評論
打印
We dream to keep our brains working.
我們為了保證大腦運轉而做夢。
The continual activation theory proposes that your dreams result from your brain's need to constantly consolidate and create long-term memories in order to function properly.
持續激活理論提出，你做夢是由于你的大腦為了有效運轉需要持續不斷地鞏固和創造長期記憶。
So when external input falls below a certain level, like when you're asleep, your brain automatically triggers the generation of data from its memory storages, which appear to you in the form of the thoughts and feelings you experience in your dreams.
因此，當外界的輸入低于一個特定水平時，例如你在睡覺時，你的大腦會自動觸發記憶庫里的數據形成，而這些在你看來就是你在夢里的想法和感受。
In other words, your dreams might be a random screen saver your brain turns on so it doesn't completely shut down.
換句話說，你的夢也許是個大腦運轉時的隨機保護程序，所以大腦并不會完全停止運轉。
We dream to rehearse.
我們為了預演而做夢。
Dreams involving dangerous and threatening situations are very common, and the primitive instinct rehearsal theory holds that the content of a dream is significant to its purpose.
夢經常包含危險和恐怖的情景，而原始本能理論認為夢的內容對于它的目的來說非常重要。
Whether it's an anxiety-filled night of being chased through the woods by a bear or fighting off a ninja in a dark alley, these dreams allow you to practice your fight or flight instincts and keep them sharp and dependable in case you'll need them in real life.
無論是一個在森林中被熊追著跑的緊張夜晚，還是在幽暗的山谷中擊退一個日本武士，這些夢允許你鍛煉戰斗或逃跑的本能，而且保證萬一在現實中需要它們時，能保持一定的敏銳度和可靠性。
But it doesn't always have to be unpleasant.
不過夢也不一定總是不愉快的。
For instance, dreams about your attractive neighbor could actually give your reproductive instinct some practice, too.
比如，夢到你魅力無限的鄰居可能會給你的生殖本能帶來一定的鍛煉。
We dream to heal.
我們為了治愈而做夢。
Stress neurotransmitters in the brain are much less active during the REM stage of sleep, even during dreams of traumatic experiences, leading some researchers to theorize that one purpose of dreaming is to take the edge off painful experiences to allow for psychological healing.
壓力神經傳導物質在快速眼動睡眠時期會表現得非常不活躍，即使是夢到受傷的經歷，這一現象導致研究人員推測夢的一個目的是減弱不好經歷帶來的痛苦，以達到心理治療的目的。
Reviewing traumatic events in your dreams with less mental stress may grant you a clearer perspective and enhanced ability to process them in psychologically healthy ways.
在夢中以更小的精神壓力回顧創傷性事件，可能會給你一個更加清晰透徹的看法，以及增強你積極樂觀地面對它們的能力。
People with certain mood disorders and PTSD often have difficulty sleeping, leading some scientists to believe that lack of dreaming may be a contributing factor to their illnesses.
有特定情緒失常和創傷后應激障礙的人可能很難入睡，這一現象導致一些科學家開始相信，缺乏做夢可能是加重他們病情的一個因素。
We dream to solve problems.
我們為了解決問題而做夢。
Unconstrained by reality and the rules of conventional logic, in your dreams, your mind can create limitless scenarios to help you grasp problems and formulate solutions that you may not consider while awake.
不受現實生活和常規邏輯的約束，你的夢可能會產生無限的場景來幫助你把握問題，以及形成你醒著的時候完全不會考慮到的解決方法。
John Steinbeck called it the committee of sleep, and research has demonstrated the effectiveness of dreaming on problem solving.
約翰·斯坦貝克把它稱為睡眠委員會，而研究人員也已證實做夢在解決問題上的有效性。
It's also how renowned chemist August Kekule discovered the structure of the benzene molecule, and it's the reason that sometimes the best solution for a problem is to sleep on it.
這也就是為什么著名的化學家奧古斯特·凱庫勒發現了苯分子的結構，也是為什么有些時候解決一個問題的最好辦法就是睡一覺。
And those are just a few of the more prominent theories.
這里也有一些更為突出的理論。
As technology increases our capability for understanding the brain, it's possible that one day we will discover the definitive reason for them.
當科技增強了我們理解大腦的能力之后，有一天我們有可能會發現夢存在的真正原因。
But until that time arrives, we'll just have to keep on dreaming.
但是直到那一天到來之前，我們仍舊需要不停地做夢。
