Dreaming

New Discoveries of REM and dreaming as associable mental states

       It is commonly observed that dreaming occurs in the absence of REM. And because of this observation, the progress made to unlocking the true physiology behind dreaming and how it is controlled has been stunted.  It is generally recognized that REM activity occurs along with dreaming, but dreaming does not necessarily occur during REM periods. Dreaming is known to occur during wakeful states, sleep onset and in various stages of non-REM sleep.  Research has shown that 90% of study participants who were awoken from REM sleep reported dreaming at the time of waking. Although this figure seems to substantiate the proposed connection of dream occurrence during REM periods, roughly the same figure of dream reports amount from people who are awoken just after falling asleep.  Furthermore, 60% of people who are awoken from non-REM stages report having been dreaming, as well.

       Supporters of the connection between the two mental activities challenge the percentages that suggest that REM sleep and dreaming are not necessarily correlated.  The supporters argue two prominent points. First, the validity of the reports that dreaming is taking place outside of REM - during sleep onset and non-REM stages - is challenged. How can researchers be sure that the alleged dreaming activity really is occurring outside of REM sleep? The other argument questions whether the reported mental activity really suggests dreaming or merely just sudden and disassociated images or thoughts.

       Regarding the first challenge, further research has confirmed that mental activity outside of REM really does occur. Despite the fact that many tend to think that sleep is an unconscious state, this is not true. The brain is constantly engaging in some form of mental activity throughout a sleep cycle.  The second point, however, has been much more difficult for researchers to confirm.  Whether the mental activities in the absence of REM sleep reported by research participants can be identified as dreaming is still to be answered.  Dreaming is traditionally defined as any sort of mental experience that occurs during sleep. This definition inhibited dream research from progressing due to its broad and all-inclusive nature. Until more recently, however, sleep researchers are trying to form a more exclusive understanding of what dreaming is exactly. Ideally, they hope for a more narrow understanding of dreaming and its directly associated characteristics to help in understanding its true identity.