Inception or how to learn to control dreams

On average, a person spends about 25-30% of his life in sleep. That is, if you live 80 years, you will sleep for about 24 years. Just think - 24 years old !!! It's just unforgivable to waste this time. Therefore, everything related to sleep is still so much controversial, and research on this topic never stops.

Accordingly, a huge variety of myths have gathered around this area. Do we really need to sleep at least 8 hours a night and can we control our dreams? The first is not necessary and not the way we are used to. Second, we can. Do you want to know how?

Inception or how to learn to control dreams

Before we understand if we are able to control our dreams, let's briefly go through the main myths about the sleep process itself.

Myths and other folklore about dreams

Myth number 1. A person needs 7-8 hours of continuous sleep. It is believed that a person should sleep at least 7-8 hours per day - this is how much our brain and body need to recuperate and prepare for a new full-fledged working day. But … Hundreds of historical records made before the 17th century indicate that people used to have a slightly different sleep rhythm. It consisted of two sessions and was interrupted by several hours of wakefulness at night. Many sleep experts believe this rhythm is more natural for humans. I think many of us have woken up more than once full of energy and ready to go in the middle of the night after literally a few hours of sleep. This has happened to me more than once.

The only advice I can give from personal experience is: do not try to fall asleep in this state, because you still will not succeed. You will only annoy yourself and those nearby with your anxiety. The best thing you can do is go and do a little … work or read. The most interesting thing is that it is at this time that the most interesting ideas come to mind. After several hours of this activity, you will want to sleep again and wake up in the morning in your standard state, as if those night vigils had never happened.

Myth number 2. During sleep, the brain is at rest. Since the beginning of serious research on sleep and brain activity during this period, scientists have shown that during sleep, the brain does not shut down completely and continues to work. But many still believe that during sleep, their brain is completely turned off, as if the switch is switched from the "On" position. to the off position. During sleep, our brain is in four phases, which replace each other every 90 minutes. Each sleep phase consists of three restful sleep phases, also known as slow-wave sleep or traditional sleep, which altogether account for about 80% of the total 90-minute cycle, and the REM phase, which is characterized by rapid movement. eye. It is during this phase that we dream.

Myth number 3. Teenagers are just lazy and like to sleep a little longer. Most teenagers sleep late and are in no hurry to get out of bed even after waking up. They can lie there all morning without showing any signs of life. Many parents swear and think that they are just too lazy to get up. In fact, the biological clock of adolescents works a little differently than the clock of adults.

Studies have shown that up to about age 20, the human body releases more of the hormone melatonin (peak at age 20), so adolescents experience increased daytime sleepiness if forced to adhere to the standard 8-hour sleep schedule. And if you add here the almost complete absence of serious social obligations, other than passing exams and cleaning your room, it turns out that their sleep is much calmer and healthier than the sleep of adults.

Myth number 4. Dreams are filled with symbolism. And here we can say hello to grandfather Freud, who believed that dreams (especially nightmares) are filled with symbolism and are "the royal road to the unconscious." They are a mirror image of our life and their detailed analysis can reveal all our subconscious fears, problems and secret desires.

In fact, the truth is that so far no one fully knows how true this theory is. One of the rather influential neurobiological theories says that dreams are sporadic neural activity in the brain stem and the accidental activation of memories that are stored in our minds. According to the same theory, dreams are a consequence of processes in the higher layers of our brain that try to translate this random activity into at least some kind of consistent subjective experience.

Recently, a survey was conducted of 15 people with lower body paralysis. In their dreams, they quite often see themselves on their feet again, but at the same time they see such dreams much less often than those who are able to move themselves. If Freud's theory were 100% correct, then people with paralysis would have such dreams much more often, since this is their only cherished dream - to walk again.

Inception or dream control

In Inception, director Chris Nolan used the idea that dreams can be controlled and planted through controlled dreams into a person's mind. In fact, this is not such a fiction, because the idea of the film was based on scientific research that proves that lucid dreaming is quite real.

Lucid dreaming is often a pleasant state of partially awake consciousness that simultaneously dreams and can control them. This state most often occurs towards the end of sleep, somewhere between waking up and daydreaming.

If you have never experienced lucid dreaming before, there are several techniques to help you achieve this amazing state.

In Control Your Dreams, psychologist Tom Stafford and Katherine Bardsley, a lucid dreamer, advise you to start practicing awareness when you are awake and not fully awake. While this may sound rather strange, but when you learn to notice to yourself that you have already woken up, that is, to be aware of this state, you will learn to be aware that you are in a dream at the moment.

Suddenly turning off the lights is a good test to determine if you are completely awake or are still asleep. Because if you are still asleep, the light level in your dream has not changed. Pinching yourself is not very suitable, because you can do it both in reality and in your sleep. If you realize that you are still sleeping, try not to worry, otherwise you will quickly wake up. You need to calm down and remember this state. And every time you catch yourself realizing that you are still in a dream, you will come one step closer to fully learning to control the events occurring in a dream.

I had a lucid dreaming experience. And more than once. And this is a very interesting, exciting state. When you realize that all this is dreaming, but you still have not woken up, it becomes very curious and fun. Because when you really realize this, you are able to influence the events that take place and what before that scared the hell out of you now looks stupid. By the way, this is a great way to deal with your fears, both far-fetched and quite real. It seems to me that it is in this state that the most interesting ideas, problem solutions and insights (Bingo!) Come to us, because we can remember them clearly enough so that we do not forget when we finally wake up.