Dreams are one of the most remarkable psychological and neurological phenomena experienced by the sleeping mind, yet still remains one of the most unclear scientific inquiries. During the stages of sleep the brain involuntarily constructs a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations, parallel to brain activity in several regions of the brain that control our cognitive processes. Because these parts of the brain are constantly being stimulated, there is reason to believe that dreaming has an effect on our cognitive development. After investigating the current available research, it has been demonstrated that there is some correlation between neurological developments and dreaming. Dreaming affects the levels of cognition because throughout
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An EEG, electroencephalogram, is a test that detects electrical activity in the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active at all times, even during sleep (Nir 2010). One set of EEGs completed by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, showed that there are similarities in the brain waves of a person who is awake and one that is dreaming in REM sleep. The data showed that the REM sleep’s low amplitude waves, 4-7Hz, were the same as the brain waves recorded in the person’s wake state of mind (Nir, 2010). The theory behind these results is that several parts of the brain are being stimulated during dreaming. PET scans and MRIs revealed that there is high-order activation of the optical, temporal, and visual cortex associated with dreaming (Grazioplene, 2011). Additional support of the relationship between cognition and dreaming was tested in an experiment where dreaming was eliminated and cognition was observed and compared to people who do report having dreams. Another experiment conducted by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, utilized patients with known damaging lesion on the Brodmann’s Area 40 region of the brain to back test the association with cognition and dreaming (Nir, 2010). Brain scans and dream surveys concluded that patients with damaged parts of the brain associated with cognition had dreaming
An EEG, electroencephalogram, is a test that detects electrical activity in the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active at all times, even during sleep (Nir 2010). One set of EEGs completed by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, showed that there are similarities in the brain waves of a person who is awake and one that is dreaming in REM sleep. The data showed that the REM sleep’s low amplitude waves, 4-7Hz, were the same as the brain waves recorded in the person’s wake state of mind (Nir, 2010). The theory behind these results is that several parts of the brain are being stimulated during dreaming. PET scans and MRIs revealed that there is high-order activation of the optical, temporal, and visual cortex associated with dreaming (Grazioplene, 2011). Additional support of the relationship between cognition and dreaming was tested in an experiment where dreaming was eliminated and cognition was observed and compared to people who do report having dreams. Another experiment conducted by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, utilized patients with known damaging lesion on the Brodmann’s Area 40 region of the brain to back test the association with cognition and dreaming (Nir, 2010). Brain scans and dream surveys concluded that patients with damaged parts of the brain associated with cognition had dreaming