Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that dreaming is a very important source of motivation, said, “Dreams awaken needs in people. After a need is awakened, in the second stage, a desire related to what is felt as a need arises. In the third stage, self-activation begins. This leads to motivation. The greatest characteristic of discoverability is visionary thinking. People who dream create goal-oriented dreams.”
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, made evaluations on dreaming and imagination during AKRA FM's Marriage School program.
Humans Can Experience Three Realities
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that three realities are experienced in the mind, saying, “The first of these realities is the physical, actual reality. The world we live in is a reality related to the laws of physics and energy here. The second is the reality of imagination, and the third is the reality of dreams. So, humans can experience these three realities. Humans dream due to this characteristic they possess. People's imaginations and desires are limitless, but their power is limited.”
Our Brain Performs a Reality Test
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that when one wakes up in the morning and transitions from a dream to physical reality, a twilight period is experienced, during which a person can confuse imagination and reality. He said, “It is during those periods that a reality test, known as 'reality testing,' is performed in our brains. There is such a reality-testing network in the brain. When a piece of information comes to our mind, it immediately tests and decides, 'This is not real, not imagination, not a dream.' This distinction does not occur in schizophrenics. A part of the person's brain imagines. The person believes in that imagination and lives accordingly. In their mind, it rains, war breaks out, and in their imagination, they stop the rain. They say, 'When I'm in a bad mood, it rained,' and 'I'm cheerful, the sun came out.' By establishing causality between events in their imagination and the physical world, they enter a separate reality. We call this schizophrenia.”
Dreams Emerge in Matters of Importance
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the reality in dreams is a different type of reality, saying, “A dream has its own dynamic. The laws in dreams are lawlessness compared to the laws of the world. Impulses dominate there. In a dream, two opposite things are neighbors. Fire and gunpowder are neighbors. They are that contradictory. Both can easily exist together. Therefore, dreams appear more often in areas the person is interested in, invests in, and cares about.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that dreaming is specific to humans and said that studies are being conducted regarding animals also dreaming.
Believing in Dreams is Dangerous and Wrong
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that some people attach great meaning to dreams and make decisions based on dream interpretations, stating that this situation is unhealthy. He warned, “For example, if a person reads dream interpretation books, gives importance to dreams, and makes decisions by interpreting them, it's like believing in a fortune teller. Just as believing in fortune tellers is dangerous and wrong, believing in dreams is equally dangerous and wrong.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that dreams are sometimes used in treatment, stating, “For example, we sometimes identify a person's dreams, personality, importance and priorities, and areas of emotional and mental investment through tests. The person's emotional and mental constructs are revealed from these analyses. From there, by establishing a connection with their dream, we can make an interpretation that could have a therapeutic effect for that person.”
Imagination Leads to Motivation…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that imagination awakens needs in people, saying, “After a need is awakened, in the second stage, a desire related to what is felt as a need arises. In the third stage, self-activation begins. This leads to motivation. The greatest characteristic of discoverability is visionary thinking. People who dream create goal-oriented dreams. Why does this happen? How does this happen? Archimedes dreams, then goes to the bathhouse and discovers the buoyant force of water. In other words, there is prior mental preparation, imagination, and mental effort.”