Everyone dreams. Sometimes, we can remember bits and pieces of what we dream. If a particular dream is memorable, we might reflect on it. Dreams can be happy, scary, sad, intense, erotic and more, and by writing them down, we can become more present and aware of ourselves.
If you suffer from nightmares and bad dreams, you may wonder why we dream. Some people have a difficult time getting restful sleep because of their dreams. Basically, dreams show that our brains can create a new set of experiences without our conscious control.
Neuroscience is now able to relate dreams and our underlying brain activity. As technology improves, our understanding of why dreams happen and what they are has improved, but we still have many unanswered questions.
Dreams occur during various stages of our sleep. REM sleep, or rapid eye movement, tends to produce more dreams, but we don’t seem to be able to remember these as readily. There is no one clear answer to why we dream, but scientists believe dreams could help as:1
As a leader, you may brush off an occasional vivid or noteworthy dream. But, these dreams are usually so fleeting. If you don’t write it down, it will be lost. You can increase agility by working your unconscious brain muscles, because the more you write notes to help you remember dreams, the better you’ll be able to recall information.
Writing down your dreams can also help you see patterns that occur in your life. If something is bothering you at work, these feelings can manifest in your dreams. When you have a clear, written record, you can compare notes to your real life and see what your intuition is trying to tell you.
For the best results, devote a small journal or notebook to recording dreams. You can even use a calendar with larger blocks for each day. Keep this journal and a pen or pencil beside your bed, and when you wake up, spend a minute or two jotting down anything you can remember.
As time passes, you’ll likely see themes which pop up again and again. Take notice of what your inner voice is trying to say. Your dreams are an untapped resource, so use them to discover a hidden part of yourself that only you can truly see.
Follow your intuition, listening to your dreams, your inner voice to guide you.
Katori Hall, Playwrite
When leaders dream big and have the agility and intuition to follow through, great things can happen for an organisation. Creating a vision for the future is crucial to inspire others to see and follow your dreams. To learn about how sleep impacts your leadership abilities, watch the film Make Me A Leader.
Citations:
1. Roland J. Why Do We Dream? Healthline. 2017.
2. Drerup M. Why Do We Dream--The Short Answer from a Sleep Psychologist. Cleveland Clinic. 2017.
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About my Brain Institute
Scientist, educator, author, speaker, coach, award-winning leadership specialist, filmmaker and creator of the i4 Neuroleader Model & Methodology.
Silvia's scientific background and curiosity about the human brain led her to a decade long journey of research into optimal brain functioning and the application of neuroscience in leadership and daily life. Her past and current roles have uniquely prepared her for the current undertaking, that of leadership activist & change agent.
Silvia Damiano founded The About my Brain Institute in 2009, with the purpose of democratising leadership & neuroscience. She has a passionately held belief, that leaders in our 21st century global economy and their organisations must radically change long-held ideas of what constitutes effective leadership
In her ground-breaking books ‘Leadership is Upside Down’, ‘Brain-Friendly Leadership’ and the 2018 documentary ‘Make Me A Leader’, Silvia provides both compelling evidence and explores the importance of leadership in our personal and professional lives and what it takes to develop the human behind the leader.
Silvia has worked in different countries, across many industries, helping teams and organisations improve business performance. Silvia’s clients have described her as a passionate, dynamic, a highly experienced speaker and master facilitator on the topics of Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Change, Neuroleadership & Engagement.
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