Freud is Dead, But We Still Dream!
Did you know that 74% of Indians, 65% of South Koreans, and 56% of Americans still believe their dreams hold deep, hidden truths? Yes, you read that right! Despite modern scientific research showing that Freud’s dream interpretations are outdated and that dreams are mostly the result of random brain activity, we still love to believe our dreams are secret windows into our subconscious.
Brain or Magic?
Scientists from Carnegie Mellon and Harvard Universities found that dreams are mostly the product of complex and largely uncontrolled cellular activities in the brain. In other words, our brain is like a chaotic factory producing random images and stories while we sleep. But hey, who wants to accept that our dreams are just chaos? We love to believe our dreams are important, that they send us messages, and reveal hidden truths about ourselves.
Why Do We Love Believing in Dreams?
Psychologists say it’s because of our human nature to seek meaning and connection, even where there is none. For example, if you dream about something good happening to a friend, you’re more likely to say dreams have meaning. But if you dream about something bad, you immediately dismiss the idea. Similarly, we like to believe dreams punish our enemies but not reward them.
Anchoring Bias and Dreams
Sounds complicated? Here’s a simple example: in one experiment, people had to estimate the percentage of African countries in the UN, but before that, they were shown a roulette wheel that stopped on a number. Even though that number had nothing to do with the question, people used it as a reference! This is called anchoring bias — we make decisions based on irrelevant information. Similarly, dream interpretation is often based on superficial and unrelated information.
Keep Dreaming, But With a Dose of Skepticism!
So next time you dream that a bomb exploded in your office, maybe it’s just a reflection of last night’s war movie, not a secret message from your subconscious. But hey, who wants to spoil the fun? Dream, interpret, laugh, and argue about your dreams — because, after all, it’s part of our humanity.
And now, if you dreamed you read this article, maybe it’s time to drop a comment and tell us what you think about dreams and their meaning. Or just share your weirdest dream ever — we promise not to judge!
Slug: research-freud-dream-interpretation-outdated
