dreams

Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, triggers brain activity characteristic of dream states.

Dreamers answered experimenters’ questions or solved simple math problems, showing that complex two-way communication between the dreaming and waking world is possible.

Researchers are experimenting with a variety of tools, from brain stimulation to audiovisual equipment, to try to take control of the sleeping brain.

Meet some of the people featured in the December 2020 issue of The Scientist.

Technologies such as noninvasive brain stimulation and virtual reality gaming offer insights into how dreams arise and what functions they might serve.

New methods could propel investigation of neural “PGO” wave patterns that may underlie critical aspects of visual experience, dreaming, and even psychosis.

By examining brainwave patterns in a posterior cortical area, scientists can predict when people are dreaming.

Understanding the sleeping brain may be the key to unlocking the secrets of the human mind.

Mapping the dreaming brain through neuroimaging and studies of brain damage

Meet some of the people featured in the March 2016 issue of The Scientist.

In vivo recordings from humans reveal that brain activity related to seeing pictures correlates with eye movements during REM sleep.

Researchers learn to predict visual imagery in dreams based on functional MRI scans of brain activity during sleep.