Dreams are a normal part of sleep. In fact, several cycles of dream occur during a single night’s sleep. Dreams can come at any time during sleep, but the stage of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep produces most dreams. If one is awakened during REM sleep the dream can usually be vividly recalled.
As yet there is no definite theory to explain why we dream. According to one theory, dreams are an extension of daytime consciousness. It is a process in which ideas, feelings and mental impressions absorbed from a variety of sources during our waking hours are sorted out. According to Sigmund Freud, some dreams are a form of wish fulfillment, closely related to the deep emotional reactions of infancy. They reveal a person’s repressed feelings and thoughts, often in a disguised form.