Topic 6: Sleep and Dreams

Hypnagogic reverie

A dreamlike state of imagery or thoughts (daydreaming) that occur while falling asleep; sleep onset mentation (N1 and N2), typically characterized by simple or elaborate imagery.

Hypnopompic reverie

A dreamlike state of imagery or thoughts (daydreaming) that occur while awakening spontaneously, typically in the morning. It can also be characterized by elaborate imagery

“Reflections/thinking”

Thoughts mainly observed in stages N2, N3; the dreamer reports thoughts with no hallucinatory content

Vivid dreams

Classic dreams characterized by vivid imagery and elaborate sequences, and typically involve characters, interactions, and emotions. Occur mainly in REM sleep.

Lucid dreams

The dreamer is conscious of dreaming but remains asleep (in its purest form, the dreamer controls the scenario). Occur mainly in REM sleep but also in stage N2.

Recurrent dreams

Dreams in which the dream content is always identical (distinct from repetitive dream themes). Often have negative content and arise during periods of stress

Bad dreams

Story-like dreams with frightening or negative emotions and recalled in the next morning; typically seen during REM sleep

Night terrors

Brief episodes of panic, sometimes accompanied by mental activity. Occur in stage N3 (especially at the beginning of the night).

“Startle” awakening

Wake up completely and abruptly; dysphoric emotions may persist into wakefulness

Past-recurrent dreamers

According to Zadra, this group has the highest level of psychological well-being in their wake life due to resolved conflict related to the recurrent dream

Dreaming

Sensory imagery with development and progression of the mental activity

Thinking

Isolated/fragmentary thought without elaboration

Memory traces

Things that were activated that day. Whenever you activate a thought, it pings the surrounding ones.

Emotional expression

What you’re feeling right before you go to bed is going to affect your dreams

Freudian hypothesis

Dreams are a guardian of sleep and a road to the unconscious

Continuity theory

States that dreams reflect waking day experience. Dreams reflect the daily concerns and ideas of the dreamers rather than hidden wishes or emotional conflicts

Compensatory theory

Dreams as outlet for emotions and thoughts that cannot be expressed during the day or that are repressed

Threat stimulation theory

Dreams are a way to practice survival skills/reflexes when we were animals and they are no longer needed but they are still there

Therapist-guided dream therapy

When the dreamer works with a therapist to deal with waking day issues associated with dream imagery

Self-guided mode

Dreamers work through the dream and gain insight and discovery themselves, without the help of a therapist

Storytelling Method

This method was designed in order to get people started on dream interpretation with a systematic method that’s easy to use, not time-consuming, provides discovery easily and quickly, and would be safe for dreamers to use while leading them to important discoveries

2A method

Dreams are driven by the emotions as well as the personality of the dreamer; this method focuses on accessing the emotional content of dreams in order to discover the meaning of the dream images

Meditative dream re-entry

This method can be used to shift emotions or mood. Very useful for shifting negative or fearful emotions to positive ones, after an upsetting dream

Nightmares

Lengthy, elaborate, vivid, story-like dreams with intense negative emotions that wake the dreamer up

Psychotherapy

Remains the most likely to consider dreams among all the types of therapies