Wish Fulfillment? No. But Dreams (and Sleep) Have Meaning - TIME

Wish Fulfillment? No. But Dreams (and Sleep) Have Meaning - TIME:

"REM sleep appears to not only improve our ability to identify positive emotions in others; it may also round out the sharp angles of our own emotional experiences. Walker suggests that one function of REM sleep — dreaming, in particular — is to allow the brain to sift through that day's events, process any negative emotion attached to them, then strip it away from the memories. He likens the process to applying a 'nocturnal soothing balm.' REM sleep, he says, 'tries to ameliorate the sharp emotional chips and dents that life gives you along the way.'"