Dreams: The Mind's Minecraft.

Minecraft is a game known for its limitless potential for creation, allowing players to construct elaborate structures, explore vast landscapes, and encounter a variety of creatures and scenarios, all within a controlled, virtual environment. Similarly, our dreams are constructed by the subconscious mind, using the "blocks" of memories, emotions, and sensory experiences accumulated during waking life. This editorial highlights the intricate relationship between the dream worlds created in sleep and the virtual landscapes we explore in Minecraft, highlighting how both territories are constructed from the building blocks of our subconscious mind. It emphasizes the role of dreams as simulators for real-life events, particularly in mitigating potential risks, much like Minecraft allows players to engage in risk-free exploration and problem-solving within its pixelated universe. In addition, this editorial aims to illuminate the functions of dreams in memory consolidation, emotional processing, and brain development while showcasing the importance of creativity and imagination in enhancing our mental health and understanding of reality.

Modeling the contribution of theta-gamma coupling to sequential memory, imagination, and dreaming.

Gamma oscillations nested in a theta rhythm are observed in the hippocampus, where are assumed to play a role in sequential episodic memory, i.e., memorization and retrieval of events that unfold in time. In this work, we present an original neurocomputational model based on neural masses, which simulates the encoding of sequences of events in the hippocampus and subsequent retrieval by exploiting the theta-gamma code. The model is based on a three-layer structure in which individual Units oscillate with a gamma rhythm and code for individual features of an episode. The first layer (working memory in the prefrontal cortex) maintains a cue in memory until a new signal is presented. The second layer (CA3 cells) implements an auto-associative memory, exploiting excitatory and inhibitory plastic synapses to recover an entire episode from a single feature. Units in this layer are disinhibited by a theta rhythm from an external source (septum or Papez circuit). The third layer (CA1 cells) implements a hetero-associative net with the previous layer, able to recover a sequence of episodes from the first one. During an encoding phase, simulating high-acetylcholine levels, the network is trained with Hebbian (synchronizing) and anti-Hebbian (desynchronizing) rules. During retrieval (low-acetylcholine), the network can correctly recover sequences from an initial cue using gamma oscillations nested inside the theta rhythm. Moreover, in high noise, the network isolated from the environment simulates a mind-wandering condition, randomly replicating previous sequences. Interestingly, in a state simulating sleep, with increased noise and reduced synapses, the network can "dream" by creatively combining sequences, exploiting features shared by different episodes. Finally, an irrational behavior (erroneous superimposition of features in various episodes, like "delusion") occurs after pathological-like reduction in fast inhibitory synapses. The model can represent a straightforward and innovative tool to help mechanistically understand the theta-gamma code in different mental states.

Enhancing and advancing the understanding and study of dreaming and memory consolidation: Reflections, challenges, theoretical clarity, and methodological considerations.

Empirical investigations that search for a link between dreaming and sleep-dependent memory consolidation have focused on testing for an association between dreaming of what was learned, and improved memory performance for learned material. Empirical support for this is mixed, perhaps owing to the inherent challenges presented by the nature of dreams, and methodological inconsistencies. The purpose of this paper is to address critically prevalent assumptions and practices, with the aim of clarifying and enhancing research on this topic, chiefly by providing a theoretical synthesis of existing models and evidence. Also, it recommends the method of Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) as a means for investigating if dream content can be linked to specific cued activations. Other recommendations to enhance research practice and enquiry on this subject are also provided, focusing on the HOW and WHY we search for memory sources in dreams, and what purpose (if any) they might serve.

Dreaming for two: A systematic review of mental sleep activity during pregnancy.

Changes in sleep and dreams are often observed during pregnancy. Dreaming may represent privileged access to the inner world of individuals, providing relevant information about their well-being. For this reason, a growing but heterogeneous literature has investigated dream experiences of pregnant women. The present paper aimed to systematically review the available evidence on the relationship between pregnancy and oneric activity, focusing on dream and nightmare frequency, dream contents, and emotional features. Moreover, dream changes between pre-partum and post-partum periods and the impact of previous pregnancy-related adverse events on dreaming have been summarized. Overall, 17 studies have been examined. The reviewed evidence suggests that women tend to have an abundant production of dreams and nightmares during pregnancy, and some results support the view that a high rate of dream recall is associated with poor sleep quality. Most studies have shown a high presence of pregnancy-related dream content, likely reflecting waking experiences and concerns. Additionally, dreaming may promote psychological preparation and activation of functional coping strategies to face life changes after childbirth.

Influences of Propofol, Ciprofol and Remimazolam on Dreaming During Anesthesia for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Randomized Double-Blind Parallel-Design Trial.

Purpose: To compare the influences of propofol, ciprofol and remimazolam on dreaming during painless gastrointestinal endoscopy. Methods: This study was a single-center, prospective, parallel-design, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Between May 2023 and October 2023, patients undergoing elective painless gastrointestinal endoscopy were recruited and randomly allocated into one of the three groups. Demographic data, intraoperative information, incidence of dreaming, insufficient anesthesia and intraoperative awareness, type of dream, patient satisfaction score, adverse events, and improvement of sleep quality were collected. Results: The difference in incidence of dreaming among the three groups was not significant (33.33% vs 48.33% vs 41.67%, p=0.061). The number of patients with intraoperative hypotension in the propofol group was larger than that of the remimazolam group (32 vs 12, p=0.001). However, the cases of intraoperative hypotension between propofol group and ciprofol group or ciprofol group and remimazolam group were comparable (32 vs 22, p=0.122; 22 vs 12, p=0.064). The percentage of insufficient anesthesia between propofol group and remimazolam group was significant (13.33% vs 1.67%, p=0.001), while no statistical difference was detected between propofol group and remimazolam group or ciprofol group and remimazolam group (13.33% vs 5.00%, p=0.025; 5.00% vs 1.67%, p=0.150). The ability of propofol to improve sleep quality at 1st post-examination day was significantly better than that of remimazolam (86.21% vs 72.88%, p=0.015), while it was not significant between propofol group and ciprofol group or ciprofol group and remimazolam group (86.21% vs 80.36%, p=0.236; 72.88% vs. 72.88%, p=0.181). Incidence of intraoperative awareness, intraoperative hypoxia, type of dream, satisfaction score, adverse events during recovery, and sleep improvement on the 7th post-examination day was not significant among the groups. Conclusion: Anesthesia with propofol, ciprofol and remimazolam, respectively, for gastrointestinal endoscopy did not induce statistical difference in the incidence of dreaming, despite that all of them are more likely to induce pleasant dreams.

Neuropsychopharmacological Induction of (Lucid) Dreams: A Narrative Review.

Lucid dreaming (LD) is a physiological state of consciousness that occurs when dreamers become aware that they are dreaming, and may also control the oneiric content. In the general population, LD is spontaneously rare; thus, there is great interest in its induction. Here, we aim to review the literature on neuropsychopharmacological induction of LD. First, we describe the circadian and homeostatic processes of sleep regulation and the mechanisms that control REM sleep with a focus on neurotransmission systems. We then discuss the neurophysiology and phenomenology of LD to understand the main cortical oscillations and brain areas involved in the emergence of lucidity during REM sleep. Finally, we review possible exogenous substances-including natural plants and artificial drugs-that increase metacognition, REM sleep, and/or dream recall, thus with the potential to induce LD. We found that the main candidates are substances that increase cholinergic and/or dopaminergic transmission, such as galantamine. However, the main limitation of this technique is the complexity of these neurotransmitter systems, which challenges interpreting results in a simple way. We conclude that, despite these promising substances, more research is necessary to find a reliable way to pharmacologically induce LD.

How COVID-19 Affected Sleep Talking Episodes, Sleep and Dreams?

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of stress and anxiety and induced changes in sleep quality, dream activity, and parasomnia episodes. It has been shown that stressful factors and/or bad sleep habits can affect parasomnia behaviors. However, investigations on how COVID-19 has affected sleep, dreams, and episode frequency in parasomnias are rare. The current study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on a specific parasomnia characterized by speech production (sleep talking, ST). METHODS: We selected 27 participants with frequent ST episodes (STs) during the pandemic and compared them with 27 participants with frequent STs from a previous study conducted during a pre-pandemic period. All participants performed home monitoring through sleep logs and recorded their nocturnal STs for one week. RESULTS: We observed a higher frequency of STs in the pandemic group. Moreover, STs were related to the emotional intensity of dreams, independent of the pandemic condition. The pandemic was associated with lower bizarreness of dreams in the pandemic group. There were no differences in sleep variables between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Overall, these results suggest a stressful effect of COVID-19 on the frequency of STs. Both the pandemic and the frequency of STs affect qualitative characteristics of dreams in this population.

Personality Functioning Improvement during Psychotherapy Is Associated with an Enhanced Capacity for Affect Regulation in Dreams: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical case illustrations of patients with an impairment of personality functioning (IPF) have repeatedly reported that progress during psychotherapy is reflected by alterations in dream content. However, quantitative studies based on samples of psychotherapy patients are scarce. As a core component of both personality functioning and contemporary psychodynamic dream theory, the construct of affect regulation is of specific significance in this context. AIMS: To test if improvement in personality functioning in the course of psychotherapy is associated with an increasing ability to regulate affects in dreams. METHOD: In a longitudinal design, affect regulation was compared in N = 94 unsolicited dream reports from the first vs. last third of long term psychotherapy of ten patients with initial IPF. Dream reports were transcribed from recordings of the sessions. Expert ratings of the level of personality functioning were obtained using the Scales of Psychological Capacities. The capacity for affect regulation was assessed using the Zurich Dream Process Coding System. Group differences were assessed using linear mixed models, controlling for dream length as well as the nested structure of this data set. RESULTS: Patients demonstrated an increased capacity for affect regulation in dreams that was primarily evident in three core features: the complexity of dream elements (cf., e.g., parameter attributes, p = 0.024); the extent of affective involvement in the dream ego (cf., e.g., parameter subject feeling, p = 0.014); and the flexibility to regulate the dynamics of safety/involvement processes (p ≤ 0.001). This pattern was especially prominent in a subgroup (n = 7) of patients with more pronounced improvements in personality functioning. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypotheses that decreasing IPF during psychotherapy is associated with increases in the capacity for affect regulation in dreams. Thus, researchers and therapists can utilize dream reports to illuminate the important aspects of treatment progress in clinical practice.

Frequent Lucid Dreaming Is Associated with Meditation Practice Styles, Meta-Awareness, and Trait Mindfulness.

Lucid dreaming involves becoming aware that one's current experience is a dream, which has similarities with the notion of mindfulness-becoming aware of moment-to-moment changes in experience. Additionally, meta-awareness, the ability to explicitly notice the current content of one's own mental state, has also been proposed to play an important role both in lucid dreaming and mindfulness meditation practices. However, research has shown conflicting strengths of associations between mindfulness, meditation, and lucid dreaming frequency, and the link between lucid dreaming and meta-awareness has not yet been empirically studied. This study evaluated the associations between lucid dreaming frequency and different meditation practice styles, mindfulness traits, and individual differences in meta-awareness through an online survey (n = 635). The results suggest that daily frequent meditators experience more lucid dreams than non-frequent meditators. However, weekly frequent meditators did not have a higher lucid dreaming frequency. A positive association was observed between open monitoring styles of meditation and lucid dreaming. The findings also indicate that meta-awareness is higher for meditators and weekly lucid dreamers. Furthermore, frequent lucid dreaming was commonly associated with a non-reactive stance and experiencing transcendence. Overall, the findings suggest a positive relationship between specific meditation practices and lucid dreaming as well as the importance of meta-awareness as a cognitive process linking meditation, mindfulness, and lucid dreaming.

Chronic insomnia, REM sleep instability and emotional dysregulation: A pathway to anxiety and depression?

The world-wide prevalence of insomnia disorder reaches up to 10% of the adult population. Women are more often afflicted than men, and insomnia disorder is a risk factor for somatic and mental illness, especially depression and anxiety disorders. Persistent hyperarousals at the cognitive, emotional, cortical and/or physiological levels are central to most theories regarding the pathophysiology of insomnia. Of the defining features of insomnia disorder, the discrepancy between minor objective polysomnographic alterations of sleep continuity and substantive subjective impairment in insomnia disorder remains enigmatic. Microstructural alterations, especially in rapid eye movement sleep ("rapid eye movement sleep instability"), might explain this mismatch between subjective and objective findings. As rapid eye movement sleep represents the most highly aroused brain state during sleep, it might be particularly prone to fragmentation in individuals with persistent hyperarousal. In consequence, mentation during rapid eye movement sleep may be toned more as conscious-like wake experience, reflecting pre-sleep concerns. It is suggested that this instability of rapid eye movement sleep is involved in the mismatch between subjective and objective measures of sleep in insomnia disorder. Furthermore, as rapid eye movement sleep has been linked in previous works to emotional processing, rapid eye movement sleep instability could play a central role in the close association between insomnia and depressive and anxiety disorders.

Consciousness and sleep.

Sleep is a universal, essential biological process. It is also an invaluable window on consciousness. It tells us that consciousness can be lost but also that it can be regained, in all its richness, when we are disconnected from the environment and unable to reflect. By considering the neurophysiological differences between dreaming and dreamless sleep, we can learn about the substrate of consciousness and understand why it vanishes. We also learn that the ongoing state of the substrate of consciousness determines the way each experience feels regardless of how it is triggered-endogenously or exogenously. Dreaming consciousness is also a window on sleep and its functions. Dreams tell us that the sleeping brain is remarkably lively, recombining intrinsic activation patterns from a vast repertoire, freed from the requirements of ongoing behavior and cognitive control.

Nocturnal exposure to a preferred ambient scent does not affect dream emotionality or post-sleep core affect valence in young adults.

Emotions experienced within sleep mentation (dreaming) affect mental functioning in waking life. There have been attempts at enhancing dream emotions using olfactory stimulation. Odors readily acquire affective value, but to profoundly influence emotional processing, they should bear personal significance for the perceiver rather than be generally pleasant. The main objective of the present sleep laboratory study was to examine whether prolonged nocturnal exposure to self-selected, preferred ambient room odor while asleep influences emotional aspects of sleep mentation and valence of post-sleep core affect. We asked twenty healthy participants (12 males, mean age 25 ± 4 years) to pick a commercially available scented room diffuser cartridge that most readily evoked positively valenced mental associations. In weekly intervals, the participants attended three sessions. After the adaptation visit, they were administered the odor exposure and odorless control condition in a balanced order. Participants were awakened five minutes into the first rapid eye movement (REM) stage that took place after 2:30 a.m. and, if they had been dreaming, they were asked to rate their mental sleep experience for pleasantness, emotional charge, and magnitude of positive and negative emotions and also to evaluate their post-sleep core affect valence. With rs < 0.20, no practically or statistically significant differences existed between exposure and control in any outcome measures. We conclude that in young, healthy participants, the practical value of olfactory stimulation with self-selected preferred scents for enhancement of dream emotions and post-sleep core affect valence is very limited.

The relationships between insomnia, nightmares, and dreams: A systematic review.

Insomnia and nightmares are both prevalent and debilitating sleep difficulties. The present systematic review aims to document the relationships between insomnia and nightmares in individuals without a concomitant psychopathology. The relationships between insomnia and dreams are also addressed. PsycINFO and Medline were searched for papers published in English or French from 1970 to March 2023. Sixty-seven articles were included for review. Most results support positive relationships between insomnia variables and nightmare variables in individuals with insomnia, individuals with nightmares, the general population, students, children and older adults, and military personnel and veterans. These positive relationships were also apparent in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some psychological interventions, such as Imagery Rehearsal Therapy, might be effective in alleviating both nightmares and insomnia symptoms. Regarding the relationships between insomnia and dreams, compared with controls, the dreams of individuals with insomnia are characterized by more negative contents and affects. The results show that insomnia and nightmares are connected and may be mutually aggravating. A model is proposed to explain how insomnia might increase the likelihood of experiencing nightmares, and how nightmares can in turn lead to sleep loss and nonrestorative sleep.

Social media-related nightmare - a potential explanation for poor sleep quality and low affective well-being in the social media era?

Research has posited that social media use during the day may be reflected in nighttime dreams. Nevertheless, no prior studies have explored frightening, unpleasant dreams arising from social media use. This study introduces the construct of the social media-related nightmare by (a) developing and validating a scale capturing negative-valenced dreams with themes of helplessness, loss of control, inhibition, victimization, and making mistakes in social media, and (b) examining relationships between social media use, social media-related nightmares, sleep quality, and affective well-being. A convenience sample of 595 Iranian adult social media users (Mage = 27.45, SDage = 11.42) reported on social media-related nightmare, social media use integration, anxiety, peace of mind, sleep quality, and nightmare distress. The Social Media-Related Nightmare Scale (SMNS) demonstrated a unidimensional structure with sound psychometric properties. The most common nightmares involved the inability to log in to social media and the disruption of relationships with other users. Social media use intensity predicted frequency of social media-related nightmares. These nightmares were correlated with increased anxiety, lower peace of mind, poor sleep quality, and nightmare distress. Importantly, social media-related nightmares mediated the relationship between social media use intensity and low affective well-being (i.e., anxiety and peace of mind), poor sleeping, and nightmare distress. The findings suggest that social media-related nightmares could be a potential pathway through which social media engagement may lead to affective distress and sleep difficulties.

Stations Along the Via Dolorosa Towards Good-Enough Endings.

This article focuses on the prevailing aspiration to reach a "good-enough ending" in analysis, a concept that is partly realistic and partly illusional. I discuss some of the obstacles that interfere with achieving this yearned for goal, and lead to endings that are far from the misleading illusion of the good-enough termination, that many of us believe we have achieved and are many more than it is commonly reported. I describe characteristics, obstacles, blockages, dreads within the analysand, within the analyst and in the space in between, which lead to endings which are far from good enough, by any criteria we might choose. These obstacles include the failure to distinguish between "real" versus "similar to"; emotional excess; emptying out of internal resources and toxemia of therapy/analysis; a fascination with certain levels of mind versus a neglect of others; osmotic pressure for oneness and the terror of perfection; and malignant nostalgia. Reflecting on such complex facets in the analytic process is relevant not only for a deeper understanding of illusions that we and our analysands hold with regard to endings, but also, implicitly, to the understanding of illusions, beliefs, and myths we and our patients have regarding beginnings.

Trends in waking salivary alpha-amylase levels following healing lucid dreams.

Introduction: Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is considered a marker of autonomic nervous system activity in stress research, and atypical waking sAA responses have been reported for traumatized individuals. Lucid dreams, characterized by a dreamer's awareness of their dream state while remaining asleep, have shown promising preliminary evidence of their potential to enhance mental health. This study's objective was to evaluate sAA in relation to healing lucid dreams. Methods: Participants experiencing PTSD symptoms attended a six-day workshop delivered via live video designed to teach techniques for transforming trauma through dreamwork and dream lucidity. Participants (n = 20) collected saliva samples each morning, immediately upon awakening (Time 1) and 30 min afterward (Time 2). sAA levels were determined by enzymatic assay, and the waking sAA slope was calculated as the difference of Time 2 minus Time 1. Participants completed dream reports each morning, with a dream classified as a 'healing lucid dream' when they reported attaining lucidity and remembered their intention to manifest a healing experience within the dreamscape. Results: Of eight participants experiencing healing lucid dreams, four were able to provide usable saliva samples. Statistical tests on these four participants were not significant because of low power. However, nonsignificant positive associations were observed between experiencing more healing lucid dreams and increased waking sAA slope. Conclusion: The results did not reveal a consistent effect of healing lucid dreams on waking sAA slope. Identifying meaningful patterns in this relationship will require larger samples and more stringent control over saliva collection procedures in future studies.

Dreaming in patients with cancer and their partners-an underestimated factor for quality of life?

Sleep disorders are prevalent among patients with cancer and their caregivers as well, affecting their quality of life. But the relationship between sleep quality, dream experiences, and life satisfaction in patients with cancer and their partners is understudied. The present research aimed to quantitatively investigate the dream experiences of oncology patients and explore the interdependence between patients and their partners in terms of dream experiences and life satisfaction. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 101 dyads, completing a questionnaire assessing demographic and illness-related data, dream experiences, sleep quality, and life satisfaction. Inferential statistical tests and actor-partner interdependence models were used to analyse the data. Both patients with cancer and their partners reported on average a significant decrease in sleep quality since the cancer diagnosis and for both dyad members significant dreaming predictors for life satisfaction were found. Namely, a positive association for dream stability in patients, and a positive association for positive dream affect as well as a negative association for negative dream affect in partners. Regarding the question of interdependence, dream intensity exhibited a significant group-specific partner effect, but no overall partner effect, leading to inconclusive results that call for more studies in this field. The study suggests that dreaming may affect life satisfaction beyond sleep quality and underscores the significance of acknowledging dream experiences as potential influencers of quality of life in patients with cancer. Additionally, the study stands out for its examination of the role of partners in dyadic dependency, emphasising the importance of understanding their influence on patients' experiences.

Viral simulations in dreams: The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on threatening dream content in a Finnish sample of diary dreams.

Previous research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected dreaming negatively. We compared 1132 dreams collected with prospective two-week dream diary during the pandemic to 166 dreams collected before the pandemic. We hypothesized that the pandemic would increase the number of threatening events, threats related to diseases, and the severity of threats. We also hypothesized that dreams that include direct references to the pandemic will include more threatening events, more disease-related threats, and more severe threats. In contradiction with our hypotheses, results showed no differences between pandemic and pre-pandemic samples in the number of threats, threats related to diseases, or severe threats. However, dreams with direct references to the pandemic had more threats, disease-related threats, and severe threats. Our results thus do not suggest a significant overall increase in nightmarish or threatening dream content during the pandemic but show a more profound effect on a minority of dreams.

Recurring memory reactivation: The offline component of learning.

One can be aware of the effort needed to memorize a new fact or to recall the name of a new acquaintance. Because of experiences like this, learning can seem to have only two components, encoding information and, after some delay, retrieving information. To the contrary, learning entails additional, intervening steps that sometimes are hidden from the learner. For firmly acquiring fact and event knowledge in particular, learners are generally not cognizant of the necessity of offline consolidation. The memories that persist to be available reliably at a later time, according to the present conceptualization, are the ones we repeatedly rehearse and integrate with other knowledge, whether we do this intentionally or unknowingly, awake or asleep. This article examines the notion that learning is not a function of waking brain activity alone. What happens in the brain while we sleep also impacts memory storage, and consequently is a critical component of learning. The idea that memories can change over time and become enduring has long been present in memory research and is foundational for the concept of memory consolidation. Nevertheless, the notion that memory consolidation happens during sleep faced much resistance before eventually being firmly established. Research is still needed to elucidate the operation and repercussions of repeated reactivation during sleep. Comprehensively understanding how offline memory reactivation contributes to learning is vital for both theoretical and practical considerations.