EEG predictors of dreaming outside of REM sleep.
Psychophysiology July 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13368 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | EEG Analysis/statistical methods Cognition FMRI Memory Pain Sleep |
| Key points | Dreaming is associated with increased low-frequency EEG power below 7 Hz during sleep onset and decreased low-frequency power below 1 Hz with increased power above 4 Hz during N2 sleep, with no EEG predictors found during REM sleep. |
Abstract
The stream of human consciousness persists during sleep, albeit in altered form. Disconnected from external input, the mind and brain remain active, at times creating the bizarre sequences of thought and imagery that comprise "dreaming." Yet despite substantial effort toward understanding this unique state of consciousness, no reliable neurophysiological indicator of dreaming has been discovered. Here, we identified electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of dreaming using a within-subjects design to characterize the EEG preceding awakenings from sleep onset, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, and N2 (NREM Stage 2) sleep from which participants were asked to report their mental experience. During the transition into sleep, compared to periods during which participants reported thinking, emergence of dream imagery was associated with increased absolute power below 7 Hz. During later N2, dreaming conversely occurred during periods of decreased relative power below 1 Hz, accompanied by an increase in relative power above 4 Hz. No EEG predictors of dreaming were identified during REM. These observations suggest an inverted-U relationship between dreaming and the prevalence of low-frequency EEG rhythms, such that dreaming first emerges in concert with EEG slowing during the sleep-wake transition, but then disappears as high-amplitude slow oscillations come to dominate the recording during later N2 sleep.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep Selected subjects proficient in lucid dreaming | 1981 | Experimental study | n = 5 |
| Incorporation of concern- and nonconcern-related verbal stimuli into dream content. Seven male subjects studied during sleep Stages 2 and REM | 1981 | Experimental study | n = 7 |
| Lucid Dreaming and Alpha Activity: A Preliminary Report Good dream recallers | 1982 | Experimental study | n = 10 |
| Lucid dreaming during NREM sleep: Two case reports | 2012 | Sleep laboratory study | |
| The Dream Catcher experiment: blinded analyses failed to detect markers of dreaming consciousness in EEG spectral power. Human participants during sleep | 2020 | Experimental study with blinded classification | n = 9 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- EEG microstates of dreams Scientific Reports October 13, 2020
- The Dream Catcher experiment: blinded analyses failed to detect markers of dreaming consciousness in EEG spectral power. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2020
- Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade Brain Sciences February 11, 2021
- Constructive episodic simulation in dreams PLoS One March 22, 2022
- Enhancing and advancing the understanding and study of dreaming and memory consolidation: Reflections, challenges, theoretical clarity, and methodological considerations Consciousness and Cognition June 27, 2024
and 11 more in the library
Cites 16
- An information integration theory of consciousness BMC Neuroscience November 2, 2004
- Consciousness and cortical responsiveness: a within-state study during non-rapid eye movement sleep Scientific Reports August 5, 2016
- Predicting Dream Recall: EEG Activation During NREM Sleep or Shared Mechanisms with Wakefulness? Brain Topography September 1, 2017
- The neural correlates of dreaming. Nature Neuroscience April 10, 2017
- NREM sleep spindles are associated with dream recall March 1, 2017
and 11 more in the library