Question

why we dream
why do we dream video: why do you think people dream?
the psychology of dreams - from brescia university
from ancient times when dreams were considered to hold prophetic powers to the neurological phenomena studied today, dreams remain one of psychologys most enduring mysteries. although scientists continue to research the answers to these questions, they build their work on some commonly accepted theories.
the rem stage is the most common time of dreaming, explains the national sleep foundation. dreams themselves usually last between a few seconds to 30 minutes in length. on average, people dream about four to six times per night, with adults dreaming about two hours for every eight hours of sleep.
in addition to its association with dreams, the rem stage is a time when the body processes information, creates memories and increases depleted chemicals, such as serotonin. although the necessity of sleep has long been observed, only in recent history did people consider that dreams may also serve a utilitarian function.
the past two centuries have given rise to four of the most commonly accepted dream theories.
sigmund freud and wish - fulfillment:
the famous psychoanalyst sigmund freud was the first to suggest that dreams may serve a particular scientific purpose. he came to believe that dreams were often a form of wish - fulfillment, the american psychoanalytic association says. in a dream, a subject could act out desires he or she could not fulfill in waking life. some types of dreams, however, proved problematic within this model, such as dreams involving punishment or traumatic events. these led freud to believe that dreams sometimes served as a way for patients to express or conquer trauma. all these conjectures played a part in freuds overall (and revolutionary) theory of dreams: that they were manifestations of unconscious workings of the mind.
do we know for sure why we dream?
how long do dreams typically last?
what is our brain doing while we are in rem sleep?
summarize freuds theory about dreams:

Explanation:

1. We do not know for sure why we dream. Scientists continue to research.
2. Dreams usually last between a few seconds to 30 minutes.
3. During REM sleep, the body processes information, creates memories and replenishes depleted chemicals like serotonin.
4. Sigmund Freud believed dreams were a form of wish - fulfillment, often a way for a subject to act out desires not fulfilled in waking life and could also be a way for patients to express or conquer trauma, manifestations of unconscious workings.

Answer:

Do we know for sure why we dream?: No.
How long do dreams typically last?: Between a few seconds to 30 minutes.
What is our brain doing while we are in REM sleep?: Processing information, creating memories and replenishing depleted chemicals like serotonin.
Summarize Freud's theory about dreams: Dreams are a form of wish - fulfillment, a way to act out unfulfilled desires in waking life and can be a way to express or conquer trauma, manifestations of unconscious workings.