Do all dreams have a specific meaning that relates to our waking life. Most people don't believe that they do. What if you had a dream about your wallet being stolen or missing? In your waking life, does that mean that you will lose money or that someone will steal from you? These are questions we ask ourselves when we have a dream that startles us. .
In this paper I intend to inform you of the symbols that are common in dreams, along with the psychology behind dreaming. I will also include the meanings of the symbols that are seen in your dreams, so that it is realized that everything you see in your dream has a specific meaning. All the way down to the colors that you see as well. I will also discuss the techniques used to interpret dreams. .
There are two states of sleep, REM and NREM. NREM sleep contains four different stages. Often people call REM sleep active sleep because your brain is active even though you are sleeping. NREM stands for non-rapid-eye-movement. During NREM sleep your brain activity slows down. There are all together four stages of NREM sleep. NREM sleep begins after the first 90 minutes of sleep. The entire NREM sleep process takes in between fifty and seventy minutes. During stage 1 of NREM sleep there is a mixture of alpha and theta brain waves. When stage 2 begins, there are sleep spindles, K complexes, and theta brain waves. This is also the stage where delta waves are introduced. As you progress into stage 3 of NREM sleep, there is a mixture of theta and delta brain waves present. And in the final stage of NREM sleep, stage 4, all that is present are the delta brain waves. Stage 1 usually only lasts for a few minutes, while stage 2 lasts for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Stages 3 and 4 can last up to twenty to forty minutes. If the phone rings while you are in stage 4 NREM sleep, you are physically able to get up and answer it without ever leaving stage 4 sleep. You most likely will not remember the conversation the next day.