REM Sleep in Other Species: The Key to Understanding Dreams

REM Sleep in Other Species: The Key to Understanding Dreams

        On October 5th, 2021, Dr. Karen Konkoly presented her recently-published study on “Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep” (Konkoly et al., 2021). Konkoly explained that the goal of the study was to learn whether the possibility of real-time communication by dreamers could be achieved without “fragmentary and distorted” reports (Konkoly et al., 2021). Konkoly mentioned that dreamers often cannot accurately remember or describe dreams well once awake. In the study, dreamers were given easy mathematical or yes-no questions for “...proof of concept demonstration...” and then given more challenging questions in which answers were recorded through eye or facial movements (Konkoly et al., 2021). This experiment introduced “electrophysiological signals” to communicate dreams in real-time, a phenomenon that once wasn’t believed to be possible until studies like this one (Konkoly et al., 2021).
        Four subjects from varying countries were gathered in Konkoly’s lab to participate in this successful experiment. She explained the unique sleeping shifts of the participants and the researchers, stressing the importance of researchers being able to stay awake for the entirety of the participant’s long sleeping session. Sleep sessions would generally begin early in the morning when a REM cycle was more likely to occur. The dreaming subjects represented a diverse group of sleepers. One of the subjects had been previously diagnosed with narcolepsy and another reported having only had two lucid dreams in their whole life (Konkoly et al., 2021). It’s interesting to consider the possibility of completely different results that the study may have produced had the participants reported never experiencing lucid dreams or reported experiencing lucid dreams frequently. Is it possible that the hearing abilities of the participants also factored into their lucid dreaming experiences? Could an experiment with children compared to one with senior citizens produce entirely different results considering that senior citizens tend to have more difficulty hearing?
        Konkoly reported that there were a total of four research groups that each utilized slightly different protocols (Konkoly et al., 2021). Since the study was rather complicated, is it possible that having multiple research groups could have caused potential discrepancies in the results? Regardless, the purpose of the study was to better understand if dreamers could experience lucid dreaming and communicate their dreams in real-time - and this was achieved. Any discrepancy in the data would likely not affect the current study, but possibly more in-depth studies later down the line. Konkoly also reported that dreamers later explained that signals were received “...as if coming from outside the dream or superimposed over the dream” (Konkoly et al., 2021). Since the interpretation of signals will differ for all subjects and hinge on their hearing ability and past psychological conditioning, the volume of a researcher’s voice might affect the way a signal is interpreted. A participant with good hearing may be better equipped to interpret the researcher’s voice and thus respond with more accurate non-verbal responses. Konkoly’s research reveals that REM sleep is not only a common occurrence that opens many doors for learning more about the purpose of dreams and brain functions but can be explored further to allow lucid dreaming and real-time communication with dreamers. But can this be studied in all species? Is REM sleep a necessity for other animals? Can lucid dreaming and real-time communication be achieved with other species if they have a general understanding of animal-to-human communication?
        In the Nature Editorial “Fur seals can go weeks without REM sleep”, writer Alex Fox describes that northern fur seals “can forgo rapid eye movement sleep for up to two weeks while at sea with no visible hardship” (Fox, 2018). It is well known that REM sleep is the “brain’s most active sleep phase” and is “associated with learning and processing memories” (Fox, 2018). However, new research suggests that REM sleep also plays a major role in “regulating brain temperature” according to “Current Biology” (Fox, 2018). It was reported that northern fur seals generally experience “little to no REM sleep” when in water but didn’t seem to be “deprived” of it at all (Fox, 2018).
        Research has shown that “the brain is warmer” during REM sleep or “when an animal is awake”, pointing to the theory that the “REM phase kicks in to keep the seals' brain from getting too cold” when sleeping in the water since half of a seal’s brain is awake and warm when in water (Fox, 2018). Since fur seals do not experience this on land, they have intermittent cycles of non-REM and REM sleep consistently. This theory is still being debated, as it’s possible that “the loss of REM sleep could have negative effects that aren’t easily noticed” in this species” and/or “tasks performed during REM sleep could be taken care of during non-REM phases” (Fox, 2018). This study is unique in that it focuses on fur seals specifically and gives an in-depth hypothesis for why fur seals may not need REM sleep the same way humans do.

         Konkoly’s mission was to establish real-time communication with humans during dreams to better understand what dreams humans have and possibly why they have them. Could the REM cycle habits of fur seals help unlock the secrets behind REM sleep and the functions involved in REM cycles? Could REM sleep truly be tied to brain temperature? Is it connected to brain temperature regulation in humans, too? How do REM sleep needs and capability differ across species and could Konkoly’s lab repeat similar studies to understand dreams during REM sleep for animals other than humans? REM sleep experiments testing the habits of numerous species could be the key to understanding why animals dream - a question that has plagued many researchers since Sigmund Freud’s initial theory about dreams as repressed desires.

References 

Fox, A. (2018, June 7). Fur seals can go weeks without REM sleep. Nature Editorial. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05353-0?error=cookies_not_supported&code=500850cf-de3c-4d0f-8b94-bad2ab41458f

Konkoly, K., Appel, K., Chabani, E., Mironov, A. Y., Mangiaruga, A., Gott, J., Mallett, R., Caughran, B., Witkowski, S., Whitmore, N., Berent, J., Weber, F., Pipa, G., Türker, B., Maranci, J. B., Sinin, A., Dorokhov, V., Arnulf, I., Oudiette, D., Paller, K. (2021, April 12). Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. ScienceDirect. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982221000592?via%3Dihub