The Dream Messenger: New Experiments Conducted and Proven on Communication within Lucid Dreaming and REM Sleep

    We have all have probably experienced a time of waking up from a dream, and having no trace of it as the memory of it slowly fades away. When sleeping, we let our brains take control of our dreams and sleep that can go beyond what we can image. Researchers have conducted experiments circling this idea, and the outcomes of it show the technological advances that are to come. Such ideas like being able to communicate via lucid dreaming or REM sleep, have been proven to be effective. Dr. Gabriella Torres has presented a research study to the class on "Real-time dialogue between experimenter and dreamers during REM sleep"(Konkoly). 

    Her discussion involved the idea being able to send communication signal to others awake, while one is in a sleeping condition. The brain is able to almost think on its own, while a person is in a state of dreaming, the brain is still able to detect messages coming in. These messages are evidence that proves the working strategies of our brains can go beyond to assist cognitive ability. Whether one struggles with dreams or sleeping, it is possible that your mind can develop a sense of remembrance prior to your state of sleeping. Electrophysiological signals were a way to see if the individuals were able to respond back to a question, in the midst of a dream. You can say we are almost disassociated from the world when sleeping, but our brain is still alert of signals and picks them up as a sign of activeness. Being able to discover a distinct way of communication can bring aspirations to research in hopes of finalizing answers.

    In a research study from 'nature neuroscience', "Behavioral and brain responses to verbal stimuli reveal transient periods of cognitive integration of the external world during sleep" (Turker 2023), is another fountain of supporting evidence. The participants were examined to see how their behavior would react upon hearing a verbal stimulus, withing having different sleep stages (narcolepsy, REM sleep, lucid dreaming). The results ended up showing that humans are able to have sensory connection to auditory verbal stimuli coming from an outside setting, and both understand as well as respond while sleeping. 

    This field of sleep and dream research can be the answer to many more outside questions related to human advancement and health. Both studies and researchers form a fundamental idea of the future advances of communication by technological support that can be pushed forward within society.

Sources: 

Turker, B., Musat. E.M., Chabani, E. et al. Behavioral and brain responses to verbal stimuli reveal transient periods of cognitive integration of the external world druing sleep. Nat Neurosci 26, 1981-1993 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01449-7

Konkoly, Karen R et al. “Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep.” Current biology : CB vol. 31,7 (2021): 1417-1427.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.026