My opening post focused on the subject of alternate realities. I have several theories about how we access, or at least glimpse, alternate realities. While I may have adapted bits and pieces of these theories from other sources, it was done so subconsciously, so do not expect citation. This piece is based on personal experience and reflection; it is meant to be thought provoking, not definitive. My interpretation of the theory of alternate realities is continually evolving.
With that out of the way, let's go straight to the meat of this post: dreams.
Several theories exist about why we dream. Freud theorized that dreams provided insight in our personalities and unspoken desires. Dreams allow our darkest and deepest fantasies to play out in a somewhat safe environment. Effectively, dreams provide us with a personal virtual reality simulator. Much of his work involved symbolism and seemed to focus on sex... Whether he was right or wrong is not up for debate in this post. Freud is not the subject here, merely an example.
Others speculate that dreams help regulate mental health by incorporating new information into your brain. Essentially, dreaming allows our minds to weave the day's events into the grander tapestry of our lives. Imagine that your brain is a hard drive; dreaming is daily defragmentation. There are variations of this concept that place more emphasis on certain aspects of body or brain function, speculate how external stimuli affect the dream, or that mix in some elements of Freud's psychoanalysis.
But what if dreams, or at least some dreams, are something else entirely?
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