Dreaming - new insights
An essential part of being human is the capacity to dream. Identified as taking place in the sleep phase known as REM (rapid eye movement), and until recently lacking a comprehensive explanation of why humans dream. Several things were known:
- the foetus spends about 90% in REM sleep
- nearly all warm blooded animals have REM sleep
- animals deprived of REM sleep die
- echidna the only animal that has no REM sleep
- depressed people spend about 80% in REM sleep
The REM sleep phase is characterised by activation of the startle reflex and engagement of the orientation response mechanism. As no stimuli are accessed from the environment, the focus is on de-activating the startle response and unfulfilled expectation from the previous day's activities. The expectations are metaphorically discharged in a dream, a fraction of which is accessed by the conscious mind at the point of waking.
The new theory of dreaming proposed by Irish psychologist Joe Griffin (who with colleague Ivan Tyrrell wrote the seminal text Human Givens - a new approach to emotional health and clear thinking) explains the reason why:
- the foetus is laying down instinctive metaphorical patterns or templates needed for its survival in the environment
- warm blooded animals need the innate patterns accurately preserved during REM sleep to regulate vital body functions
- animals die if deprived of REM sleep because the control of body temperature is disturbed
- the echidna has a unique mechanism for consciously regulating its own body temperature
- depressed people have unmet needs and unfulfilled expectations creating a state of emotional arousal that limits clear thinking, and overloads the orientation response mechanism. They wake exhausted and unmotivated, and the nature of their interaction with their environment usually leads to a continuation of the cycle.
Why understanding dreaming is important
Dreaming and the REM sleep phase are human givens - universal across each culture. Griffin and Tyrrell's explanation is important because:
- it challenges Freud's thinking that has dominated the field of psychology for decades
- it recognises the importance of interaction with the environment
- it highlights the role of the orientation mechanism
- it defines the healthy mind - needs met and expectations fulfilled
A complete explanation of Griffin's Expectation Fulfilment Theory of Dreaming can be seen here
The "human givens" explained
Why humans dream
The Mind - new insights
Depression - new insights
See Brief Video
Video Transcript - the Human Givens Overview
Free Resources
If you are interested in Therapeutic Storytelling, these videos and notes may be useful. Suitable for individual and group settings, with a particular focus on men who have lost their way.
NB: Only therapists and practitioners who have completed their training with the Human Givens College in the UK are eligible for Professional Membership of the Human Givens Institute based in the UK. Associate Membership is, however, available to anyone who is interested in, or keen to support and be part of, the development and spread of the human givens insights and approach.