Dreams Don't Just Impact You In Your Sleep

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Dreams have served as a source of confusion and wonder since…well…people started dreaming.

Dr. Sigmund Freud made a career of studying dreams and hundreds of researchers have followed in his footsteps.

Recently there have been several large studies, but one of my favorites is from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Melon University providing insight into how most people interpret dreams.

Many people believe that hidden truths present themselves in dreams.  This view is consistent across cultural lines and around the globe.

According to the findings, dreams also affect how people act when they are awake. An impactful dream can change a person's actions.

A survey of Boston commuters found that when they dreamed of a plane crash the night before a scheduled air trip, they would be more likely to change their travel plans.

Perhaps the most important point — the interpretation of dreams is still in its infancy — much more needs to be learned despite the work of so many.