Influences

We never actually stop to think what influences our dreams. Sure, the question is definitely asked regarding if and how dreams affect our waking hours- but how do our actions affect our dream?

I guess it's kind of a big question. There are various factors that coalesce to provide dreams their whimsical and often insane contents. However, one I very recently learned about struck me. Smells have a very emotional input in our memory. When we're dreaming, the external factor that has the biggest impact on our dreams is the smell surrounding us. If we're sleeping next to some roses, we're more like to have a happier, calmer dream while if we're sleeping next to a bad odor, we will most likely wake up from a night terror.

What intrigued me was not the influence of smells in dreams but the nature of that influence. A study conducted by Tore Nielson, showed that the content of the dream was not directly influenced by the smells. If a subject was to smell roses, they did not smell roses in their dreams, as expected. No, they ended up having a better dream with a better plot. The smells did not directly manifest within the dreams.

That leads to the conclusion that there is truth in Sigmund Freud's theory that our dreams often hide meanings. If the external factors affect our dreams indirectly, in a covert way, then Freud was right in assuming that dreams contain symbolism. Of course that's not all dream are made of, but I finally understand where he was coming from, which is of importance.