Dream Theory and Science: A Review
Psychoanalytic Inquiry April 2, 2016 DOI: 10.1080/07351690.2016.1145967 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 23 |
| Key findings | Argues that consensus on the origin and function of dreams remains lacking, with theories variously treating dreaming as an epiphenomenon of REM sleep or as serving emotional processing, memory consolidation, or evolutionary threat preparation. Contends that because most research has focused on adults, understanding of dreaming in children is still limited. |
Abstract
Dreams are a fundamental part of our lives that have fascinated and mystified people for centuries and yet there has been little consensus on their origin and function. There are some theories that emphasize the autonomous role of deeper brain structures and see dreaming as an epiphenomenon of rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep without a meaning to decipher. Other theories indicate a role in emotional processing, memory consolidation, or evolutionary roles in preparing people to face threats when awake. Most studies have focused on exploring dreams and their neural correlates in adults, and therefore people still have a limited understanding of dreaming in children. In this review, I discuss some of the past and current findings and theories about the phenomenology, neural underpinnings, and function of dreaming in general with an emphasis on findings in children.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- On the Phenomenological Investigations into the Psychology of Dreaming Philosophy International Journal September 20, 2023
- Dreaming as fascinated predictions: bridging Sartre’s phenomenology and predictive processing Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences October 16, 2025
- Personal Dream Informatics: A Self-Information Systems Model of Dream Engagement International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 29, 2022
- Dreams and nightmares during the pandemic. Somnologie: Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin 2022
Cites 11
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- Experimental Research on Dreaming: State of the Art and Neuropsychoanalytic Perspectives Frontiers in Psychology 2011
- Methodological considerations for the neurophenomenology of dreaming: commentary on Windt's “Reporting dream experience†Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 23, 2014
- Dreaming and offline memory consolidation. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports March 1, 2014
and 6 more in the library