Are dreams really determined by your subconsicence?

Question

I've just always wondered what causes dreams..

Answer 1

My understanding of a dream dynamics is that if you eat a large or moderate amount of food close to your bedtime, there is a high probability of dreams and especially nightmares!  The short version is that blood is drawn from the brain to the stomach to digest the food eaten.  The brain in a relatively blood deprived, is less capable of functioning within its normal range verses the normal blood supplied brain of the person or subject of the study.  The subconscious mind may certainly play a role in the dream content.  The idea is that the brain is in a lower function basis than during the regular sleep cycle.