Dr. Matthew Walker

So you were hallucinating. Second, you believe things that could not possibly be true. So you were delusional. Third, you became confused about time and place and person. And in psychiatry, that's what we call being disoriented. Fourth, you had wildly fluctuating emotions. And we describe that as becoming emotionally labile. You're pendulum-like. You're all over the place.

So you were hallucinating. Second, you believe things that could not possibly be true. So you were delusional. Third, you became confused about time and place and person. And in psychiatry, that's what we call being disoriented. Fourth, you had wildly fluctuating emotions. And we describe that as becoming emotionally labile. You're pendulum-like. You're all over the place.

And then fifth, you woke up this morning and you forgot most, if not all of that dream experience. You're suffering from amnesia. If you were to experience any one of those five symptoms while you're awake, you'd probably be seeking psychiatric and psychological intervention. But for reasons that now we're starting to understand, it's a normal biological and psychological process.

And then fifth, you woke up this morning and you forgot most, if not all of that dream experience. You're suffering from amnesia. If you were to experience any one of those five symptoms while you're awake, you'd probably be seeking psychiatric and psychological intervention. But for reasons that now we're starting to understand, it's a normal biological and psychological process.

And then fifth, you woke up this morning and you forgot most, if not all of that dream experience. You're suffering from amnesia. If you were to experience any one of those five symptoms while you're awake, you'd probably be seeking psychiatric and psychological intervention. But for reasons that now we're starting to understand, it's a normal biological and psychological process.

So if it's prevalent and it's consistent, what is it functionally doing for us? Now, you've got to be very careful because dreaming, for the most part, is principally associated with REM sleep.

So if it's prevalent and it's consistent, what is it functionally doing for us? Now, you've got to be very careful because dreaming, for the most part, is principally associated with REM sleep.

So if it's prevalent and it's consistent, what is it functionally doing for us? Now, you've got to be very careful because dreaming, for the most part, is principally associated with REM sleep.

So how do I put a scalpel scientifically between simply conflating any function of REM sleep, let's say hormone benefits for testosterone, and saying, no, separate from REM sleep, separate from the stage of sleep from which dreaming emerges, show me that dreaming above and beyond the state from which it comes from, which is REM, also has its own separate functional benefits.

So how do I put a scalpel scientifically between simply conflating any function of REM sleep, let's say hormone benefits for testosterone, and saying, no, separate from REM sleep, separate from the stage of sleep from which dreaming emerges, show me that dreaming above and beyond the state from which it comes from, which is REM, also has its own separate functional benefits.

So how do I put a scalpel scientifically between simply conflating any function of REM sleep, let's say hormone benefits for testosterone, and saying, no, separate from REM sleep, separate from the stage of sleep from which dreaming emerges, show me that dreaming above and beyond the state from which it comes from, which is REM, also has its own separate functional benefits.

And that was hard to do for a long time. And now we know that there are two benefits of dreaming independent of necessarily having REM sleep, although it is beneficially supported by the physiology of REM sleep. The first is that dreaming provides a form of overnight therapy.

And that was hard to do for a long time. And now we know that there are two benefits of dreaming independent of necessarily having REM sleep, although it is beneficially supported by the physiology of REM sleep. The first is that dreaming provides a form of overnight therapy.

And that was hard to do for a long time. And now we know that there are two benefits of dreaming independent of necessarily having REM sleep, although it is beneficially supported by the physiology of REM sleep. The first is that dreaming provides a form of overnight therapy.

Dreaming is emotional first aid because it's during dream sleep at night that dreaming acts like a nocturnal soothing balm that just takes the sharp edges off those difficult, painful experiences so that you come back the next day and you feel better about them. And what REM sleep dreaming is doing is essentially it's divorcing the emotion from the memory experience.

Dreaming is emotional first aid because it's during dream sleep at night that dreaming acts like a nocturnal soothing balm that just takes the sharp edges off those difficult, painful experiences so that you come back the next day and you feel better about them. And what REM sleep dreaming is doing is essentially it's divorcing the emotion from the memory experience.

Dreaming is emotional first aid because it's during dream sleep at night that dreaming acts like a nocturnal soothing balm that just takes the sharp edges off those difficult, painful experiences so that you come back the next day and you feel better about them. And what REM sleep dreaming is doing is essentially it's divorcing the emotion from the memory experience.

Because what makes a memory emotional is that at the time of the experience, you had this whole visceral emotional reaction and that wraps the memory with this emotional blanket. But what dreaming does is it goes in there and it divorces the emotion from the memory.

Because what makes a memory emotional is that at the time of the experience, you had this whole visceral emotional reaction and that wraps the memory with this emotional blanket. But what dreaming does is it goes in there and it divorces the emotion from the memory.

Because what makes a memory emotional is that at the time of the experience, you had this whole visceral emotional reaction and that wraps the memory with this emotional blanket. But what dreaming does is it goes in there and it divorces the emotion from the memory.