The next step in understanding the function of dreams

Abstract

The function and meaning of dreams continue to fascinate and allude humankind. Despite the near universal intrigue, the pendulum of public and scientific opinion on dream research seems to have regularly oscillated over the past 150 years between fringe parapsychology and mainstream scholarly pursuit. One contributing factor is that dream research has always and continues to primarily rely on retrospective reports of mentation from a different state of consciousness. As such, each exciting breakthrough in our understanding of dreams is typically preceded by either an advancement in technology, such as the discovery of dream-rich rapid eye movement (REM) sleep [1], or a new creative study design—often at the expense of investigators as the funding support for dream research has frequently oscillated with that of public opinion. Fortunately, for contemporary sleep and dream researchers, a number of prominent scientists over the years have aided in chipping away at the veil of the dreaming brain [2–11], and the work of Picard-Deland et al.[12] recently published in SLEEP marks another step forward in our understanding.