Dream Catcher

The neuroscience of our night life

Patrick McNamara Ph.D.

Waking Consciousness in Service to REM Sleep

In some instances, the waking mind functions in service to REM sleep information processing requirements.

REM Sleep, the Default Mode Network, and Behavioral Modernity

Why did cultural creativity among our ancestors really take off after they interacted with Neanderthals 50,000 years ago?

Five Thousand Years of Dream Images

Dream images have captured the deepest spiritual longings of peoples for many thousands of years.

A New Tool to Assess Possible Dream-Related Psi Phenomena

How to bypass the subjective nature of dream reports in dream-related psi experiments.

The Human Self-Domestication Hypothesis and Human Sleep

The evolution of human sleep was shaped by a trend toward reduced aggressivity and an increase in pro-sociality.

Dreams and Purpose

The records of history are replete with people who were given their life's purpose in a dream.

REM Sleep Dreams and Glitches in the Matrix

REM dreaming is key to understanding the simulation hypothesis.

The Social Nature of Sleep

The power of sleep manifest when sleeping socially.

Sleep and Academic Performance

Consistent sleep schedules are key for optimal cognitive performance.

Terror Management Theory (TMT) and REM Sleep

Terror Management Theory (TMT) is supported by a rich body of experimental evidence. REM sleep and dreams may be crucial tools in building defenses against death anxiety.

Unanswered Questions Concerning Sleep Paralysis

Many patients with sleep paralysis consistently report one type of hallucination: "the intruder." But perhaps these are not hallucinations at all.

COVID and Child’s Dreams

It is difficult to verbalize intense feelings about COVID fears so children may use their dreams to express such feelings.

COVID-Inspired Dreams

Dream researchers have, in the past, studied "sentinel dreams" that can sometimes signal illness in otherwise asymptomatic people.

Sleep in the Battle Against the Coronovirus

In the battle against the coronovirus, in addition to social distancing and handwashing, get some sleep.

The Unknown Unknowns and the Surrealists

The Surrealists did far more than simply attempt to paint their own dreams.

The Sleep-First-Then-Work Organization

Encouraging healthy sleep patterns in your workforce makes for happier workers and a healthier bottom line.

On the Reality of Precognitive Dreams

What are the interesting questions concerning dreams that foretell the future?

Odd Dream Phenomena

We need to search out unusual dream experiences if we wish to understand the function of dreaming.

A Dream Within a Dream

The dream within a dream may be a hybrid sleep-wake state of consciousness.

Do Lucid Dreams Promote Creativity?

Despite the burden of living with a chronic neurological disease, people with narcolepsy—who experience more frequent dreaming—are more creative than controls.