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For a long time, sleep and dream activity have been intriguing subjects for scientific research , as well as representing the basis of various theories formulated to decipher the psychological sphere.

From this point of view, however, erotic dreams are uncharted territory, despite the fact that many therapists and psychologists have developed hypotheses about why they occur and what their meaning is.

Erotic dreams: 5 things to know first

• Every night we spend an average of two hours dreaming , but we rarely remember the dreams we had.
• Much of what we know about sleep and its effects comes from the analysis of brain electrophysiological activity .
• Most dreaming occurs during rapid eye movement sleep, although it can occur at any point in the sleep cycle. In the REM stage, dreams are more elaborate, intense and highly articulated ; thoughts are more illogical and bizarre than those realized in other stages of sleep. During slow wave sleep (NREM), thoughts are more logical and with less emotional content than during REM sleep; dreams are poorly detailed and often include vague sensations and images.
• Dreams impact well-being , both positively and negatively: they can be calming, comforting, frightening, or confusing; dream activity can also affect sleep.
• Sleep changes significantly throughout life, and several studies point to its crucial role in cognitive functioning . Similarly, mental activity during sleep tends to vary with age . Dreams can be considered an expression of brain maturation and cognitive development, showing relationships with memory and visuo-spatial abilities. Adults dream quite frequently, but not everyone has erotic dreams.

The narratives and fantasies that accompany us during sleep are always fascinating. Erotic dreams are just one of the many expressions of dream activity that occurs during the night, although sometimes they can be vivid enough to cast doubt on whether there is a deeper underlying meaning.

What Are Erotic Dreams?

Erotic dreams ( or sexual dreams ) are extremely subjective oneiric experiences which are expressed in particular conditions during sleep and may reflect ( but not always ):

• Real life situations or memories

or

• Fantasies or experiences that the dreamer would like to have.

The formation of oneiric images is often not rational, but improbable (we remember that it occurs above all in the REM phase); some dreams include sexual actions that the dreamer never consciously considered while awake. These “oddities” emphasize that the dream is absolutely not about what it appears to be, but represents something else . Overall, in fact, dream experiences tend to be metaphorical, so some erotic dreams may not be about sex .

Example :

• A person may dream of having sex with his best friend, but has absolutely no desire to have sex with him “in real life.” Rather, the dream may simply suggest the dreamer’s desire to be more vulnerable or open with his friend.

Why Do You Dream About Having Sex

Although the neurological aspects of dreams are well studied, little research has been done to explore the content and meaning of various types of dreams.

That said, there are many theories about the role dreams play in the human psyche:

• Cognitive functioning : On the one hand, dreams are thought to allow us to enact potential scenarios or help our brain map and store memories;
• Emotional regulation : on the other hand, considering the role of dreams in emotional processing and regulation, the available literature suggests that dream activity is a way to cope with traumatic or stressful events.

As anticipated, most dreams occur in REM sleep, a highly active phase in which the heart rate accelerates, the … Read the rest