Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar Shares 10 Facts About Why We Dream

Dreams remain one of the most mysterious aspects of sleep, with experiences ranging from vivid and comforting stories to frightening nightmares. Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar, head of the department of neurology at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, has shared 10 facts about dreaming, including why people forget most dreams, why some dreams feel exceptionally real and whether it is possible to gain control over them. Kumar shared the information in a post on X on August 14, addressing common questions about the nature and purpose of dreams.

According to Dr Kumar, everyone probably dreams, although many people do not remember their dreams after waking up. He explained that dreaming is not limited to the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep and can occur during both REM and non-REM sleep. Dreams during REM sleep tend to be more vivid, visual and emotional, while people can also report dreams during non-REM stages, including deep sleep. This challenges the traditional idea that dreaming happens exclusively during REM sleep.

The neurologist also explained why some people remember their dreams more clearly than others. Dream memories are fragile and require the brain to encode and retrieve the experience after waking. Dreams can disappear within minutes if a person wakes abruptly, immediately shifts attention to other activities or does not consciously focus on the experience. Natural differences in dream recall also mean that some people are more likely to remember their dreams than others, even though they may experience similar amounts of dreaming.

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Dr Kumar said dreams can be influenced by memories, emotions, worries and experiences from everyday life. This may explain why some dreams are pleasant while others can be frightening or unsettling. One theory suggests that dreaming may help the brain process emotional experiences or simulate threatening situations in a relatively safe environment. However, Kumar stressed that this remains a theory rather than a settled scientific explanation for why humans dream.

The possibility of controlling dreams is associated with lucid dreaming, a state in which a person becomes aware that they are dreaming while the dream is still occurring. Some people can learn techniques intended to increase awareness during dreams and, in some cases, influence what happens within them. However, the ability to control dreams varies between individuals, and becoming aware during a dream does not necessarily mean a person can fully control its events.

Dream research continues to examine how sleep, memory, emotions and brain activity interact to produce these experiences. While dreams can sometimes appear to predict future events or feel extraordinarily realistic, such experiences do not establish that dreams can reliably predict what will happen. Dr Kumar’s observations highlight that dreaming is a normal part of sleep and that remembering, interpreting and potentially influencing dreams involve complex processes that scientists are still studying.

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