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Apparently, brain activity in the hot zone is different for every type of dream.
STATES CHRONICLE-Why we dream and when is a mystery to most of us. Despite the fact that we don’t remember, we dream a lot every night. Previous research showed that people can dream around 5 dreams in one night but they are unlikely to remember more than one. A new study shows that there is a part of our brain that can reveal more about what and when we dream.
Researchers observed that there is a certain pattern of brain activity that can show when the brain is experiencing a dream. This so-called hot zone can also reveal more about what we dream. Even though some people might believe that dreams are caused by exterior factors, this research shows that our brain is responsible for that.
“When subjects were having [dream] experiences during sleep, there was a region in the back of the brain that tended to be very active, as if this region was a little bit more awake, mentioned Francesca Siclari, one of the researchers.
Researchers observed that patterns of brain activity in that hot zone can show if the person is having a dream about movement or a dream about a person. Apparently, the brain activity in the hot zone is different for every type of dream. The team of scientists observed that people have dreams during both non-REM and REM sleep. They also observed that, during non-REM sleep, people have periods of deep sleep when they are unable to dream.
To conduct this research, the team analyzed dreams with the help of an electric monitor that observed the brain activity of more than 30 people. The participants were sleeping during the research, but they were awakened from time to time. When the researchers woke the participants they also asked them about their dreams.
Because they were awakened frequently, the participants were able to remember their dreams and even how often they dreamt than night. After a participant mentioned more about the dream, scientists reviewed the brain activity in the hot zone at the moment of the dream. After the researchers did this test, they could predict what a person was dreaming in 90% of cases.
Researchers observed that people use their brain when they are dreaming just as if they were awake and active. For instance, when a person is dreaming about a face, the part of the brain that is used to recognize faces is activated. Likewise, perception of movement is activated when a person dreams about movement.
This shows just how amazing our brain is. Despite the fact that we are not moving and that we are asleep, the hot zone in the brain is able to control the brain activity as if we were awake. This research shows, once again, that there is a lot more to know about the human brain, sleep, and dreams.
Image source: Pexels.
