On the Subject of Dreaming..

     I think that dreams developed as an evolutionary advantage.  Early mammals spent more time asleep than most other types of creature, so they needed a way to make up for lost time.  So the animals whose minds were most active while sleeping developed a strength over the other individuals because the ones whom thought the most (dreamt) in their sleep had also learned the most.  Thus meaning they were more likely to survive, reproduce, etc.  It may seem like a shallow way to view such a potentially deep subject, but I think it makes sense. 

   Oddly enough, though, I do believe that the dreams of modern humans are capable of making contact with dimensions unknown.  My girlfriend is a devout believer in Astral Projection and claims that every night when she sleeps, she travels the world through flight and/or teleportation.  While we can't prove any connections between the "dream world" and the "real world", we can only wonder in amazement at the things that help (or hinder) us at nighttime.