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There’s a Method to the Madness of Odd Dreams

A man asleep in bed.
Africa Studio/Shutterstock

We’ve all had some really strange dreams. When you wake up from one, its meaning and reason are usually unclear. However, a recent study claims those odd dreams really do help us.

Published in Pattern, the study examined why dreams differ from our experiences in everyday life. According to Erik Hoel, a research assistant for the study, the way our brain works is, unsurprisingly, similar to artificial intelligence.

When it’s learning, AI technology mirrors data exactly to determine what it’ll come in contact with, but scientists want to combat this to create unique abilities that adapt to reality. To do this, different scenarios or situations known as “dropouts” are incorporated.

And that’s also, essentially, what strange dreams do. They create odd or weird scenarios to help our brain differentiate reality better and become more unique in its adaptive abilities.

So next time you wake from a strange dream, just remember, it’s your brain’s way of helping you be you. And if you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep, try a few of these suggestions to return to dreamland.

[Via Martha Stewart]

Shea Simmons Shea Simmons
Shea Simmons is the Editor In Chief of LifeSavvy. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer with a focus on beauty and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in Bustle, Allure, and Hello Giggles. Read Full Bio »
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