Dreams likely have no adaptive function or purpose according to current evidence from dream research. While dreams seem meaningful and relate to people's lives, cultures, and preoccupations, systematic studies find little support for theories that dreams serve functions like problem-solving. Some researchers view dreams as essentially meaningless stories our minds generate during sleep for no important reason. However, cultures have developed uses for dreams in areas like healing, prophecy, and psychotherapy. Overall, the evidence suggests dreams are non-essential byproducts of sleep rather than having an inherent biological function.