Why Do We Dream? A 2009 BBC horizon episode which explores the science behind our dreams, using research which involved extensive experiments on people and personal stories from vivid dreamers. The program asks where our dreams come from, why we have dreams, and whether dreams have any sort of hidden meaning that we can try and interpret through analysis.
The film ultimately concludes that much about what we thought about dreams isn’t true and that dreams play a crucial role in shaping our memories, our ability to learn, and even benefit our mental health. Bad dreams, or ‘nightmares’, are equally important and may even explain the ongoing survival of the human race. Next time you grumble about that nightmare waking you up, tell yourself that the nightmare was very important for your mental health and the survival of your species!
