Why are Dreams so Powerful?

What are dreams really? A nighttime fantasy that you could never fulfill in the daytime? Maybe. An escape that you can only make when you're not awake to face the world? Possibly. Dreams are based on what the person interprets them as and is often designed through what their day to day life is like.

They allow us to cope with our daily stress levels and sadness over a recent breakup. When you dream, you can take a mental holiday without having to leave your house. They allow us to be ourselves without any limitations or pretense. Thanks to your dreams, you can experience a mini-movie in your sleep that you can control subconsciously. Sometimes, your dreams are a way to help process a recent death in the life or a professional dilemma at the office. It's hard to say what dreams are unless you have them yourself, because not everyone can have vivid dreams. Some tend to fall into a dead sleep until their alarm clock goes off.

Dreams help us to work out a recent fight you might have had with a spouse, as you pictured in a dream what it would be like without them. It gave you a taste of what reality could be and you didn't like it. Making you realize that being right wasn't always the best thing in the world to be. Better to be honest with yourself than living under a false assumption that could derail any relationship you have going for you.

Here are five things you need to be aware of when you try to understand your dreams. The main thing is to manage your expectations as you try to look between the lines so to speak. Read on to help decipher what makes your dreams so powerful or just plain silly.

Dreams allow us to express what we can't in real life-

Dreams are the guide to someone's subconscious thoughts that they can't think aloud. When we sleep, our dreams allow us to experience thoughts and emotions we are too afraid to talk, or even think about. We can fall in love, get married and have sex in our dreams. Our personalities can change within the coarse of REM sleep. One dream can cast you as a Bond villain or 007 himself within an overnight period. Think about having the ultimate unfiltered fantasies. Sometimes dreams allow you to deal with any unresolved issues such as the loss of a loved one you didn't say goodbye to. The dream is never as good as the real thing, but whatever delivers any type of closure is worth it.

Be prepared for anything when you go to sleep-

Many dreams can range from the adventurous to the absolutely weird. Want to try wind surfing, but don't have the nerve to do it? Dream about going to an island vacation doing just that. Have a crush on a certain celebrity? Think about the weirdest dream you could have with them and multiply it by 11. Picture them visiting your middle when you were younger to play a piano recital and taking everyone out for ice cream after. Sounded like a cross between sweet and little creepy.

Expect the unexpected-

Never go to bed picturing the dreams you'll have once you're asleep, because that never turns out well. You'll usually end up feeling disappointed for which the direction your latest dream takes you. Just close your eyes and let your subconscious take you to a place that you never intended to go, but still enjoy the ride all the same.

Be prepared that you might not have one every night-

Do you ever have those days that you're so tired that you could pass out where you stand? We all have those days that we're so tired that we could fall asleep as soon as our head hits the pillow. Understand that you might be so tired that you could fall into a dead sleep until you wake up the next morning. It has been known to happen on more than one occasion.

Try to be selective in making your dreams come true-

Are you looking to make one of your favorite dreams become a reality? Do you want to tell your coworker that you want to date them? Do you want to propose to your girlfriend? How about the open manager position? Sure, each possibility can be risky, but the reward could sometimes be worth it. Also, you need to understand that not every dream translates well into real life. Choose carefully before making a decision about making something come true, because the answers might disappoint you.

In the end, dreams allow us to be free and easy without any responsibilities. You can do questionable things in your subconscious without any consequences occurring against you. It's a little bit like Hollywood, except the budget is limitless and there was no rating system for the movie going in your mind. Something that movie studios and filmmakers all envy in a way, but it's still one of those things where if it might look good inside your head. It just doesn't translate well on real life celluloid.

That's why the best ideas are just that: ideas. Because not everything will line up to how you're mentally picturing it. Occasionally, those high minded ideas can translate to reality. It was just a matter of timing to get things right. Our dreams make us reach for greater heights in our sleep that sometimes carry over when we wake up. For writers, their dreams allow them to create some of their best ideas; as long as they remember them when they get up. Hard to say if all dreams are rational ones, because it's not always the case. Logic might not have been part of the first draft, but a little editing goes a long way thankfully. Without dreams, life would only be about logic and not about a passionate idea or plan. That would be the greatest travesty of all.