Sleep and Dreams as Reflected by Science Fiction Literature and Films—Anything to Learn From?

Science fiction frequently uses sleep and dreams to probe questions about consciousness, reality, and technology. This article identifies recurring Sci-Fi themes such as hypno-pedagogics, space hibernation, brain-machine interfaces, electrostimulation, genetic engineering, and the effects of substances on sleep and dreams. The authors compare these fictional concepts with current sleep science to assess their future feasibility. They also examine whether Sci-Fi has inspired real sleep research or merely mirrors existing scientific topics with added fiction.

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Abstract

Sleep and dreams are frequent themes in science fiction (Sci-Fi) literature and films, often used to explore questions about consciousness, reality, technology and the human experience. Sci-Fi authors and filmmakers utilise the enigmatic nature of sleep and dreams to blur the boundaries between reality and imagination, raising philosophical questions or extrapolating the effects of futuristic technologies on human life. In this article, we want to highlight some areas that have been recurring themes relating to sleep and dreams in Sci-Fi. These will include the concepts of so-called hypno-paedagogics, space hibernation, brain machine interfaces, electrostimulation, genetic engineering and the impact of substances (viruses, bacteria, drugs, toxins) on sleep and dreams. We will then confront Sci-Fi concepts with what is known from contemporary sleep science and judge what might be feasible, or not, in the future. A question we also want to address is how the relationship between sleep science and sleep Sci-Fi can be conceptualised: whether novel concepts have been instigated by Sci-Fi and taken up by sleep science or whether Sci-Fi merely reflects state of the art topics of sleep science, with just adding a touch of fiction.