Why do we dream? Part 1

Wired to be Weird

William Blake - The Youthful Poet's Dream ~1820. From a series of illustrations inspired by John Milton's L`Allegro and Il Penseroso

Dreams are quite easily one of the most common topics on the minds of most people, judging by my interactions with folks on Periscope, my friends, and random people who find out that I study the brain. This doesn't surprise me in the slightest. When else can you experience what it might be like to breathe underwater, or fly through the center of the sun, without questioning the experience in the slightest?

Despite being so universally interesting, and having been a subject of inquiry dating at least back to Aristotle (On Dreams, written in 350 B.C.E), dreams remain among the most widely debated topics in psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience. We chat about the various theories that have cropped up over time, and then discuss some of the more recent discoveries and theories to try and understand why & how we dream, and the contributions dreaming makes to the development of who you are.

Literature referenced:

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