How does our mind control our body during dreams?

 Dreams control mind

 Dreams are fascinating phenomena that occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. While the exact mechanisms of dream formation are not fully understood, it is believed that the mind, specifically the brain, plays a significant role in controlling the body during dreams.

During REM sleep, the brain becomes highly active, even more so than when we are awake. The brain generates complex patterns of electrical activity and neural connections, which give rise to the dream experience. These patterns of activity involve various regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and sensory processing areas.

The prefrontal cortex, located at the front of the brain, is involved in higher-order cognitive functions such as decision-making, reasoning, and self-awareness. However, during dreams, the prefrontal cortex may be less active or disconnected from other brain regions, resulting in a diminished ability to think logically or critically analyze the dream content. This can explain why dreams often involve surreal or illogical elements.

The limbic system, which includes structures like the amygdala and hippocampus, is responsible for regulating emotions, memory processing, and motivation. During dreams, the limbic system can influence the emotional tone of the dream, leading to vivid emotional experiences that may not always reflect our waking state.

Additionally, sensory processing areas of the brain can generate perceptions within dreams. These areas receive signals from the external world during wakefulness, but during dreams, they can generate their own internal signals, leading to the perception of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations within the dream.

Importantly, while the mind controls the content and experiences of dreams, the control over the physical body is limited. During REM sleep, the brain sends signals to inhibit most voluntary muscle activity, resulting in temporary muscle paralysis known as REM atonia. This paralysis prevents us from acting out our dreams and potentially harming ourselves during sleep.

However, certain movements and muscle twitches may still occur during dreams due to residual neural activity or brief interruptions in the REM atonia. These movements are often incorporated into the dream narrative, creating a sense of bodily involvement.

In summary, the mind, through complex brain activity, controls the content and emotional experiences of dreams, while the physical control over the body is limited due to REM atonia. Dreams remain an area of ongoing research, and further studies are needed to fully understand the intricacies of dream formation and the relationship between the mind and the body during this state.