Neurophysiological features of dream recall and the phenomenology of dreams: Auditory stimulation impacts dream experiences.
Gulshan Kumar, Safoora Naaz, Nahida Jabin, Arun Sasidharan, Ravindra P. Nagendra, Ravi Yadav, Bindu M Kutty
Consciousness and Cognition July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2025.103869 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Healthy young participants with high dream recall abilities |
| Interventions | audiovisual task auditory stimuli |
| Duration | Two nights of polysomnography with multiple awakening protocol on the second night and auditory stimuli presentation on the third night |
| Topics | Default mode network Dreaming Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Beta activity Dream experience Target memory reactivation Sleep research Dream studies Cognitive science Consciousness |
| Key findings | REM sleep dreams yield higher recall rates than N2 dreams, and dream recall is associated with enhanced EEG beta activity, DMN connectivity, and medial frontal cortex activation. |
Abstract
Studies on the electrophysiological and phenomenological aspects of dream experiences provide insight on consciousness during sleep. Whole night polysomnography (PSG) studies were conducted among 29 healthy young participants with high dream recall abilities. Dreams reports were collected during the second night by multiple awakening protocol. On the third night, participants were presented with an audiovisual task and during subsequent sleep, dream reports were collected following an auditory stimuli presentation. REM sleep dreams favor high dream recall rates when compared to N2 dreams. Enhanced EEG beta activity, functional connectivity across the brain structures of the default mode network (DMN) and activation of medial frontal cortex were observed during dream recall irrespective of the sleep states. Auditory stimulations influenced emotional dream experiences highlighting the possibility of target memory reactivation. The study highlights the potential role of dream states and dream experiences in understanding consciousness during sleep.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... | 2009 | Observational study | n = 6 |
| Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years | 2002 | Prospective observational study | n = 116 |
| Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... | 1987 | Case-control study | n = 11 |
| The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 147 |
| Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cites 39
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes Neuroimage February 25, 2015
- Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- The role of the default mode network in component processes underlying the wandering mind Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience March 21, 2017
- Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Journal of Neuroscience September 10, 2018
and 34 more in the library