Eye movements give your dreams away
By James Byrne
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
I recently got asked to cover a news story for COSMOS Magazine online. Go check it out.
Even when asleep, portions of our brains associated with the planning and execution of a particular movement 'light up', according to new research into lucid dreamers.
The study, published in a recent issue of Current Biology, used lucid dreamers - who can interact with and manipulate with their dream environment - to shed light on the mystery of our brain activity when we are asleep. Lucid dreamers have previously been shown to have unusual sleeping brain activity within the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain, suggesting they can access memories and still be aware that they are dreaming.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Read the rest here...
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
