Chapter 6 - The Electrophysiology of Dreaming

Abstract

Dreams occur during the stages of sleep and sleep stages are defined on the basis of the presence or absence of background electrophysiologic rhythms in the electroencephalogram (EEG). These electrophysiologic rhythms could potentially function as neurosignals supplying energy to cells, affecting membrane ionic equilibrium and intracellular energy stores. These physiologic electrical rhythms have the potential to alter and affect access to the cellular memory inscribed in DNA. Medication-induced alterations in this system and disease states that affect this system change cognitive interaction with the environment. Each stage of sleep is associated with characteristic background EEG frequencies. The dream recall frequency is different from the various stages of sleep. This difference in recall might reflect the distance of each sleep stage from waking rather than the underlying sleep stage and the EEG frequency defining that stage. The dream recall and intensity increases during periods of alpha activity in rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). Dream content might also differ based on the sleep stage from which the dreamer awakens. REMS dream content is postulated to be more bizarre and hallucinatory than the dreams reported from other sleep stages. The difference in dream content found between sleep stages is associated with the length of the dream report. When the length of the report is controlled, differences in dream content between sleep stages tend to disappear.