Indian Journal of Sleep Medicine

Register      Login

VOLUME 10 , ISSUE 1 ( January-March, 2015 ) > List of Articles

REVIEW ARTICLE

The reality of dreams

Niranjan Babu A, Nagarajan Ramakrishnan

Keywords : dreams, sleep, dream recall, memory, lucid dreams, REM and NREM.

Citation Information : A NB, Ramakrishnan N. The reality of dreams. Indian Sleep Med 2015; 10 (1):22-28.

DOI: 10.5005/IJSM-10-1-22

License: NA

Published Online: 01-10-2012

Copyright Statement:  NA


Abstract

A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that happen involuntarily in the mind at the time of sleep are known as dreams. A definite understanding of the content and purpose of dreams is not yet established. They have frequently been a subject of scientific assumption and a focus of philosophical and religious interest. Although there are several studies on dreams, there is no concrete evidence or explanation on purpose, occurrence, or consistency. The objective of this article is to review available literature on dreams with a specific focus on the character, content, and types of dreams.


PDF Share
  1. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Hartcourt; 2000. RetrievedMay 7,2009.
  2. Kavanau JL. Sleep, memory maintenance, and mental disorders. J Neuropsychiatry ClinNeurosci2000;12: 199-208.
  3. Hobson JA. REM sleep and dreaming: towards a theory of protoconsciousness. Nat Rev Neurosci2009;10:803-13.
  4. Freud S The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)
  5. Jung:London: Hogarth Press; 1964, p. 21.
  6. Tsoukalas I. The origin of REM sleep: A hypothesis. Dreaming 2012;22:253-83.
  7. Vitelli R. Exploring the mystery of REM sleep. Psychology Today, Online blog, March 25, 2013.
  8. Solms M. Dreaming and REM sleep are controlled by different brain mechanisms. Behav Brain Sci. 2000;23: 843-50.
  9. Zhang J. Memory process and the function of sleep. J Theoret 2004;6:1-7.
  10. Zhang J. Continual-activation theory of dreaming. Dynam Psychol 2005. Retrieved March 13, 2006.
  11. Tarnow E. How dreams and memory may be related. Neuro-Psychoanalysis 2003;5:1-12.
  12. The Health Benefits of Dreams. Available at: Webmd.com. February 25, 2009. Retrieved August11,2012.
  13. Stickgold R, Hobson JA, Fosse R, Fosse M. Sleep, learning, and dreams: off-line memory reprocessing. Science 2001; 294 (5544):1052-7.
  14. Payne JD, Nadel L. Sleep, dreams, and memory consolidation: the role of the stress hormone cortisol. Learn Mem 2004;11:671-8.
  15. Robert W. Der Traumals Naturnothwendigkeiterklärt. Zweite Auflage, Hamburg: Seippel; 1886.
  16. Evans C, Newman E. Dreaming: an analogy from computers. New Scientist 1964;419:577-9.
  17. Crick F,Mitchison G. The function of dream sleep. Nature1983;304:111-4.
  18. Ciric P, Schredl M, Götz S, Wittmann L. Typical dreams: stability and gender differences. J Psychol 2004;138: 485-94.
  19. Wallace I. The Dr. Oz Showand Anderson Cooper 360. Grant R.The Complete A to Z Dictionary of Dreams. Lawrence L. The Illustrated Dream Dictionary. New York Daily. Newscolumn on dream analysis.
  20. Pilon M, Zadra, Donderi DC. Variety and intensity of emotions in nightmares and bad dreams. JNervMentDis 2006;194:249-54.
  21. Erlacher D, Ehrlenspiel F, Schredl M. Frequency of nightmares and gender significantly predict distressing dreams of German athletes before competitions or games. JPsychol 2011;145:331-42.
  22. Zadra A, Desjardin S, Marcotte E. Evolutionary function of dreams: a test of the threat simulation theory in recurrent dreams. Conscious Cogn 2006;15:420-63.
  23. Dodet P, Chavez M, Leu-Semenescu S, Golmard JL, ArnulfI.Lucid dreaming in narcolepsy. Sleep 2015;38: 487-97.
  24. Carr M, Nielsen T. Day dreams and nap dreams: content comparisons. ConsciousCogn. 2015;6:196–205.
  25. Kahn D, Stickgold R, Pace-Schott EF, Hobson JA. Dreaming and waking consciousness: a character recognition study. JSleep Res 2009;9:317-25.
  26. Fischer S, Diekelmann S, Born J. Sleep's role in the processing of unwanted memories. J Sleep Res 2011;20:267-74.
  27. Nielsen TA, Kuiken D, Alain G, Stenstrom P, Powell RA. Immediate and delayed incorporations of events into dreams: further replication and implications for dream function. JSleep Res 2004;13:327-36.
  28. Okada H, Matsuoka K, Takao H. Life span differences in color dreaming. Dreaming 2011;21:213-20.
  29. Murzyn E. Do we only dream in colour? A comparison of reported dream colour in younger and older adults with different experiences of black and white media. Conscious Cogn 2008;17:1228–37.
  30. Guénolé F, MarcaggiG, Baleyte JM, Garma L. [Dreams in normal and pathological aging]. PsycholNeuropsychiatr Vieil 2010;8:87–96.
  31. Rubinstein K, Krippner S.Gender differences and geographical differences in content from dreams elicited by a television announcement. Int JPsychosom 1991;38:40–4.
  32. Kessels T. Fear in dreams of 9- to 11-year-old children. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2004;53:19–38.
  33. Muris P, Merckelbach H, Gadet B, Moulaert V.Fears, worries, and scary dreams in 4- to 12-year-old children: their content, developmental pattern, and origins. J ClinChild Psychol 2000;29:43–52.
  34. Lara-Carrasco J, Simard V, Saint-Onge K, Lamoureux- Tremblay V, Nielsen T.Maternal representations in the dreams of pregnant women: a prospective comparative study. Front Psychol 2013;4:551.
  35. Dagan Y, Lapidot A, Einsentein M.Women's dreams reported during first pregnancy. Psychiatry ClinNeurosci 2001;55:13–20.
  36. Lovati C, DeAngeli F, D'Amico F, et al. Isthe brain of migraineurs”different” even in dreams?NeurolSci 2014;35Suppl 1: 167–9.
  37. Raymond I, Nielsen TA, Lavigne G, Choinèire M. Incorporation of pain in dreams of hospitalized burn victims. Sleep 2002;25:765–70.
  38. Firth ST, Blouin J, Natarajan C, Blouin A. In comparison of the manifest content in dreams of suicidal, depressed and violent patients. Can JPsychiatry 1986;31:48–53.
  39. Marinova P, Koychev I, Laleva L, et al. Nightmares and suicide: predicting risk in depression. PsychiatrDanub 2014;26:159-64.
  40. Wright ST, Kerr CW, Doroszczuk NM, Kuszczak SM, Hang PC, Luczkiewicz DL. The impact of dreams of the deceased on bereavement: a survey of hospice caregivers. Am JHosp Palliat Care 2014;31:132–8.
  41. Schredl M. Dreams in patients with sleep disorders. Sleep Med Rev 2009;13:215–21.
  42. Pagel JF, Kwiatkowski C. The nightmares of sleep apnea: nightmare frequency declines with increasing apnea hypopnea index. J Clin Sleep Med 2010;6:69–73.
  43. Tribl GG, Wetter TC, Schredl M. Dreaming under antidepressants: a systematic review on evidence in depressive patients and healthy volunteers. Sleep Med Rev2013;17:133–42.
  44. Steinig J, Foraita R, Happe S, Heinze M. Perception of sleep and dreams in alcohol-dependent patients during detoxication and abstinence. Alcohol Alcohol 2011;46:143–7.
  45. Takeuchi T, Miyasita A, Inugami M, Yamamoto Y. Intrinsic dreams are not produced without REM sleep mechanisms: evidence through elicitation of sleep onset REM periods. JSleep Res 2001;10:43–52.
  46. Conduit R, Crewther SG, Coleman G. Spontaneous eyelid movements (ELMS) during sleep are related to dream recall on awakening. JSleep Res 2004;13:137–44.
  47. Payne JD, Nadel L.Sleep, dreams, and memory consolidation: the role of the stress hormone cortisol. Learn Mem 2004;11:671–8.
  48. International Association for the Study of Dreams, Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  49. French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), News release, February 12, 2014.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.