Abstract

BERTOLO, Helder  and  PAIVA, Teresa. Visual contents of dreams of blind people . Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2001, vol.2, n.1, pp.23-33. ISSN 1645-0086.

The aims of this study are: to identify relationships between sleep EEG patterns and reports of dreams, more specifically visual reports, and to inspect differences between REM stages and NREM stages in dreams of blind people. A sample of eight subjects (ages between 21 and 43 years), half females, with more than 12 years of school participate voluntarily. Registers were taken in two consecutive nights, at home. Participants were awaken by telephone every 90 minutes, and were asked to relate their dreams. Content analysis of dreams were made based on the protocol of Hall & Van De Castle and spectral analysis of EEG in the five minutes before each wake up. Participants relate different visual contents in stage REM and NREM, with higher incidence during paradoxistic sleep. Correlations were found between the reports and EEG. Visual activity correlate positively with high EEG frequencies (>25Hz) and negatively with Alpha band. In conclusion the blind participants report visual contents of dreams mainly during REM sleep, which correlate significantly with spectral band frequencies.

Keywords : Blinds; Dreams; EEG.

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