In Your Dreams (extended definition)

Thesis Statement: A dream is a vision that occurs in your sleep.

Outline

I. Introduction

A. definition of dreams

1. ancient

2. religious

3. classical

                B. description of dreams

II. Body

                A. content of dreams

                                1. visuals

                                2. emotions

                                3. recurring dreams

                B. interpretation of dreams

                C. relationship to medical conditions

                D. related phenomena

                                1. incorporation of reality

                                2. déjà vu

                                3. sleepwalking

                                4. daydreaming

                                5. nightmares

                                6. memories

                E. significance of dreams

                F. relation of dreams to one’s life

III. Conclusion

                A. summary

                B. realization

In Your Dreams

                A dream is a vision that occurs in your sleep. These visions involuntarily appear in the mind during slumber. Dreams have been seen to connect to the unconscious part of the mind and are a sequence of images, thoughts, emotions, and sensations.

                Dreams can be interpreted in many ways (Lewis, n. d.). In the ancient times, people believed that gods showed themselves in dreams. They had a belief that dreams were like oracles which send messages from the gods. In the Bible, only one God was shown. In classical times, however, the soul was believed to be free and wander when dreaming. These interpretations depend on the person dreaming and how it is interpreted (Freud, 1994).

                Different people have different dreams. The content of dreams relies on what the person feels, remembers, or even wishes. In the present times, it is believed that the heart’s true desire is seen in dreams (Van Riper, 2002). For example, wanting to buy a new car would make a person dream of having a new car.

Dreams have a relation to medical conditions like dreaming in black and white with no colors (Harrison, 2001). Dreams are also related to reality. The things happening in the surroundings can affect the content of your dream (Allain et al, 2003). For example, a phone is ringing in reality then the dreamer dreams of a ringing phone as well (Griffin, 2004). Another phenomena associated with dreams is sleepwalking, wherein the dreamer is acting out the dream into reality. Déjà vu is also incorporated with dreams. One may remember a dream while it is happening in real life.

A person’s emotion or personality can be reflected in dreams. For example, negativity is shown through nightmares. While daydreaming is one way of dreaming positively, nightmares is its opposite (Hall& Van De Castle, 1966).

Dreams have a significant role in one’s life. It is a stage where desires and undesired things or thoughts can be unintentionally seen because it occurs in the unconscious part of the mind(Van Riper, 2002). It is a gateway of possibilities that one never imagined while awake.  Dreams express a person’s innermost desire by showing ideas that can affect the real world when applied in real life. It should be treated as a realization of one self.

Reference
Allain, G. et al. (2003). Replication of the day-residue and dream-lag effect. 20th Annual International Conference of the Association for the Study of Dreams.Retrieved March 2, 2012,    from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.

Freud, S. (1994)The interpretation of dreams. New York: Modern Library. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.

Griffin, J. (2004).Dreaming reality: How dreaming keeps us sane or can drive us mad. Human Givens Publishing.Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.

Hall, C., Van De Castle, R. (1966). The content analysis of dreams. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.  Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.

Harrison, J.(2001). Synaesthesia: The strangest thing. Oxford University Press.Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.

Lewis, C. S. (n. d.). The discarded image.Cambridge University Press. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.

Van Riper, A. (2003). Science in popular culture: A reference guide. Westport: Greenwood Press. p. 56.   Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream.