Research Paper Proposal:

Point of Entry: Why do we remember our dreams some days but not others? I have been thinking about this question for awhile now because some days I remember them and other days I don’t think I dreamed at all. There must be other people that feel the same way.

Research Questions:

Do we dream every night?

Do dreams always have an underlying meaning?

Why do dreams wake us up sometimes?

What is the difference between a psychotic break and a dream?

What are lucid dreams?

Are there people that are unable to dream?

How did we establish the most common dreams?

Why do some people base their everyday life on their dreams?

Description of Potential Sources:

Most of the questions about dreams stemmed from an individuals curiosity. They wake up one day and remember every detail from their dream but hours later its gone. Or maybe they remember a dream from years ago but they can’t remember one from yesterday. Most of the articles and social media posts are individuals who have described their dreams and are looking for further clarification on them of have provided evidence to why they are experiencing this. These are definitely the types of sources I want to use in my common sense part of the research essay.

Bibliography:

I began my research from my point of entry. That research had me thinking about some commonly asked questions about dreams. I want to start off with the history of dreams to show my readers that others have similiar thoughts and questions based on their own experience or research. I also want to look at social media posts and articles about everyday individuals comenting on dreams and their thoughts on the topic. Later in the essay I hope to dive deeper into dreams and even think about the difference between dreams and psychotic breaks. This is where I can bring in the expertise from doctors and psychologists.

TENTATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Nielsen, Tore. “The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Changing Our Dreams.” Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2020, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-covid-19-pandemic-is-changing-our-dreams/.

Ruby, Perrine M. “Experimental Research on Dreaming: State of the Art and Neuropsychoanalytic Perspectives.” Frontiers in Psychology, 18 Nov. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3220269/.

Robb-Dover, Kristina, “What Is a Psychotic Break? Symptoms, Triggers, and Treatments.” FHE Health — Addiction & Mental Health Care, 21 Sept. 2021, https://fherehab.com/learning/what-is-a-psychotic-break/.

Fielding, Sarah. “Why Some People Always Remember Their Dreams and Others Forget.” Healthline, 12 June 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/remembering-dreams-psychology.