The Dream Paradox: Why You Can’t Read Text or See Your Real Face in the Mirror

Another peculiar feature of the dream state is the brain's inability to reproduce readable text or writing. Dream reports frequently indicate that written words are either illegible, transform into meaningless symbols, or, even if momentarily perceived as readable, are completely forgotten upon waking. This phenomenon is scientifically explained by the reduced activity in the brain's language and text-processing regions during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep, where most vivid dreaming occurs. These complex areas, responsible for the high-level cognitive function required to decipher and comprehend linguistic structures, essentially power down. Without the necessary neural capacity to decode and display accurate, stable words, the dreaming mind resorts to generating distorted or placeholder visual representations that collapse upon closer inspection, classifying text as a prominent example of elements that remain unclear in sleep.