Most people can remember one or two of their dreams, but what if there were ways to increase that number exponentially?

We’ve all heard the stories of hugely popular novels which stemmed from the author’s dreams. For example, Stephanie Meyer and Twilight. Dreams serve health benefits, too. Researchers believe dreams help with memory consolidation, mood regulation, and/or conflict resolution. Nightmares aren’t fun. Night terrors are even worse. It’s important we pay attention, though, because they can signal a disruption in our lives and sometimes, provide the answer.

Sigmund Freud believed dreams are a window into our subconscious, that they pave the way to satisfy urges and secret desires that might be unacceptable to society. Personally, I think it depends on the dreamer. When it comes to dream interpretation there’s no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all definition.

Case in point: crime writers dreaming about murder. If an average Joe plotted revenge in his dreams, it might be cause for alarm. When writers delve into the dark recesses of their subconscious mind, it’s not all that unusual or morally wrong.

While some researchers believe dreams are an anomaly of sleep, others think they may help us save memories, problem-solve, and manage emotions.