Hi and welcome back to the savvy psychologist podcast I'm your host

Dr Ellen Hendrickson and I'll help you meet life's challenges with

evident-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

From the Boulevard of Broken Dreams to California Dreamin, this week will tackle the psychology and

physiology behind your dreams.

So it's been said there are two types of people in this world, those who divide people

into two types and those who don't. But when it comes to dreams, it seems there really

are two types of people. Those who believe dreams hold special meaning and those who believe

they're just a coincidental mash-up of thoughts and experiences.

But those who think dreams hold special meaning, it turns out, are in the majority.

An international study found that up to 74% of people around the world believe that dreams reveal hidden truths.

And in addition, more people reported they would change their travel plans after a dream about a plane crash than after an actual plane

crash on the same route. What's more, more people said they would change their travel plans

due to a dream than after an actual code orange from Homeland Security, superstition or good sense.

The debate continues.

One thing everyone agrees upon is how we dream.

Most dreams occur in a stage of sleep called REM or rapid eye

movement sleep. As we sleep we cycle in and out of REM, resulting in about five

dreams per night ranging anywhere from five to 40 minutes each.

Additionally, dreams are surprisingly similar across cultures.

Dr. Calvin S. Hall was a psychologist who, starting in the 1940s, collected more than 50,000 dream reports from around the world.

And he discovered that people the world over dream of being chased, being unable to move, falling and losing teeth among others.

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