with a tendency to increase, occasional rises in blood pressure, erection of the penis in men and clitoris in women. People awakened during paradoxical sleep report their dreams more than 70 times out of 100.

The periods of REM and REM sleep follow one another, making up sleep cycles. Each cycle consists of a period of 60 to 90 minutes of REM sleep, progressing through four phases, and a shorter period of REM sleep. At the end of the REM sleep period, the sleep cycle is completed; there is a short period of “awakening”, during which the sleeping person can change his body position by opening his eyes slightly (this fragment, most often, is not remembered at all). Then a new period of the sleep cycle begins. Typically, a dreamer goes through four to six cycles per night, with REM sleep accounting for approximately 80% of the total sleep duration.

In each cycle, however, the length of time of the periods of REM sleep and REM sleep changes. The diagram shows how subsequent cycles include shorter periods of REM sleep and longer periods of REM sleep.

Thus, although our first period of rapid eye movement sleep is approximately 5 minutes, the next one lasts 10 minutes, and will be followed by a period of 15 minutes. The last period of REM sleep can last from 30 to 60 minutes.

The sequence diagram of the passage through the sleep cycle of the four phases of REM sleep and the period of REM sleep is the following algorithm:

REM sleep period 0-1 - 2-3 - 4-3 - 2 - REM sleep - 2-3 - 4...

Moreover, each phase of sleep needs its implementation with full sleep with an average duration of eight hours. In case of shortage or reduction of any of the phases (under the influence of sleeping pills, drugs, alcohol, or as a result of premature awakenings and general lack of sleep), the unrealized period tends to be restored in time on the next and next night.

A large number of laboratory sleep studies have been conducted. But in connection with the general plan and focus of the book, we immediately note that from a spiritual point of view, such a scientific approach does not represent any educational value.

And although such studies have significantly advanced science in understanding the origin and passage of dreams, they have not really led to a serious discovery of their nature and role in human life and have not provided comprehensive explanations.

A similar situation continues at the present stage. All new created theories of dreams are derived from only two fundamental scientific and cognitive approaches - psychoanalytic and physiological. All modern theories of sleep are not fundamentally superior to the genius of Pavlov and Freud-Jung.

Here are some final, obvious statements from various sleep researchers that are still relevant today:

“Sleep and its assistant, dreaming, have never revealed their secrets to us. We will certainly need years and years of research in order to understand their exact meaning and to know what the relationship between them is."

(Hoffman la Roche)

“Except for hypotheses, there is no evidence, no experimental data, no definitive knowledge that proves why we sleep and why we dream.”

(Bertini)

“It is still difficult for us to answer the question: why do we sleep? Why do we dream?"

(P. Passuan)

“To this day we have no clear thoughts regarding the real function that sleep performs in our body, and we are equally ignorant of the functions of dreams.”

(H. Schultz)

“In our experiments we were somewhat too approximate... Thus, sleep has not revealed to us the secrets of its functions and, probably, will not reveal them for a long time.”

(M. Jouvet)

And yet, the author’s position is asserted that at present there has already been a fundamental change in the scientific understanding of dreams. It was associated in the early 80s with a truly scientific (substantiated) discovery, the discovery of a special type of dreams - lucid dreams. In another way, they are called - lucid, transparent, clear, controlled, or even “dreams squared”! It took their official discoverers—LaBerge S. (Stanford University) and, in parallel, Hearn K. (England)—more than ten years to prove to the scientific world only the authenticity of the existence of this type of dreams!

This type of night dreams differs qualitatively from all others in that our full, daytime, waking consciousness is present and functioning in them. In a dream, we can maintain daytime consciousness and understand that we are dreaming, which means consciously thinking, intentionally acting, meaningfully influencing the events (of the dream) and moving purposefully! This scientific fact can naturally be considered as a profound breakthrough in understanding the study of sleep, promising fundamentally new research prospects.

The study of lucid dreams contains unlimited potential for understanding the nature of both the psychic and the conscious in the human personality, as well as their structure and relationship. Lucid dreams are something exceptional and still unknown to science. They are associated with paranormal phenomena, and with superpsychic abilities of the individual, and with philosophical insights, and with a fundamentally new look at the world and human consciousness, and with possible global discoveries in general in the science of the future, as well as with their application in various areas of human activity (medicine, education, criminology, history, state security). That is why in developed countries and where any such information is always valuable, money is immediately allocated for such research. There is every reason to believe that the results of many further in-depth developments in the field of dreams become a matter of national importance and, naturally, are classified.

In our country there was a long period when all areas of science and culture were dominated by “terry”, irreconcilable and militant materialism, of course, there could be no talk of any psychoanalysis and, especially, of consciousness in a dream. Although the psychological importance and meaning of dreams had already been pointed out by such Soviet scientists as V.N. Kasatkin and I.E. Volpert. However, they were forced to adjust and correlate their research with Pavlov’s physiological theory.

Over the past 10-15 years, due to the belated flow of various psychoanalytic and spiritual literature in the territories of the former USSR, there has been a steady rise in interest in dreams, both from ordinary readers and from professional psychologists. Many esoteric centers actively promote knowledge about lucid dreams and human spiritual capabilities. And that area of psychological research, which relates to the deep study of magical and religious teachings and in their practical, applied sense to humans, seems to be the most promising. Such an unconventional direction of knowledge as transpersonal psychology is very original. The founder of this direction in psychology is Doctor of Medicine - S. Grof (USA). Transpersonal psychology, reflecting the cartography of altered states of consciousness in its widest range, and, scientifically rediscovering the religious wisdom and experience of various mystics, forces us to take a different look at the nature and function of consciousness. However, transpersonal psychology carries with it a number of serious shortcomings and even dangers (in spiritual knowledge and in the knowledge of dreams as well). It is based on a stream of narcotic consciousness, and such a stream is definitely associated with destructive effects (on those who come into contact with it) and all kinds of painful addictions. In our country there are unlimited possibilities for studying the inner world of man and his spiritual depths on the basis of scientific and psychological research of Christian Orthodoxy - we need our own Russian, Slavic (and not pro-Western, American) “transpersonal psychology”. Thus, it will be possible to return the human soul to modern psychology, turn to the study of his spiritual potentials and return, in fact, the person himself to science. Such a study will reveal many secrets of consciousness and psyche, which is the main goal and task of psychology - the science of the soul! This direction of scientific research would be especially relevant in our country, when a person is still interpreted as a bio-social being completely without taking into account his spiritual capabilities. Classical modern psychology is clearly lame and lags behind the spiritual needs of man. She still does not study and almost does not consider the human personality as a spiritual component. It is very important, within the framework of psychology, to scientifically show spiritual perspectives, and, therefore, to give new spiritual ideals to the younger generation in a country that was deprived of such ideals. In a country in which a new, uncertain, pro-Western economic model is being chaotically built and negative values have already been steadily formed: the prestige of wealth, luxury, money with the dominance of the cult of violence, cruelty and dashing luck.

Another trend is no less negative - we are talking about a vast market of all kinds of esoteric literature calling for spiritual development and self-knowledge. The consciousness of the average reader is bombarded with a whole barrage of diverse, attractive and highly original spiritual-esoteric concepts and practical recommendations, but the trouble is that most of them are the most emasculated, perverted, destructive and vulgar forms of knowledge!

Returning to the main theme of the book, let's summarize. So dreams are:

- false memories, remnants of daytime impressions, “unprecedented combinations of experienced impressions”;

- a consequence of the generation of electrical signals by part of the brain. This activity leads to a series of random images and sensations. This is the brain's attempt to process these electrical signals (activation-synthesis model);

- irritation of the optic nerves;

- a necessary condition for brain development (it is known that infants sleep more than 16 hours a day, half of this time is occupied by dreams. By old age, the phase of paradoxical sleep is significantly reduced);

- automatic functioning of the brain in the absence of perception, awareness of oneself by the mind in the absence of the action of the senses;

— recoding by the brain of signals coming from the external environment (cold, cramped space...) and from the body (muscle tone, state of biological organs...);

— consolidation and processing of previously received information in memory;

— problem solving and rehabilitation of negative states that arose in daytime consciousness, at the mental and psychosomatic levels;

- state of partial awakening from sleep;

- disinhibition of nerve traces in the cerebral cortex under the influence of external and internal stimuli (reflex model of dreams by I.M. Sechenov - I.P. Pavlov);

- a consequence of complex chemical and biochemical processes in the body;

- schizophrenic state of mind, night hallucination, cauldron of anxieties, attitudes and desires, pathological neurotic state of return to past traumatic events (one of the psychoanalytic theories);

- fulfillment of desires and realization of fantasy needs (at the mental level), a neurotic symptom in healthy people, not a physiological, but a psychological phenomenon that has meaning and requires interpretation, interpretation;

- the mother’s breast, comparable to the plane of a white screen, onto which the primary elements of the baby’s psyche are projected, expressing the relationship with this breast, and on which all other secondary mental manifestations (images, feelings, thinking...) are subsequently layered - an example of one of the modern psychoanalytic versions;

- reality, an autobiographical episode from the life of an individual.

Among the variety of theoretical concepts of dreams, attitudes towards them, approaches to study and use, the following leading areas of knowledge can be identified...

Strictly scientific (classical, academic). This approach is associated with experimental measurements, strict testing and evidence of provisions, with the active use of modern instruments and the possibility of exact and related sciences (such as medicine, biology, chemistry, neurophysiology, psychophysiology, mathematics, etc.).

Psychoanalytic - both within the framework of a psychoanalytic clinical situation (therapeutic alliance), and in relation to a person’s everyday life in the space of psychoanalysis, as an ideology or worldview. Associated with the developments and theoretical concepts of such leading psychoanalysts as Freud, Jung, Adler, Berne and more recent, modern ones: M. Masud Kan, Hannah Segal, J. B. Pontalis, Harold Steward, J. Temail, Didier Anzieu, J. Spaniard, R. Greenberg, R. Stolorow, J. Etoud...

Existential, phenomenological. Within the framework of the theories of world-famous scientists L. Binswanger, M. Boss. K. Rogers, F. Perls: “a dream is a subjective reality, personal existence, an active mental autobiographical experience of a person!”

The religious direction is within the boundaries of the religious description and picture of the world. This primarily applies to world religions - Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Deserves the closest and serious attention, study and comparative context. Quite informative due to the possibility of studying numerous descriptive sources reflecting the personal individual experience of adepts and ascetics at different stages of spiritual advancement. The possibility of content analysis and comparison with modern research in the field of dreams will allow us to verify and substantiate the esoteric concept of dreams more conclusively.

Shamanism is a unique ancient tradition, a preserved cult of primitive tribes and peoples with an original view of the world, nature, consciousness and dreams.

The occult, magical direction of knowledge reflects a certain attempt to synthesize religious consciousness with the experience of modern spiritual systems; this is ancient secret knowledge about the inner world of man, refracted in our civilization. Dreams occupy a special place in it (this applies, for example, to theosophy, anthroposophy, the magic of Carlos Castaneda, the agni yoga of the Roerichs, etc.);

Folklore (folk) approach. It consists of studying primordial folk, historical traditions - signs, dream books, sayings, fairy tales, legends, myths, village witchcraft - which will undoubtedly enrich modern ideas about dreams and consciousness.

Parapsychological direction. It involves the study and identification of general mechanisms and principles of the phenomenology of extrasensory perception and their connection with dreams (the effects of telepathy, UFOs, clairvoyance, etc.).

Current (synthesized, spiritual) direction - with a preliminary conventional name, integrating knowledge about dreams, consciousness and psyche, taking into account all previous theories, and setting itself the goal of studying the spiritual and creative levels of personality and proclaiming dreams as an energetic and spiritual phenomenon. Lucid dreaming is the subject of intense scientific study. Relevant for the modern period of our country.

Contemporary psychology is intended to become a link between modern science and religion. In the field of human knowledge, it proclaims not the opposition of a materialistic and religious picture (of the world) to each other, but reconciliation and synthesis - the study of the inner, spiritual experience of a person within the framework of a certain cartography.

DEFINITIONS

Academic psychology offers the reader only a few definitions of dreams, or rather, only two types of them. Among them, one definition is considered to be classical, and the other is psychoanalytic.

Below are several generalized definitions common in psychology.

“Dreams are an inherently significant and rhythmically repeated mental activity of a person during sleep, manifesting itself as a result of the reflection of a set of mental, physiological, biochemical and psychological processes in the body.”

From the moment we fall asleep, we find ourselves in a world of unlimited possibilities. In our dreams we can be anyone and do anything. In the world of dreams, nothing is impossible. You can find yourself on Mars, or in the distant past, somewhere in primeval caves, or you can climb the career ladder in an instant and earn millions, or, conversely, lose everything that was acquired through back-breaking labor...
Dreams are often unclear and difficult to interpret. But sometimes our dreams are so vivid and realistic that it is very difficult for us to draw the line between reality and fantasy.
So what significance do dreams have in a person’s life? It would be logical to assume that sleep is only a product of a person’s experiences during the day, but is this really so? In this article we will look at the main theories of sleep: Freud and Jung.
The previous post explained What happens when we sleep? Why do people sleep?

First, let's look at some known facts about dreams:
1. Everyone dreams and this is a fact. The only exception is people suffering from serious mental disorders. If you ask someone to tell you a dream and they say they never dream, they are lying. He simply doesn't remember his dreams. This fact smoothly brings us to point No. 2.
2. We forget 90% of our dreams. Within five minutes of waking up, 50% of your dreams will be forgotten. In another five minutes you will forget 90% of what you saw in your dream. 10% is what will remain in your memory. These are often the most vivid moments of your dreams.
3. We often believe what we saw in our dreams. For example: the faces of people who have never seen them in reality. Or faith in the information received, which they did not know or hear about before. If you try to object and hint to your interlocutor that perhaps these were images from the distant past, the faces of strangers you met, or snatches of phrases heard in the subway, on the radio, TV, etc. You will most likely hear in response: “I don’t have doubts about this, in a dream, I definitely saw it for the first time." In fact, our brain is capable of performing incredible tricks, it can remember faces that we saw for just a split second, but previously, this information was hidden so as not to overload the memory with unnecessary garbage.
4. Surveys have shown that 20 - 40% of people have had a prophetic dream at least once in their lives.
5. 12% of people see exclusively black and white dreams, and among people under the age of 25, the numbers are even lower, only 4.4%.

Theories of sleep. Freud.
Freud was one of the first psychologists to propose a theory of dreams. The father of psychoanalysis discovered that patients often talk about their dreams during sessions. Consequently, he decided to use dreams as a scientific method.
At the end of the 19th century, he seriously began studying dreams and came to the conclusion that they were the key to understanding the subconscious.
Freud believed that we sleep because we need rest from external stimuli. Sleep is a departure from reality, and with the help of dreams, the psyche compensates for what you passionately desire, but the fulfillment of these desires is impossible, because these desires are suppressed, censorship is imposed on them...

What does all this mean? Freud classified the psyche into three areas:
“Super-I”, or Super-Ego: This is a reflection of social norms, morality, the imposition of prohibitions, the formation of ideals. The superego strives to be socially acceptable. Let's compare him to the “Angel on the right shoulder”, who is in control and is in constant conflict with “It”. In essence, the “Super-I” is your conscience.

"I" or "Ego": This is the conscious mind. The “Ego” strives to please the “It” without causing problems and conflict situations. This is a balance between the “It” and the “Super-Ego”, which in turn receive their objective existence through the “I”.

“It”: lives by the principles of achieving pleasure at any cost and simply wants everything now. Food, water, sex and other basic instincts are controlled by “It”. “It” seeks only pleasure, it is your “Devil on the Left Shoulder.”

Freud believed that during the day, your superego controls the ego and you act in a socially appropriate manner as your conscience dictates. This means that the “Super-Ego” manages to suppress the “It”. Therefore, when you sleep, your “It” releases all the repressed, socially unacceptable desires. Our brain reproduces repressed desires in symbolic images that are more acceptable to censorship. This is why dreams are so difficult to understand and interpret.

You probably already know that Freud was a little... Okay, a little too obsessed with sex. All his theories are based on sex. And this is what causes skepticism towards Freud's theories. So, for example, it’s not difficult to guess what Freud symbolized; (tree trunks, sticks, rockets and all objects of elongated shape), or (stoves, vases, pots, pans and everything containing internal space). The most common walking up the stairs has a sexual connotation, but if, God forbid, you dreamed that you were putting flowers in your mother-in-law’s vase... Then you are 100% a pervert...
However, Freud's sexual insanity does not make his achievements in the field of dream study and psychology in general less significant. In addition, this vision of Freud is explained by the Puritan morals of those times and the overly suppressed sexuality of the Victorian era.

Theories of sleep. Jung.
Carl Gustav Jung - One of Freud's best students, like Freud, Jung agreed with the theories of his teacher, he believed in the existence of the unconscious, and attached great importance to it for understanding the human psyche. Of course, Jung's theories are based on the ideas of his teacher, but unlike Freud, Jung attached less importance to sexuality and gave primacy to spirituality. Freud reproached Jung for being overly inclined towards mysticism, but Jung could not agree with the fact that Freud viewed the unconscious from the point of view of base instincts, and the content of dreams as hidden behind images, satisfaction, socially unacceptable norms. These disagreements became a stumbling block on the paths of Freud and Jung; they became the reason for the final break, after which each went their own way in studying and understanding the unconscious.

Jung proposed a different structure of human personality:
He considered the “ego” as self-consciousness, a person’s perception of the external world, and all the traits rejected by the person (socially unacceptable) form the unconscious “counter-ego,” which Jung called the shadow. Like Freud's "It", the "Shadow" is a part of yourself, your primitive instincts. The Shadow is that side of your personality that you do not want to accept.

“Animus” for men and “Anima” for women are archetypes representing personality traits, masculine and feminine, often repressed into the unconscious.

The Self is the main archetype in the structure of the Ego, the archetype of personality integrity, a quality that surpasses the “Ego”; it covers both the conscious and unconscious areas of the human psyche. The Self is the entire potential of the individual, the ultimate goal of self-realization, self-realization.

Everything in Jung's theories is based on the presence of opposites: black - white, good - evil, man - woman, "Ego" - counter-Ego, or shadow.

Regarding dreams, Jung believed that dreams were not a disguise for your unconscious, rather they were a window to it. Dreams are a kind of recommendations for solving problems in real life; they are your advisor, a guide to life. Dreams were viewed by Jung as a process of communication between the conscious and unconscious. The purpose of dreams is to guide, help a person to show their full potential...

As you can see, both Freud's theory of dreams and Jung's theory are not particularly different, and both have a right to exist. Which one is more plausible?
Give dreams a sexual or more spiritual meaning?
And in general, should we give them any meaning?...
Everything is purely individual, and the choice is yours!

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Regular, full, deep sleep ensures health and the basic needs of everyone. People are so accustomed to this natural process that they often do not think about the nature of the phenomenon, its characteristics and course. Meanwhile, this can give answers to many questions, and the main one is what is sleep?

What is human sleep?

The human body is a complex mechanism, the functioning of which must be constantly maintained. If addiction to food and drink can be controlled and limited, then you can’t do without rest - it’s vital! What is sleep for a person? This is a physiological process during which the subject’s active mental connections with the outside world are lost and the brain relaxes.

What is sleep from a medical point of view - it is a type of mental activity that is vital for the proper functioning of all systems of the human body. Nerve cells come to a calm state, and after them the work of internal organs and executive apparatuses - blood vessels, muscles and various glands - normalizes.

What is sleep - psychology

In ancient times, people knew very little about the nature of sleep, putting forward incredible theories, for example, that this process is poisoning the body with toxins accumulated during the day or a decrease in blood circulation in the body. With the development of science, many mysteries have been solved. At the end of the 19th century, the science of somnology arose, and its founder in Russia was Maria Manaseina. She published a work in which she talked about what sleep is in psychology and physiology. Manaseina’s works made it possible to understand that during sleep the brain does not stop its activity entirely, but only the human consciousness rests.

Dreams and their interpretations have interested people for thousands of years. No one has yet been able to unravel the meaning, but attempts have been made repeatedly. It is known what a dream is according to Freud - these are human desires, realized or unrealized, passed off by the subconscious as dreams. What you see can be interpreted using dream books. According to Freud, no dream can be absurd and have no meaning.

What is a dream - esoterics

Studying sleep means learning about yourself and the secrets of the world. When thinking about what a dream is from an esoteric point of view, you need to consider it not from the earthly, but from the astral projection. When a person falls asleep, he moves from the manifested (physical) to the unmanifested world; more precisely, the astral body makes the journey. In practice, this means going out into the beyond. People are able to control only certain sense organs and cannot remain conscious in a state of rest. But thanks to special techniques, some are able to control even their astral body.

How is sleep beneficial?

People are used to treating sleep as a necessity, a given. Sometimes it’s not enough, and sometimes you don’t want to go to bed, interrupting your favorite activity. People spend only 2/3 of their lives awake, and the rest of the time they sleep, but it is important to understand that sleep gives much more than it “takes away.” It has a beneficial effect on the body and all its functions. In progress:

blood pressure and sugar are normalized;
psychic powers are regenerated;
mechanisms that are responsible for systematizing information are working intensively;
new nerve cells are formed;
skin cells are renewed;
Children produce growth hormones.

Hibernation and sleep - what's the difference?

And some living creatures have the ability to independently plunge their body into long-term rest (so-called hibernation), slowing down metabolism and vital processes - blood circulation, breathing, heartbeat, etc. Science has learned to artificially create a state of slowed-down vital activity of the body, called hibernation (from the Latin “wintering”). It is caused by the use of drugs that block the activity of the neuroendocrine system and slow down the body's metabolic processes.

During hibernation, the patient does not sleep in the usual sense. His pupils are constricted but responsive to light, his eyes may be open, his pulse is quickened, and his blood pressure is low. A person in this state may be awakened, but will be on the verge of being awake. If you figure out whether sleep or hibernation is better for the body, healthy rest always has the benefits, but these are completely different concepts.

What is REM and NREM sleep?

The sleep process is cyclical, consisting of identical time intervals of an average of one and a half hours each. It is believed that a full rest should consist of five such intervals, that is, last from 7.5 to 8 hours. The cycles are divided into two phases - fast and slow, which differ fundamentally from one another, in this case in the degree of brain activity. REM and NREM sleep are equally important.

What is slow wave sleep?

Slow sleep is the beginning of any healthy rest. Its first stage is dozing (5-10 minutes), which is characterized by thinking about what happened the day before and trying to find solutions to exciting problems. After this, the second phase begins, characterized by a decrease in muscle activity, a slower pulse and breathing. The person is still sensitive to external stimuli and is easily awakened during this period. The third stage is transitional, ending with the fourth phase of deep sleep - then the brain receives the most complete rest, its performance is restored.

What is REM sleep?

The slow stage is replaced by rapid sleep, which is closer to the stage of wakefulness, but it is difficult to wake up the sleeper at this moment. It is distinguished from the first cycle by accelerated movements of the eyeballs (the eyelids are closed), frequent heartbeats, and active activity of the brain, which at this moment sorts the information received. It is believed that in the fast phase the brain analyzes the environment and develops an adaptation strategy. But the most pleasant thing about REM sleep is vivid, memorable dreams.

Lethargic sleep - what is it?

The best cure for all diseases is sleep, but it is not always useful. There is a similar state of the body, which is characterized by immobility, lack of reactions to external stimuli, a decrease in body temperature and signs of life. You can compare it to a coma with the difference that the body is able to maintain vital functions. This condition is sometimes called “lazy death” or lethargic sleep, the causes of which are still not fully understood. As a rule, a painful state is preceded by trauma, shock and difficult experiences.

Many people wonder: what is a mystical or real phenomenon? There is no clear answer. The unknown gives rise to many rumors, the main of which are the burial of living people who are in lethargy. The syndrome occurs suddenly and can be a reaction to general fatigue, lack of sleep, as well as diseases such as anorexia and hysteria.

The panacea for the above ailments and conditions is just healthy sleep. Its normal duration should be at least 7-8 hours for adults. Children sleep a little longer (from 10 hours), older people need six hours to recuperate. Sleeping means living, replenishing the lost reserves of the body. In addition, in a dream, people sometimes have “smart thoughts”; there is a chance to get answers to troubling questions or simply enjoy a spectacular dream.

Specific things, people, images, situations that you saw in a dream and what they mean, what information they want to convey. What is the best way for you to proceed? Dream interpretation, psychological dream book online:

What is the dream about, what does it mean - confusion/gaining directions.

What we look at in a dream (images): getting lost in a parking lot, on an unfamiliar street or in a large store; travel in an unknown direction in a car or train; losing your keys or bag, an obstacle, a found exit, an emergency exit, a slightly open door...

As we see in the dream (situation): I don’t recognize my house. I'm stuck in the elevator. I find a bag that was stolen from me.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. Home is your inner world, you yourself, any transport means movement. These images show that there is now a period of some uncertainty and uncertainty in your life: you need to find new guidelines. Maybe you've just gone through a tough time? Such dreams appear after changes in life, both minor (dreams tend to dramatize the situation and exaggerate feelings) and painful ones, such as being fired from a job or losing a loved one. Be that as it may, any changes change us (dreams about a passport or other personal documents show that we can lose our identity and then regain it). Be especially attentive to positive images, for example, to a slightly open door - this is an indication that there is a way out of the current situation.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - submission/freedom.

What we look at in a dream (images): jewelry in the form of a chain, a ring, a belt, an aquarium, a cage, a bird, a prison, a swimming pool, a trailer, a throat, a tongue, a neck...

As we see in the dream (situation): I hurt myself on the glass. I get into the trailer truck. I'm wearing a beautiful chain. I'm flying in my dreams.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. There are images that clearly indicate some form of subjugation or bondage: chains or rings (worn by slaves), a prison, an aquarium. Other symbols, on the contrary, indicate freedom; Birds are especially common in this capacity. It doesn't matter whether you see a bird with its wings outstretched in flight or locked in a cage, it's always about you. Or are you trying to find freedom (to fly away), but you can’t, at least not yet? This often happens with teenagers. Flying in a dream is a sign of health and well-being in general. As for the images of the neck or throat, tongue or mouth, they have to do with the ability to express yourself: you probably find it difficult to express some things.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - fatigue/energy.

What we look at in a dream (images): snake, horse, pig, hospital, illness, nurse, blood, wound, hair, tooth, fire, cake...

As we see in a dream (situation): My teeth are falling out. A snake rises in front of me. I eat kilos of cakes.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. These paintings illustrate the state of our libido - the vital energy that sets us in motion. It is not limited to intersexual relations, although libido energy is an integral part of it. Erotic dreams and some dreams about snakes may indicate that your libido is fine - rejoice! However, other dreams may indicate that the circulation of your vital energy is disrupted. Such a decrease in energy is indicated, for example, by dreams of teeth falling out - contrary to popular prejudice, they do not at all foreshadow death. These dreams are calling you replenish energy reserves, if it is on the decline, and keep it at a high level if you are in good shape.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - coldness of loneliness/warmth of soul.

What we look at in a dream (images): snow, fireplace, hunger, thirst, water, fire, fire, ashes, refrigerator, ice, battery, thermonuclear explosion, hand...

As we see in a dream (situation): I am walking in the snow. I have problems with my hand. The radiator in my room doesn't work. Burn in a dream.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. Don't be surprised to see these images appear after you've experienced a love disappointment, breakup, or mourning. However, they remain ambivalent: fire, a symbol of passion, whether in the form of ashes or flames, can emphasize feeling, but can also be an invitation to live and feel more passionately. The hand through which we touch another person indicates the need to establish communication and encourages you to place more emphasis on creativity. As for dreams of hunger and thirst, they indicate the need to satisfy internal hunger: it is up to you to determine the nature of this hunger - spiritual, intellectual or emotional.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - guilt/judgment.

What we look at in a dream (images): tribunal, judge, lawyer, customs, passport, investigator, school, exam, teacher, assessment, eye, disorder, being late, feeling unprepared for something...

As we see in the dream (situation): I am retaking my final exams at school. The guard checks my documents. My boss congratulates me on my success.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. Perhaps you feel guilty that you are not living your own life - due to the fact that some “authority” (a person who has power over you) influences your decisions. In such dreams, you may find yourself in an uncomfortable situation (checking documents), which causes you unpleasant feelings, or, on the contrary, you find yourself in a flattering situation (you receive congratulations). In any case, these dreams show that you, perhaps more than you think, are vulnerable to other people's opinions, sensitive to other people's judgments about you. Dreams on the topic of surveillance are especially valuable: they call for a sober and impartial view of our responsibility for what happens to us.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - humiliation/exaltation.

What we look at in a dream (images): pop star, top model, president, applause, microphone, inappropriate clothes, empty village...

As we see in the dream (situation): I am having lunch with the president. I can't find my place at the table. I'm wearing a long dress and boots on my feet.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. The dream pleasantly emphasizes your importance (you become a star) or puts you in a humiliating situation (you are poorly dressed). In both cases, these images speak about yours. Do you tend to have low self-esteem or feel underestimated and belittled by others? Does your current position (in your personal life or at work) allow you to develop your talents? Do you think you know how to use the chance to show your best side and increase your status, or are you more likely to miss such opportunities?

What is the dream about, what does it mean - poverty/wealth.

What we look at in a dream (images): money, banknotes, coins, bank, treasure, jewel, hand, bee, honey...

As we see in the dream (situation): I find a buried treasure in the garden. A bee lands on my palm to collect nectar. I enter a jewelry store.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. Images associated with money or anything that embodies the idea of wealth speak of inner wealth. They invite you to realize that you are more than you think. The purpose of these dreams is not only to console you, but also to motivate you to action, to force you to take advantage of these riches. Dreams about bees are interpreted in this way because these extremely active insects produce almost divine nectar - honey. And these dreams invite you to “gather honey” wherever possible: during meetings, conversations, reading books...

What is the dream about, what does it mean - lie/truth.

What we look at in a dream (images): glasses, an eye, a photo or video camera, a mask, a helmet, a spotlight or a beacon, a bandit, a burglar, being naked on the street...

As we see in dreams (situations). A masked burglar is trying to break into my house. I look in the mirror and don't see my face in it. I'm walking down the street wearing only a shirt.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. The dream invites you to take a sober look at yourself. He also gives you valuable advice: don't be afraid to be real. Isn't the body more real without these clothes that hide it? In a dream, nakedness symbolizes truth. But we all avoid exposing some of our sides. We spontaneously refuse to admit to our dark sides (n deficiencies and weaknesses). It is not surprising that criminal figures appear in our dreams: a burglar, a bandit, a stalker. This light, directed towards ourselves, can also be conveyed by images of self-knowledge, such as the book and the mirror.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - mess/cleaning.

What we look at in a dream (images): a broom, cleaning, garbage, dust, dirt, a rag, a vacuum cleaner, a toilet, a bathroom, a mess...

As we see in dreams (situations). I find a child in dirty diapers. They see me in a public toilet where there is a blockage. I wash my boots in plenty of water.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. Pictures of cleaning appear in dreams in a positive way (everything is sparkling clean in your home) or in a negative way (your apartment is in disarray). In both cases, you are asked to properly “clean up” your life, your relationships with people, or your behavior. Maybe some things associated with your past are no longer needed? Old quarrels, jealousy, deep-seated resentments - isn’t it time to get rid of them? Dreams in which the toilet appears indicate this need to “empty yourself”, to remove from your life that which poisons you. personal development.

Recommendations: now is the time to free yourself from feelings that have long lost their strength, turn the page. Make peace with your family or friend, and then move on.

What is the dream about, what does it mean - death/transformation.

What we look at in a dream (images): snake, caterpillar, frog, crayfish, flower bud, tree in bloom, kitchen, egg, coffin, cemetery, death, pregnancy, childbirth, baby...

As we see in a dream (situation): I gave birth to a child in a dream. I watch a butterfly emerge from a caterpillar. I died in my sleep. I see a dead man lying in a coffin.

Analysis and interpretation of sleep. Images that indicate that you are currently experiencing a positive and profound transformation are usually associated with any animals that tend to experience transformations, with growing plants, with spring, with everything that gives rise to life. Dying in a dream is a good dream, it most often symbolizes. So seeing yourself (or another person) in a coffin is, although unpleasant, a very positive image! A child in a dream, dreamed of equally by men and women, is a symbol of the ego, that deep part of a person that wants to be born, wants to live. You can consider all of these images as positive indications of the evolution you are experiencing.

Recommendations: Now is your time for internal change, even if you yourself don’t realize it yet, so don’t lose self-confidence and take a breath.

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Other articles you might be interested in:

Sleep setting. Affirmations for insomnia. Statuses, quotes, aphorisms, poems - wishes for sweet dreams.
Music for children to sleep. The influence of classical music on children's sleep. "White Noise" (review).

Back: A person’s facial expression, deciphering thoughts and feelings (answers).
Forward: Practical methods for dealing with fear.

Comments

1 Kartveli Erika Shalvovna 15.09.2015 13:23

I quote Olga66:

I have been having the same dream for many years. I am in an apartment, this apartment is not very well known to me, I am sure that there are 2 rooms in the apartment. but then it turns out that there are many more of them, and quite unexpectedly a kitchen appears from which there is access to a balcony, but more often to a huge veranda.

Hello Olga!
Your dream, I think, means that your subconscious is telling you: you don’t know your inner world very well. Therefore, only 2 main interests in life (2 rooms), perhaps work and family. The doors are opened for you to use your talents more widely (self-realization through creativity...hobbies,...helping other people, animals, etc.)
With some effort, you will be able to realize yourself in the transfer of knowledge or other values that you probably possess (this could be spiritual qualities, love). Exiting through the kitchen, which is considered a sacred place where the sacraments of transformation and healing of loved ones and families are performed, says that it is time to go out into a wider world of possibilities. You limit your freedom from insecurity to your talents, which you underestimate. You think that there are only 2 rooms, but there are more of them, you think that there is an exit to the balcony, but there is a veranda! That is, we need to work with self-worth and
and goals outside the usual patterns of life!
Good luck!

| |

1 Kartveli Erika Shalvovna 03.11.2015 21:22

I quote Olga66:

Hello, Erika Shalvovna! Thanks for the previous comment! He helped me a lot. I would like you to suggest the meanings of my 2 dreams.
1. I am wearing a men's suit and even wearing a men's tie. This is surprising to me and it suits me. Although in life it would look comical on me.
2. I'm on the train. I'm on the shelf according to my ticket. And everything would be fine... but I’m removing several seats in the carriage so that some man would be in the seat next to me. Later, people began to come in and they could not understand why they were left without a place.

Hello Olga! Regarding the first dream: perhaps you subconsciously feel the need for those qualities that are inherent in men in order to become more successful. It seems to you that the life of men is more interesting and exciting. The second dream, I think, is obvious: YOU are ready to make efforts to be happy in your personal life, even in spite of your upbringing!

What do dreams mean, should you believe them?

Our dreams can tell us more than any fortune teller, seer or psychological test if we decipher the meaning of the dream. Sleep psychology has repeatedly demonstrated that dreams have access to our unconscious, which is most often closed at other times. Dreams strive to convey to us psychological messages - about our condition or what is missing, about possibilities for solving problems, ways to change for the better.

Dreams do not predict the future; prophetic dreams are nothing more than intuition, which is also present during wakefulness. Dreams in symbolic form indicate circumstances, relationships, etc., which you need to pay attention to first. And then you will know what to do.

Only you yourself can make the most correct interpretation of dreams, based on the following few tips.

Sleep is not a passive rest of the brain, but its activity of processing information. During sleep, information stored in the brain—memories of the past, predictions and plans for the future—is predominant, rather than information received from the senses. Therefore, the singing of a neighbor behind the wall can transport you to a concert hall in a dream.

The following scenes are most often played out in dreams:

repressed drives are exactly what Sigmund Freud writes about;
wish fulfillment - in a dream we see something that we cannot get in reality, for example, we can see our ex in a dream, how he asks for forgiveness, etc.;
dreams and nightmares - adults and children see them. A person watches nightmares in his sleep when he represses or deliberately forgets stressful events, and they appear in a dream in order to finally process them;
unfinished relationships - internal conflicts, contradictions, usually appear in a dream - and this is natural, since in a dream the brain continues to solve the problem, the puzzle with which it is faced.

If you notice that you keep having the same dream or that the same image appears in your dreams very often, pay special attention to this. A recurring dream wants to convey some information to you, and until you understand it, you will dream about it again and again.

To help you remember your dreams better, before going to bed, put yourself in a state of receptivity: “This night I want to remember at least one dream.” After waking up, immediately jot down a few words on paper, without worrying about the coherence of the presentation. Later, write down exactly everything you dreamed.

So, you've written down your dream, or you remember it well enough and want to understand what it means. Choose a name for your dream. If you find it difficult, retell the dream in one phrase, so you will indicate the most important thing.

After you have chosen the title, remember the setting where the events took place. Divide the dream into several chapters or scenes, episodes. Pay attention to the details that are in the background.

In a dream you are not necessarily a participant in events; the dream may use other persons to illustrate your position and psychological state. He is not talking about the person you see, but about you in connection with this person. So, we can say that in a dream we generally see only ourselves.

The final scene of a dream often contains information about what the dream wants to convey to you.

Parable "Taming the Ghost". One young woman fell ill and was close to death.
“Oh, I love you so much,” she told her husband. - I really don’t want to leave you. Don't you dare marry another woman after my death. If you do this, I will return to you as a ghost and will constantly torment you.
Soon she died. For six months, her husband fulfilled her last wish, and then he met another woman and fell in love with her. They decided to get married. Immediately after the engagement, a ghost began to appear to him every night, reproaching him for not keeping his word. The ghost was very smart and well aware. He accurately recounted to the person what happened between him and his beloved. If the ex-husband gave a gift to his bride, the ghost would describe it in detail. He even repeated all their conversations and described the details of their meetings. This bothered the man so much that he could no longer sleep. Someone advised him to address his troubles to a Zen Master who lived not far from the village. In desperation, the poor man went to him for help.
“It looks like your ex-wife has become a ghost and knows about everything you do,” the Master concluded. - Whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever you give to your beloved, she knows everything. This must be a very smart ghost. You have to admire him. Here's my advice: the next time your ghost wife appears, bargain with her. Tell her that she knows so much about you that you will not be able to hide anything from her, and that if she answers your one and only question correctly, then you promise to break off the engagement and remain single forever.
- What should I ask her? - said the man.
- Take a full handful of soybeans and ask her to tell you exactly how many beans you have in your hand. If she can't answer, she will never bother you again.
In the evening, when the ghost appeared, the man greeted him warmly and said that the ghost knew about everything.
“Of course,” answered the ghost. - And I know that today you visited the Zen Master.
“If you know so much,” the man demanded, “then tell me how many beans are in this hand?”
Not a single ghost appeared before him to answer this question.

Write down or become aware of the first associations, images, thoughts that arose in you in connection with this dream. Search in two directions: in your personal sphere - what people and events from your personal experience does this dream remind you of; in the collective cultural “baggage” - among the knowledge and associations common to all people and developed civilizations.

Suppose the first dream element is a lion. What thoughts do you have in connection with this image? For example, if the word “lion” is associated with a thirst for power, then replace the word “lion” with the word “power”. Then do the same with other elements of the dream.

Jargon or common expressions used in a language can also give clues about the meaning of your dream. Dreams are indifferent to morality, and therefore in a dream horseradish is not necessarily a plant. And the dream about a bear perhaps speaks of honey (the word bear comes from “knows honey”).

Based on the analysis of dreams, assessing your attitude, feelings, experiences towards what you saw in a dream, using your own associations and turning to “ Psychological dream book” (scientific, most reliable interpretation of dreams), you can correctly decipher dreams yourself. This means understanding what they mean, what they want to communicate, and how best to proceed.

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Federal Agency for Education

State educational institution of higher professional education

"Birsk State Social and Pedagogical Academy"

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

TEST

ON THE TOPIC: PSYCHOLOGY OF DREAMS

Completed by: 1st year student

NGO "FACULTY OF PD"

Biktysheva E. S.

Checked by: Butorina O.G.

Introduction 3

Chapter I PSYCHOLOGY OF DREAMS 4

1.1 History of sleep research 4

1.2 Theories of Z. Freud, C. G. Jung 6

1.3 Sleep cycles and mechanisms 7

1.4 Method of studying sleep - polysomnography 9

1.5 Sleep positions 11

Chapter II PRACTICAL PART 16

2.1 Experimental methods for studying dreams 16

2.2 Results 19

Conclusion 21

Literature 22

Introduction

“Consciousness”, “psyche”, “unconscious” - continue to remain the dominant, universal and still mysterious categories in the scientific study of the human personality. Dreams in psychology, as a mental phenomenon, seem to be even more mysterious properties of the human psyche. This is partly due to the inaccessibility and difficulty of studying this phenomenon. According to the encyclopedia definition, sleep is a periodic physical state of the brain and body of humans and higher animals, externally characterized by significant immobility and disconnection from stimuli of the outside world. When a person sleeps, he is characterized by dreams - subjectively experienced mental phenomena that periodically arise during sleep. A person sees in a dream something that was once seen, conceived, perceived by the brain, and left its path, its fleeting trace in the nerve cells of the brain. Very often, when we wake up, we remain for a long time at the mercy of strange, bizarre, and sometimes frightening images, pictures or events experienced in a dream, captured in our memory. Everyone sees dreams, but not everyone remembers them. Most people have several dreams during sleep, regardless of whether their memory retains them or not. Dreams have much in common with such mental phenomena as hallucinations, illusions, visions, imagination, fantasies, hypnotic and other altered states of consciousness. Many great world-famous scientists have turned to the study of dreams. Among them, first of all, of course, we should note Z. Freud and C. Jung. As for these names directly, there is every reason to assert the opposite: these studies became major great scientists precisely because they were among the first to show serious scientific interest in this topic.

Chapter I PSYCHOLOGY OF DREAMS

1.1 History of sleep research

Interest in dreams has a long history. Actually, as long as our civilization has been on earth, this interest has existed. However, the dream theme of this long historical stage is shrouded in a veil of mystery and mysticism. It is more associated with superstitions, signs, pagan and religious cults, belief in spirits, divine revelations and messages from deceased ancestors “from the other world.”

In dreams, the human soul leaves the body and travels in some material space. She can meet the souls of other people. Dreams deserve attention and in-depth consideration. Psychology, as a science, originated within the framework of philosophy. The first ancient Greek philosophers, of course, could not ignore such a mental phenomenon as dreams. Aristotle endowed them with the function of imagination and considered them a by-product of previous sensations. Democritus believed that dreams are special radiations emanating from all people and things. These radiations are able to penetrate the body and consciousness of the sleeper. According to Plato, the biological seat of dreams is the liver. And the ancient Greek philosopher Artemidorus from Daldis wrote the main work of his life, a kind of dictionary of dreams, which reflected the first attempt to generalize and interpret night images and situations.

Various scientists and philosophers tried to give their own explanations to dreams. T. Hobbes saw in dreams phantoms of past sensations, the other side of human imagination. R. Descartes believed that this is the result of the activity of the sleeper’s senses, corresponding to his desires. However, a series of prophetic dreams led him to the idea that a deeper secret was hidden in them. I. Kant, like Voltaire, was a supporter of the idea that dreams are a meaningless prejudice and a consequence of upset digestion. By the beginning of the twentieth century, along with discoveries in the field of electricity, with the development of natural science, biology, and physiology, physiological models of dreams were formed. The greatest discoveries of I.M. Sechenov and I.P. Pavlov in Russia placed the understanding of dreams on a stable materialistic foundation. And although such scientific activity intensified a lot of research in the field of psychology and served to create entire scientific directions, the danger of reductionism arose and was realized - reducing the complex problem of consciousness and the psyche only to physiology.

The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, wrote: “I consider it my duty to declare that dreams do have meaning, and that a scientific method of interpreting them is indeed possible.” The first serious scientific attempt at a psychological rather than physiological explanation of the phenomenon of dreams gave a powerful impetus to the search for new ways and possibilities in the study of dreams by various scientists. S. Freud's theories were revised and supplemented. And for some time now (since the mid-twentieth century), dreams have finally taken their worthy and prominent place in the general psychological structure of other multiple mental manifestations. Not a single psychoanalyst (psychologist, psychotherapist) could now ignore any of the night dreams told by the patient.

1) brain activity (electroencephalography).

2) ocular mobility (electrooculography).

3) muscular activity (electromyography).

4) cardiac activity (electrocardiography).

5) respiratory rhythm (pneumography).

6) psychogalvanic reflex.

Having studied and compared these polygraphic series, scientists W. Dement and N. Kleitman in 1957 created a classic diagram of sleep cycles.

1.2 Ideas of Z. Freud, C. Jung

Freud's ideas

The founder of psychoanalysis, the Austrian Sigmund Freud, believed that dreams symbolize a person’s unconscious needs and concerns. He argued that society requires us to suppress many of our desires. We cannot influence them and sometimes we are forced to hide them from ourselves. This is an unhealthy and subconscious desire to find balance, to present one's desires to the conscious mind in the form of dreams, thus finding an outlet for suppressed needs.

Jung's theories

Freud's Swiss colleague Carl Gustav Jung saw various dream images as symbols full of meaning, each of which could be interpreted differently according to the overall context of the dream. He believed that during the waking state the subconscious mind perceives, interprets and learns from events and experiences, and during sleep communicates this “inner” knowledge to the conscious mind through a system of simple visual images. He tried to classify dream images according to their symbolic meaning. He believed that the symbols in the dream imagery system are inherent to all humanity, that they were formulated during the evolutionary development of the human brain and were passed down through generations.

1.3 Sleep cycles and mechanisms

The alternation of wakefulness and sleep is observed on almost all floors of the evolutionary ladder: from lower vertebrates, birds to mammals and humans. It is obvious that such a universal organization of the alternation of activity and rest, wakefulness and sleep is not an accident, but has a deep meaning. During sleep, significant changes occur in the activity of the brain and spinal cord, motor sphere, activity of the autonomic nervous system, and intense mental processes are noted. Sleep is a complex state during which active processes occur in the brain. And also sleep is a state characterized on the mental side by a loss of interest in the outside world. The biological purpose of sleep is rest. During sleep, a cyclic alternation of phases occurs - the phase of "slow" sleep (SMS) and the phase of "rapid" sleep (RBS) (paradoxical phase, rhombencephalic sleep, sleep with dreams). Sleep is a special genetically determined state of the human body, characterized by a natural sequential change of certain printing patterns in the form of cycles and stages. Sleep is an integral part of human existence, since the need to sleep is genetically predetermined. The state of sleep can only be determined using special objective methods.

Stage 1 FMS. It is characterized by a slowdown in the frequency of the main rhythm (characteristic of the relaxed wakefulness of a given person), the appearance of beta and theta waves; decrease in heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), muscle tone, blood pressure.

FMS stage 2 (sleep spindle stage). It is named after the main EEG phenomenon - “sleep spindles” - sinusoidal oscillations with a frequency of 11.5-15 Hz, an amplitude of more than 25 μV, lasting 0.5-1.5 seconds; in addition, K- complexes - waves of high amplitude (2-3 times greater than the amplitude of the background EEG, mainly represented by theta waves), two or multiphase; from the point of view of vegetative and EMG indicators, the trends described for the 1st stage of FMS are developing; Apnea episodes lasting less than 10 seconds may occur in small quantities.

Stages 3 and 4. It is called delta sleep, since the main EEG phenomenon is delta activity (in the 3rd stage it ranges from 20% to 50%, and in the 4th stage more than 50% of the analysis epoch); breathing in these stages is rhythmic, slow, blood pressure is reduced, EMG has a low amplitude. FBS is characterized by rapid eye movements (REM), very low EMG amplitude, and a “sawtooth” theta rhythm combined with an irregular EEG; in this case, a “vegetative storm” is noted with respiratory and cardiac arrhythmia, fluctuations in blood pressure, and episodes of apnea (normally lasting less than 10 seconds).

The FMS and FBS stages make up one sleep cycle, and a healthy person has from 4 to 6 such cycles per night; These cycles are not the same: in the first two, the FMS is maximally represented, and in the morning - the FBS. The main function of FMS is restoration (accumulation of energy, primarily phosphatergic bonds, synthesis of peptides and nucleic acids; in this phase, peaks in the secretion of growth hormone, prolactin, melatonin are observed, and FBS is the processing of information and the construction of a behavioral program.

With physiological aging, the structure of sleep undergoes the following changes: the total duration of sleep decreases, the duration of the superficial stages increases, the time of falling asleep and the time of wakefulness within sleep increases, motor activity during sleep increases, sleep fragmentation occurs, greater preservation of FBS in relation to FMS is noted, polyphasic sleep is revealed (presence of day and night sleep) and daytime micro-sleeping.

Complaints of poor night sleep in people over 60 years of age occur 3-4 times more often than in middle age. The REM sleep phase is a very clearly defined functional state of the brain, which is clearly distinguished from other functional states of the brain by the presence of tonic and physical phenomena that suddenly arise and just as suddenly stop. Rapid eye movements and occasional myoclonic twitches indicate active brain activity during this period. Waking up of people immediately after this phase of sleep shows that during FBS the person is dreaming. It is likely that animals also dream during FBS. If the human FMS differs from that of most animals in the greater generation of the delta rhythm, then the phases of paradoxical sleep in humans and animals are similar in their physiological properties. FBS is an extremely vivid and very clearly defined physiological state, which corresponds to specific mental experiences in the form of dreams

1.4 Sleep study method - polysomnography

Sleep can be defined as “a special genetically determined state of the human body (and warm-blooded animals, i.e. mammals and birds), characterized by a natural sequential change of certain printing patterns in the form of cycles, phases and stages” (V.M. Kovalzon).

This complex definition of sleep indicates, firstly, that sleep is an integral part of human existence, because the need to sleep is genetically predetermined and, secondly, that the state of sleep can only be determined using special objective methods. Polysomnography (PSG) is used to objectively study sleep and its disorders. This is the main method for studying human sleep.

Polysomnography is a method of recording vital signs during sleep. The word comes from the words poly - plural, somnos - sleep, grapho - write. PSG is usually performed during nighttime sleep.

Polysomnography is a method that includes parallel recording of an electroencephalogram (EEG) (usually multichannel), electrooculogram (EOG), electromyogram (EMG), electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure (BP), motor activity (general and in the extremities), respiratory movements chest and abdominal wall, oronasal air flow, level of oxygen saturation in the blood, severity of snoring, body temperature, video monitoring, etc. The purpose of a polysomnographic study is to objectify the activity of the human body during sleep. For this purpose, a number of indicators are recorded, the most important of which are the following:

b Electroencephalogram (EEG) - recording of the electrical activity of the brain

b Electrooculogram (EOG) - recording of eye movements

b Electromyogram (EMG) - a recording of muscle tension (usually the mental muscles).

These three indicators (EEG, EOG and EMG) are basic for identifying the stages and phases of sleep. Based on the analysis of these indicators, a hypnogram is constructed that reflects the dynamics of the stages and phases of sleep during the registration period.

1.5 Sleep positions

Analysis of postures in a dream allows you to build a behavioral profile of a person and study the depths of his psyche, which in normal daytime activities he can skillfully disguise or hide. The way a person sleeps reflects the way he lives. The advantages of the “night body language” method include the fact that it meets all the requirements for visual observations: in operational terms, the ease of obtaining observation results that are highly informative, psychologically accurate and valid. Analysis of postures in sleep allows you to build a behavioral profile of a person based on observations of the plasticity of a sleeping person. The information content of observations and the accuracy of interpretations are considered no worse than when analyzing other expressive movements - facial expressions, gestures, breathing movements, etc. American psychiatrist-psychotherapist S. Dunkell substantiated that postures during sleep are a continuation of the object’s defensive behavioral maneuvers. Standard defenses can be observed in poses taken in the “twilight zone,” that is, when a person, lying in bed, relaxes and prepares to fall asleep. The author of the method called such poses “alpha pose.” They change with the onset of complete sleep and move into the characterological position - the "omega pose", which, as a rule, is preferred throughout the night. It is the omega pose that embodies the fundamental aspects of the subject's lifestyle. A person can change postures, but will regularly return to the dominant one, reflecting the characteristics of his characterological defense. Usually he wakes up in this position in the morning. The interpretation of poses is based on their configuration and coverage of the “bed space”. During the night, a person can take more than one basic pose, moving on average twenty to thirty-five times per night. A person overwhelmed by anxiety can make more than a hundred movements per night. According to some reports, a person takes up to a dozen different basic poses per night. However, many of these positions are mirror images of other positions, essentially being the same mental manifestation. In addition, many poses are held only for a short time, and in essence are simply transitional or intermediate poses that have no special meaning. If we exclude mirror and intermediate poses, then most people take only two or three poses per night that characterize human behavior. Only when the position is accepted as preferred for most of the night can it be given a behavioral interpretation. The pose describes all discrete and characterological defenses. Moreover, there are only four basic poses and their corresponding interpretations. They are given below as defined by the author.

Fetal pose. External manifestations: a person lies on his side, curled up with his knees pulled up to his chin, his arms and hands form a ring, clasping his knees or a pillow. A person, as it were, curls up around a certain axis - a core. The bed space is occupied in the corners, usually the upper ones, with the face turned away from the wall. Interpretation: the hidden face and most of the internal organs, the center of the body covered with hands, speak of a person who is resisting attempts to expose himself to a full, open experience of the joys and sorrows of life, the person does not yet dare to turn around and expose himself to the events of life. Without allowing themselves to open up, in life such people show a strong need for protection and for a “core” around which they can organize their lives and on which they can depend. The line of behavior is dependent, ensuring security on the part of the stronger.

"Prostrate" pose. External manifestations: face down and to the side, the person lies on his stomach, usually with his arms thrown above his head, legs extended and feet slightly apart. The pose reflects an attempt to gain dominance over the bed space. Interpretation: protection from unpleasant surprises, the need to regulate life, avoid unexpected troubles, including being late and negative reactions to the tardiness of others. Such a person cares about little things, is obligatory, precise and neat. If something interferes with his dominant needs, a person will redouble his efforts to bring the world in line with his requirements. Increased sensitivity to surprise can manifest itself in the desire to sleep diagonally, thereby achieving even more complete dominance over the world of sleep.

On your back or “royal” pose. External manifestations: a person lies on his back, face up, arms and legs extended along the body, relaxed, slightly outstretched. Interpretation: an indicator of feelings of security, confidence and personal strength. They feel like a fish in water, they are open to everything, happy to give and accept everything available from life. A variation of the supine pose is the “starfish” pose, in which a person spreads his arms and legs wide. The pose symbolizes a clear shift in emphasis from self-respect to self-aggrandizement, demonstrating the need to control the situation.

Half-fetal pose. The most common pose is on your side with your knees slightly pulled up. Interpretation: good “common sense”, the adequacy of the individual to the world around him - his balance and reliability. Adaptive abilities of the individual are not associated with excessive loads. Such people are not very vulnerable and do not seek protection in the face of an uncertain future.

The position of the legs in a dream indicates how a person moves through life. Many people seem to grip the bed with their feet or slide one or two feet under the mattress. As a rule, such people are conservative, resist changes in life, and are wary of the unknown and unexpected. Conversely, refusal to fully submit and conform to reality and accepted norms may manifest itself as dangling a leg or legs over the edge or end of the bed. Crossed ankles can characterize a “hobbled personality”, fearful, lacking initiative, weak-willed and incapable of self-mobilization. A penchant for comfort is indicated by sandwiched legs, when one leg is positioned exactly above the other: the hips, knees and ankles of both legs touch each other. Such people strive to fit into the expectations of others and avoid conflicts. The activity and assertiveness of the individual may appear in the form of a constant readiness to step into the daytime world, which is manifested in the extended position of the legs. If only one leg is straightened, while the other is bent at the knee at an acute angle, and the foot is sometimes slipped under the shin of the outstretched leg, and sometimes lies on it, then this rather speaks of the duality of nature, oscillating between aggressiveness and passivity , concentration and relaxation.

The position of your hands in a dream can also indicate tension or relaxation. If a person holds on to something in a dream, this is a sign of a dependent nature. Such a person may turn out to be clingy, dependent and not allowing himself to leave some kind of support and feel like himself. It should also be taken into account that we have two hands. And contradictory arrangements are possible between them. For example, when one hand is clenched while the other hangs freely from the bed. This expresses the duality of personality and characterizes an individual with a strong element of dependence, who, however, refuses to completely submit to this dependence. This duality, expressed by the hands, determines the conflict between the need to hold firm and the need to relax and usually manifests itself in relationships with people. The conflict of a split personality can be expressed both in the search for a strong partner, and in anxiety if this partner requires a high emotional return. Specific hand positions are usually associated with basic sleep positions. For a person sleeping on their side in a typical "half-fetal" position, it is quite natural to hold their arms in front of the body at chest level. People lying on their backs in the “royal” position most often keep their hands on the mattress, at the sides of the body, with the palms bent, demonstrating maximum ability to perceive the outside world. In the "prostrate" pose, the arms are usually extended above the head and the elbows are bent. However, the hands can bring new meaning to the interpretation of the basic pose. Thus, in the “royal” pose, the hands tightly intertwined, supporting the stomach, or folded on the stomach, one above the other, require a different interpretation than the basic one: this is a protective pose. Stretching your arms above your head is also significant. For individuals who use their intellectual abilities as the main type of protection, they typically have their hands thrown behind their heads in a supine position, with the head resting between the palms and the elbows spread to the sides. Arms fully extended upward in the same position mean weakness of will, inaction and passivity of the individual. An intermediate position of the hands, as if a person were holding a barbell above his head, symbolizes a feeling of satisfaction. The position of the brushes also matters. For example, clenched fists on the chest of a person lying on his back clearly demonstrate his aggressive internal state.

Chapter II PRACTICAL PART

2.1 Experimental methods for studying dreams

Psychoanalytic is any type of treatment that aims to heal the patient by analyzing the psychological relationships that cause his illness. To carry out the analysis, methods are used that can be combined as necessary:

1) research in the form of a conversation (interviewing)

2) experiment using associations (Bleuler-Jung associative method);

3) analysis of free associations, taking into account dreams and erroneous actions (Freudian psychoanalysis);

4) analysis using light hypnosis (psychocatharsis according to Breuer and Freud, continued by Frank).

1. Clinical interviewing. The research begins in the form of a conversation (interviewing), which is the simplest and often the shortest, and determines what can be achieved in this way. It would be a mistake to think that the more subtle relationships of experiences can be revealed only through special methods or interpretation. One cannot limit oneself to any one pathogenetic point of view, even when an obvious pathogenetic factor is found; one should patiently and comprehensively continue the study until the most important components of the “causal node” are discovered. When enough material has been obtained and complete emotional communication with the patient has been established, as necessary, it is necessary to include elements of persuasion in this method of treatment, to help the patient in understanding, ordering and overcoming his internal difficulties with an energetic, pushing to action or carefully delaying dialogue, always distinguished by tactful sympathy to the patient. Only a spiritually strong and capable person can achieve truly great success in healing through psychoanalytic means.

2. Experimental psychological method. Goals: 1) preliminary orientation, moving quickly one after another in order to test the various strings in the patient’s psyche; 2) continuation of a study in which the doctor, asking simple questions, has reached a dead end and needs new data. If the doctor does not have any specific reference points for the proposed complexes, then for preliminary orientation you can use a more representative diagram, which should be kept ready in printed form.

		51. Frog
2. Green		52. Break up	77. Cow
	28. Sin
			79. Happiness
	30. Rich	55. Child
6. Long	31. Tree	56. Keep an eye on	81. Decency
	32. Stab	57. Pencil
8. Pay	33. Compassion	58. Sad
	34. Yellow		84. Be afraid
10. Friendly		60. Get married
	36. Die		86. Fake
12. Ask
13. Village		63. Glass	88. Kiss
14. Cold	39. Regular	64. Argue	89. Bride
15. Stem	40. Pray		90. Clean
16. Dance	41. Money	66. Big
	42. Stupid		92. Choose
18. Sick	43. Notebook	68. Paint with paints
19. Pride	44. Despise		94. Satisfied
20. Cook		70. Old	95. Mockery
21. Ink	46. Dear	71. Flower

23. Needle	48. Fall		98. Handsome
24. Swim			99. Woman
25. Travel	50. Unfair		100. Scold

At the end of the experiment on reactions, the doctor highlights in red in his diagram the very slowed down or generally suspicious reactions, and then looks to see if the received ideas can be combined into one or more groups.

One young patient with hypochondriacal anxiety neurosis, when tested according to the general scheme given above, demonstrated the following slowing of reactions:

7. The ship - nothing comes to my mind (20)

58. Sad - in a good mood (25)

60. To marry is to be single (17) (sharply pushing out the words)

64. Arguing is disgusting (18)

75. Family - nothing comes to my mind (33) (heavy breathing)

81. Decency - good morals (19)

84. To be afraid - nothing comes to mind (78)

90. Clean - unclean (21)

98. Handsome - unbridled (22)

100. Scold - impatient (21).

The resulting reactions are easily grouped into two circles of ideas: 81, 90, 98 (decency, unclean, unbridled) form one group, and 60 (to marry is to be single), as well as 7 (a ship in its vulgar usage in connection with urination). Of course, this kind of analysis in itself does not provide grounds for reliable conclusions; these are just diagnostic assumptions that must be verified by subsequent studies.

3) Psychotherapeutic method - the method of “active step-by-step hypnosis”. Slightly different from the methods described so far is the technique of the narrower psychoanalytic school. Freudians prefer to examine sudden thoughts, dreams, and erroneous actions in psychological analysis. Thus, we can invite the patient, brought into a passive state of rest, to give full rein to his sudden thoughts - smart and stupid - and continuously communicate them to the doctor, without missing anything. As a result, the doctor receives protocols of free associations, similar to a series of paintings. Thus, during long and repeated sessions, even pathogenic experiences or sudden thoughts that are in associative connection with the complex may emerge, which should be interpreted in the same way as was done in experiments with reactions.

2.2 Results

One person was selected for the study. From the preliminary conversation, it was clear that Rimma Yakovlevna had problems falling asleep. After a series of tests, the fact of the problem of falling asleep was obvious. Rimma Yakovlevna complained of poor sleep, headache, bad mood, loss of strength, and lethargy. Since the subject is a teacher by profession, I would like to give advice. You should not put off preparing your homework until late in the evening. Work on homework should be stopped 1.5-2 hours before bedtime. Before going to bed, a walk and the usual light physical work are useful. Sleep has two enemies: “the desk and the dining table,” says popular wisdom. When going to bed, you should try to throw off all the worries of the day along with your clothes. To reduce the flow of irritations that prevent you from falling asleep, you need to turn off or dim the TV, radio, and isolate yourself from bright light. But getting used to falling asleep in absolute silence and darkness is undesirable. With such a habit, sleep becomes very sensitive, and any irritation can interrupt it. An uncomfortable bed, folds that press on the skin and scars on the sheet, tight, uncomfortable underwear are irritants that interfere with sleep. Sleep can also be disturbed by strong irritations coming from internal organs. A full stomach is a common cause of restless sleep and nightmares. “Not having dinner is a sacred law for those who value light sleep most,” wrote A. S. Pushkin. Indeed, you don’t need to eat tightly just before bed. But you shouldn’t give up dinner completely either: a hungry person has a harder time falling asleep and sleeps more lightly. A light dinner an hour and a half to two hours before bedtime is best. Before going to bed, you should not drink a lot of liquid, especially strong tea or coffee. Too warm, humid air, stuffiness can also cause restless sleep. It is best to sleep outdoors, on a veranda or in a room with open windows. The great Russian artist I. Repin, for example, slept all winter in a room with windows without glass. Serious sleep disorders can also be caused by drinking alcohol and smoking. Insomnia can also be the result of a sedentary lifestyle, i.e. lack of movement. And it is a mistake to hope that the use of sleeping pills will cure insomnia. Physical exercises, sports, outdoor games, walks will strengthen your sleep. It is important to go to bed at certain hours. At the usual hours you want to sleep, and sleep comes easily and quickly. This requires a certain daily routine. It saves a lot of energy, increases performance, and improves health. With a properly structured schedule of work, rest and sleep, we manage to do much more during the day. Carelessness and lack of routine lead to loss of time, faster fatigue and wasted energy.

Conclusion

Subsequent studies indicate the important adaptive-programming role of sleep in the life of the body. That is why the effects obtained in some phases of natural sleep are persistent and have a great influence on behavioral programs in the subsequent state of wakefulness.

Thus, traditionally modern psychologists distinguish two periodic states of the psyche inherent in all people: wakefulness - a state characterized by active interaction between a person and the outside world, and sleep - a state considered primarily as a period of rest.

There is a lot of scientific evidence indicating that sleep is by no means a passive inhibitory state that only contributes to the restoration of strength and energy; sleep is a specific, active state of the brain that promotes the full use of existing experience and acquired information in the interests of more perfect adaptation of the body during wakefulness .

This is the vital function of REM sleep and its integral component - dreams.

Literature

1. A.N. Bakulev, F.F. Petrov "Popular Medical Encyclopedia".

2. Stanley K. “Secrets of Sleep” ed. "Veche" Moscow 1997

3. Samuel Dunkell "Night Body Language" "Arnica" 1994

4. "Psychology and pedagogy." Edited by Radugin A.A.: study. allowance., 1997.

5. Godefroy J. “What is psychology” Moscow “Mir” 1992 volume No. 1

6. Freud Z. “Interpretation of Dreams” St. Petersburg ed. "Aletheia"

7. K. Jung "Favorites" Minsk 1998 ed. "Medley"