Science Weekly The surprising science of dreams and nightmares
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Jan 15, 2026 Dr. Michelle Carr is the Director of the Dream Engineering Laboratory and author of *Into the Dream Lab*, specializing in dream science and nightmares. She explores why we dream and what our dreams can teach us about ourselves. The discussion touches on how dreams aid memory consolidation and can serve as rehearsal for waking challenges. Dr. Carr shares tips for influencing dream content and addresses nightmares, discussing their links to stress and trauma, plus the benefits of imagery rehearsal therapy for reducing them.
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Dreams Across All Sleep Stages
- Dreams occur in all sleep stages but change in vividness across the night.
- REM near morning produces the most immersive and emotional dreams.
Dreams Mirror Memory Processing
- Dream content reflects memory consolidation and learning during sleep.
- People who dream about a learned task often perform better the next day.
Hyper-Associative Nature Of REM
- REM sleep shows hyper-associativity linking distant memories and ideas.
- This broad association can boost creativity and integrate life experiences.
