CONSCIOUSNESS AND SLEEP
Giulio Tononi, Melanie Boly, Chiara Cirelli
Neuron April 29, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that sleep, and especially the contrast between dreaming and dreamless sleep, provides a window into the neural substrate of consciousness: consciousness can be lost and regained, and the state of its substrate determines the felt quality of experience regardless of how it is triggered. Dreams also indicate that the sleeping brain is highly active, recombining intrinsic activation patterns freed from behavioral and cognitive demands. |
Abstract
Summary Sleep is a universal, essential biological process. It is also an invaluable window on consciousness. It tells us that consciousness can be lost, but also that it can be regained, in all its richness, when we are disconnected from the environment and unable to reflect By considering neurophysiological differences between dreaming and dreamless sleep, we can learn about the substrate of consciousness and understand why it vanishes. We also learn that the ongoing state of the substrate of consciousness determines the way each experience feels regardless of how it is triggered—endogenously or exogenously. Dreaming consciousness is also a window on sleep and its functions. Dreams tell us that the sleeping brain is remarkably lively, recombining intrinsic activation patterns from a vast repertoire, freed from the requirements of ongoing behavior and cognitive control.