Intensity and variety of emotions while sleeping

[Macoleco]

We all have had that dream from which we wake up, and want to keep sleeping to continue dreaming.

Have you wondered why the brain is capable of producing certain emotions only while you sleep? Both positive and negative ones.

Usually these emotions are extremely strong. What would happen if we could feel these emotions while awoken? Would it be good or bad?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I've bever noticed my emotions being more expansive while sleeping compared to being awake.

[The Grand Nudger]

Me either - never felt anything while I was asleep that I haven't felt awake. However, I will maintain that I had a dream about a girl when I was a young man that set me off looking for that particular girl, and that I found her. It's all coincidence and confirmation bias, ofc...but I do distinctly remember wishing I could (and trying to) go back to sleep..because I wanted it so much more than anything in my waking world.

Lucky me, eh? I think that reconciliation between those two worlds has been a wonderful thing. I feel like I did in that dream, all the time.

[Ranjr]

In a dream, I'm much more calm about running to a final for a class I forgot I had, and realizing I forgot to put on clothes, than I would be if that actually happened.  "Anybody got a spare scantron for the naked guy?"

Now, to the point:  I recently tried a different medication.  It had the effect of making dreams out of the same things I was thinking about that day.  Pretty boring, except I was more worried in the dreams.  Every dream was a stress dream.  It sucked and helped me understand a little more about people who have sleep issues.  That medication didn't help anyway, so I'm back to "normal."

[Thumpalumpacus]

In a dream, I'm much more calm about running to a final for a class I forgot I had, and realizing I forgot to put on clothes, than I would be if that actually happened.  "Anybody got a spare scantron for the naked guy?"

Now, to the point:  I recently tried a different medication.  It had the effect of making dreams out of the same things I was thinking about that day.  Pretty boring, except I was more worried in the dreams.  Every dream was a stress dream.  It sucked and helped me understand a little more about people who have sleep issues.  That medication didn't help anyway, so I'm back to "normal."

I often dream of daytime issues without any medication (none prescribed nor need diagnosed). Fortunately, I seem to have found ways to unwind from the day so that dreams don't carry over the stresses I do incur.

[Brian37]

We all have had that dream from which we wake up, and want to keep sleeping to continue dreaming.

Have you wondered why the brain is capable of producing certain emotions only while you sleep? Both positive and negative ones.

Usually these emotions are extremely strong. What would happen if we could feel these emotions while awoken? Would it be good or bad?

 The brain is complex and each person is different in genetics, life experiences, environmental factors,  and  sleep patterns and brain chemistry. In general dreams could express subconscious desires, fantasy, or nightmares from anxiety, PTSD, mental illness. 

I noticed at least with myself, if I get into REM with the TV on, occasionally realize the dream I was having was interacting with the TV because your ears don't shut down when you are asleep. 

Most dreams are forgotten. I doubt there is a limit of emotions in your dreams only. Your brain is always on, even when you are asleep. 

I've had really good dreams and nightmares too. I think that is normal.

[bennyboy]

We all have had that dream from which we wake up, and want to keep sleeping to continue dreaming.

Have you wondered why the brain is capable of producing certain emotions only while you sleep? Both positive and negative ones.

Usually these emotions are extremely strong. What would happen if we could feel these emotions while awoken? Would it be good or bad?

I've experienced several varieties of hyper-reality while sleeping: intense emotions, super-sharp visuals, and incredible music that I'd describe as the Voice of God if I were Christian.

My explanation for this is that it isn't so much what the brain is DOING, as what it is NOT DOING-- specifically, not filtering or supressing mental activity.

I think it would certainly be bad if you could experience at this level while awake-- in fact, it would be something like a variant of autism, in which you'd be so distracted by your overwhelming experiences that just tying your shoes and putting in a day of work would be very hard.  

If it were a mental faculty (like if I could sit in a quiet corner and summon up that kind of music), then I think that would almost instantly make someone a genius.  And I suspect many of the best artists, musicians and so on are on the border between the kind of autism I just described and that kind of faculty.

[arewethereyet]

I seldom remember dreams. The only time that I do it was a nightmare...so emotions are high.