Dreams and Dreaming

WE dream during a state of sleep called REM sleep. It is known that theta rythems sent from the

hippocampus, which determine if something is of essential value to the brain, are presesnt during REM sleep. Which

supports the idea that dreaming is connected to learning and that dreams are very important to the growing process.

Sleep is set in cycles, each containing four stages

STAGE 1: Light sleep begins- thata waves

STAGE 2: Light sleep continues- spindles and K complexes

STAGE 3: The onset of deep sleep- K complexes and delta

STAGE 4: Very deep sleep- delta waves

The first cycle is roughly 90 minutes. The brain decends through all four stages, and then acends back

through them, but on the way up REM sleep is experienced at stage 1. This REM period lasts about 10 minutesAfter

the first cycle the delta sleep may no occur at all. the brain will cycle through stage 1 and 2. As the night goes on the

proportion of REM to NON- REM increase, so by the end of the night you may dream for as much as 1 of the last 2

hours of sleep. Though for some of us we still sleep deeply even to the wee hours of the morning. The “deep

sleepers” Thus light sleeper are more likely able to remember dreams.

The Menangkabau tribes of Indonesia believe that the real life force, the sumanghat, actually leaves the body

in both dreams and serious illness. The shaman, or Dukun, must project his conscious