New research has suggested that weird dreams are just the brain’s way of kicking back and making time for play. Playfulness in dreams (especially when we live overly serious lives) has the adaptive, survival-enhancing effect of stretching our minds to imagine more than what we believe is possible in our waking state. The study also explained that, based on testimony from participants woken from REM, this deep sleep phase is when we are most likely to dream and engage in mind play.