A dream is an event perceived by the brain during the REM* phase of normal sleep. No matter what the dreams content, it represents an altered state of consciousness.

If we are deprived of dream time sleep we can become very agitated and depressed. There is an unusual form of dreaming called Lucid dreaming, which a few people are able to achieve with practice.

A simple way to describe Lucid dreaming is as dreaming with awareness. It can also be called an altered state of consciousness and it often is.

It is a relatively rare phenomenon in which the dreamer is aware that he or she is dreaming. Dreamers often find that they are able to influence the dream events and the people involved.

*rapid eye movement.