Effects of dream reflection on waking affect: awareness of feelings, rorschach movement, and facial EMG.

The clinical and research literature suggests that waking dream reflection increases awareness of feelings. To examine this possibility, 16 male and 16 female participants spent a single night in the sleep laboratory while rapid eye movement (REM) sleep physiology and facial electromyogram (EMG) were monitored. Participants in the dream imagery condition were awakened from REM sleep and asked to reflect on their dreams. Participants in the fantasy imagery condition were awakened from REM sleep and asked to reflect on guided fantasies modeled on dream narratives. Participants were asked to reflect either on the affective connotations of their imagery or on the cognitive aspects of their imagery. Unexpectedly, self-reported awareness of feelings was less common during either affective or cognitive reflection on dreams than during such reflection on fantasies, especially for females. Also, kinesthetic sensitivity, as indicated by Rorschach movement responses, was less after dream reflection than after reflection on fantasy imagery, again especially for females. In contrast, facial EMG activity was greater during dream reflection than during fantasy reflection. Since facial EMG during REM sleep and during dream reflection was correlated with self-reported orienting within dream imagery, these results are understandable as evidence for the "carry-over" of REM orienting activity during dream reflection, resulting in reduced affective/kinesthetic sensitivity and reduced awareness of feelings.