I recently read an article on the function of dreams which mentioned a few well known theories as to why dreams may occur. It got me thinking about it and I’m curious to know what others think. I have listed the theories mentioned below. I would be interested to know which (if any) people agree with and why. Also if there are any other theories or ideas not mentioned then I’d love to hear them too. Thanks in advance for any contribution.

Freudian theory:

Sigmund Freud believed that dreams represent “disguised fulfilments of repressed wishes”, and are composed of manifest and latent content. Manifest content refers to the sights, sounds and storyline of the dream, while latent content is the symbolic meaning behind the dream, representing the unconscious wishes of the dreamer.

Memory consolidation theory:

Perhaps dreams are just replays of past events. We consolidate our memories during sleep, and according to this theory, dreams are the reflection of that. Certainly, there is some evidence that specific sequences of neural firing observed while we are awake are sometimes “replayed” during sleep.

Threat simulation theory:

This posits that dreams are an ancient biological defence mechanism, which enable us to practice overcoming threats. Essentially, they provide the dreamer with a virtual reality environment in which to practice important survival skills.

Activation synthesis theory:

Maybe dreams are just a random string of memories thrown together. If so, they may provoke us to make new connections, or trigger creative epiphanies while we sleep.

Empathy theory:

Dreams may not have evolved with a function, but gain one when we share them with other people. Similar to sharing of stories, dreams may serve to build empathy between people.

Emotion regulation theory:

This proposes that dreams are constructed from our emotional history, and may serve to help us process and regulate our emotions.