Dissociation between dreams and wakefulness: Insights from body and action representations of rare individuals with massive somatosensory deafferentation.

Abstract

The realism of body and actions in dreams is thought to be induced by simulations based on internal representations used during wakefulness. As somatosensory signals contribute to the updating of body and action representations, these are impaired when somatosensory signals are lacking. Here, we tested the hypothesis that individuals with somatosensory deafferentation have impaired body and actions in their dreams, as in wakefulness. We questioned three individuals with a severe, acquired sensory neuropathy on their dreams. While deafferented participants were impaired in daily life, they could dream of themselves as able-bodied, with some sensations (touch, proprioception) and actions (such as running or jumping) which had not been experienced in physical life since deafferentation. We speculate that simulation in dreams could be based on former, "healthy" body and action representations. Our findings are consistent with the idea that distinct body and action representations may be used during dreams and wakefulness.