We all dream…but did you ever wonder what is the function of dreams? Why did evolution make dreaming an integral part of our existence? These questions and more get answered in a recent Causes or Cures Podcast. Not by me, of course, but by my guest who has studied dreams for more than 25 years.

In a recent episode of Causes or Cures, I chatted with neuroscientist Dr. Katja Valli about what is the function of dreams. She describes what a dream is and the potential theories for why we dream. She discusses the content of our dreams, who appears in them, and if our dreams impact our behavior. For example, in a clip I’ll share below, she describes if dreaming about our romantic partner(s) impacts our behavior towards them the following day. She touches on nightmares, lucid dreaming and if we can “make ourselves” dream things we want to dream. (Apparently we can…and THAT is an exercise I will try at home!) Finally, she chats about the meaning of dreams and the important link between dream research and unraveling the mystery of consciousness.

Dr. Valli is a neuroscientist and senior researcher who has researched various aspects of dreams and dreaming for the past 20 years. She works as a senior researcher at the Department of Psychology University of Turku, Finland and as an Associate Professor at the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Skovde, Sweden. Her research focus is states of consciousness and the biological function of dreaming. You can learn more about her here.

This was such an interesting podcast to record and has become a fast favorite with my podcast listeners, so I hope you enjoy it too.

You can find the episode, What is the Function of Dreams, here.

Other podcasts you can check out: 

This one with Dr. David Clarke on the hidden cause of chronic pain was fascinating! He shares amazing stories of healing!

And this one here is dynamite for the public health enthusiasts! It’s with a great researcher who describes how the tobacco companies got us hooked on junk food. It has corruption, regulatory capture…you name it!

And thank you to everyone who listens to the podcast! If you get a chance to review or rate it on Itunes or Spotify, thank you! I can’t stress enough how much reviews help independent podcasts grow.