Metaphor and hyperassociativity: the imagination mechanisms behind emotion assimilation in sleep and dreaming
Josie E Malinowski, Caroline L. Horton
Frontiers in Psychology August 18, 2015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01132 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Dream Metaphor Memory consolidation Cognitive psychology Sleep system call Phenomenology philosophy Cognitive science Epistemology Linguistics |
| Citations | 87 |
| Key points | Proposes that emotions act as a marker for information to be selectively processed during sleep, and that dreaming reflects the assimilation of emotional memories into long-term memory networks. |
Abstract
In this paper we propose an emotion assimilation function of sleep and dreaming. We offer explanations both for the mechanisms by which waking-life memories are initially selected for processing during sleep, and for the mechanisms by which those memories are subsequently transformed during sleep. We propose that emotions act as a marker for information to be selectively processed during sleep, including consolidation into long term memory structures and integration into pre-existing memory networks; that dreaming reflects these emotion assimilation processes; and that the associations between memory fragments activated during sleep give rise to measureable elements of dream metaphor and hyperassociativity. The latter are a direct reflection, and the phenomenological experience, of emotional memory assimilation processes occurring during sleep. While many theories previously have posited a role for emotion processing and/or emotional memory consolidation during sleep and dreaming, sleep theories often do not take enough account of important dream science data, yet dream research, when conducted systematically and under ideal conditions, can greatly enhance theorizing around the functions of sleep. Similarly, dream theories often fail to consider the implications of sleep-dependent memory research, which can augment our understanding of dream functioning. Here, we offer a synthesized view, taking detailed account of both sleep and dream data and theories. We draw on extensive literature from sleep and dream experiments and theories, including often-overlooked data from dream science which we believe reflects sleep phenomenology, to bring together important ideas and findings from both domains.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreaming: a conceptual framework for philosophy of mind and empirical research | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Varieties of Lucid Dreaming Experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Experimental Research on Dreaming: State of the Art and Neuropsychoanalytic Perspectives | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Neurobiology of Consciousness: Lucid Dreaming Wakes Up | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A cognitive model of recurrent nightmares | 2008 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 44
- Peace of mind and anxiety in the waking state are related to the affective content of dreams Scientific Reports August 20, 2018
- Increased creative thinking in narcolepsy. Brain July 1, 2019
- Incorporation of fragmented visuo-olfactory episodic memory into dreams and its association with memory performance Scientific Reports October 30, 2019
- Awake or Sleeping? Maybe Both… A Review of Sleep-Related Dissociative States. Journal of Clinical Medicine June 6, 2023
- The dynamics of emotional behaviors in rapid eye movement sleep Sleep November 29, 2022
and 39 more in the library
Cites 29
- Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Journal of Sleep Research May 26, 2004
- Sleep and dreaming are for important matters Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- The continuity and discontinuity between waking and dreaming: A Dialogue between Michael Schredl and Allan Hobson concerning the adequacy and completeness of these notions heiDOK (Heidelberg University) 2011
- Video game play as nightmare protection: A preliminary inquiry with military gamers. Dreaming August 22, 2011
and 24 more in the library