<p>I am not aware of any study that specifically addresses <em>dream</em> recall, but there is a growing literature about "memory reconsolidation" or "post-reactivation plasticity", the idea that memory reactivation (recall) can temporarily return a memory to a state of high fragility and susceptibility to interference, after which a process similar to consolidation makes it more resistent again. Most  memory reconsolidation work has been with animals, but there are a few studies with human subjects [1][2]. [3] is an interesting paper about (re)consolidation of motor memory during slow-wave sleep. [4] and [5] are good reviews of the field.</p>

<p>[1] Hupbach, A., Gomez, R., Hardt, O., &amp; Nadel, L. (2007). Reconsolidation of episodic memories: A subtle reminder triggers integration of new information. Learning &amp; Memory, 14(1-2), 47 -53. doi:10.1101/lm.365707</p>

<p>[2] Forcato, C., Burgos, V. L., Argibay, P. F., Molina, V. A., Pedreira, M. E., &amp; Maldonado, H. (2007). Reconsolidation of declarative memory in humans. Learning &amp; Memory, 14(4), 295-303. doi:10.1101/lm.486107</p>

<p>[3] Walker, M. P., Brakefield, T., Hobson, J. A., &amp; Stickgold, R. (2003). Dissociable stages of human memory consolidation and reconsolidation. Nature, 425(6958), 616–620. doi:10.1038/nature01930</p>

<p>[4] Nader, K., &amp; Hardt, O. (2009). A single standard for memory: the case for reconsolidation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 224–234. doi:10.1038/nrn2590</p>

<p>[5] Schiller, D., &amp; Phelps, E. A. (2011). Does Reconsolidation Occur in Humans? Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 5. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00024</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-28T16:29:10.227Z
2012-05-12T12:10:59.347Z
2012-05-12T12:10:59.347Z
Peter Helfer
<p>Psychology in the time of Freud was occupied with dreams.  Relaying these to one's analyst was an important part of treatment.</p>
<p>Fast-forward to less than 100 years later, and we know so much about the importance of sleep in consolidating memories during REM <sup>[1][2]</sup> and slow-wave sleep <sup>[3]</sup> (among countless other references I have omitted).</p>
<p>Let us assume dreaming is largely relegated to REM (ignoring dreams experienced during stage 2 sleep). <strong>If we recall our dreams at a later time then is it detrimental to any subsequent process of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_consolidation" rel="noreferrer">memory consolidation</a>?</strong></p>
<p>If our dream represents a state through which our brain is passing to consolidate memory, what is the effect of recalling that intermediate state and potentially storing it back in long-term memory?</p>
<hr />
<h3>References</h3>
<ol>
<li><p>Ishikawa A, Kanayama Y., et al (2006). Selective rapid eye movement sleep deprivation impairs the maintenance of long-term potentiation in the rat hippocampus. <em>Eur J Neurosci.,24</em> (1),243-8.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Louie K, Wilson MA. (2001). Temporally structured replay of awake hippocampal ensemble activity during rapid eye movement sleep. <em>Neuron,29</em> (1),145-56. <a href="http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/%7Eahrens/tnii/louie01.pdf" rel="noreferrer">FREE PDF</a></p>
</li>
<li><p>Ji D, Wilson MA (2007) Coordinated memory replay in the visual cortex and hippocampus during sleep. <em>Nat Neurosci, 10</em>(1),100-7. <a href="http://www.phys.mcw.edu/documents/RewindingthetapeduringsleeptoPresent.pdf" rel="noreferrer">FREE PDF</a></p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-24T17:19:02.613Z
There has been this recent article that actually argues that dreaming and REM sleep are not the same, and implicates that dopaminergic activity is involved in dreaming: http://neuro.bstu.by/ai/To-dom/My_research/Papers-2.1/Cognitive-S/Consciousness/For-icnnai-2010/2/Ref/download.pdf
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-25T02:00:13.870Z
Thanks, @AlexStone, I'll take a look at that.  I know that there are definitely tonic vs. phasic REM (eye movements or not), and dreaming is associated with phasic.
Chuck Sherrington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T16:45:14.683Z
Do you mean "potentially storing it back in short-term memory?"
alan2here
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T16:47:57.897Z
Is the answer that the following night a duplicate entry gets added to long-term memory?
alan2here
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T16:49:58.127Z
@alan2here No.  Various stages of sleep have been found to be critical to long term memory consolidation.  If I happen to "remember" a dream in passing, it's different from recalling specific details years later.
Chuck Sherrington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T16:51:05.430Z
@alan2here I don't think anyone knows for sure, but I'd like to find out about scientific evidence that supports that.
Chuck Sherrington
<memory><sleep><dreams>
Does dream recall disturb the processes of memory consolidation?
Chuck Sherrington
# Does dream recall disturb the processes of memory consolidation?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-01)

Psychology in the time of Freud was occupied with dreams. Relaying these to one's analyst was an important part of treatment.

Fast-forward to less than 100 years later, and we know so much about the importance of sleep in consolidating memories during REM [1][2] and slow-wave sleep [3] (among countless other references I have omitted).

Let us assume dreaming is largely relegated to REM (ignoring dreams experienced during stage 2 sleep). **If we recall our dreams at a later time then is it detrimental to any subsequent process of [memory consolidation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_consolidation)?**

If our dream represents a state through which our brain is passing to consolidate memory, what is the effect of recalling that intermediate state and potentially storing it back in long-term memory?

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### References

1. Ishikawa A, Kanayama Y., et al (2006). Selective rapid eye movement sleep deprivation impairs the maintenance of long-term potentiation in the rat hippocampus. *Eur J Neurosci.,24* (1),243-8.
2. Louie K, Wilson MA. (2001). Temporally structured replay of awake hippocampal ensemble activity during rapid eye movement sleep. *Neuron,29* (1),145-56. [FREE PDF](http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/%7Eahrens/tnii/louie01.pdf)
3. Ji D, Wilson MA (2007) Coordinated memory replay in the visual cortex and hippocampus during sleep. *Nat Neurosci, 10*(1),100-7. [FREE PDF](http://www.phys.mcw.edu/documents/RewindingthetapeduringsleeptoPresent.pdf)

**Tags:** memory, sleep, dreams

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Do you mean "potentially storing it back in short-term memory?"  
> **username_2**: Is the answer that the following night a duplicate entry gets added to long-term memory?  
> **username_0**: @username_2 No.  Various stages of sleep have been found to be critical to long term memory consolidation.  If I happen to "remember" a dream in passing, it's different from recalling specific details years later.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 I don't think anyone knows for sure, but I'd like to find out about scientific evidence that supports that.  
> **username_1**: There has been this recent article that actually argues that dreaming and REM sleep are not the same, and implicates that dopaminergic activity is involved in dreaming: http://neuro.bstu.by/ai/To-dom/My_research/Papers-2.1/Cognitive-S/Consciousness/For-icnnai-2010/2/Ref/download.pdf  
> **username_0**: Thanks, @AlexStone, I'll take a look at that.  I know that there are definitely tonic vs. phasic REM (eye movements or not), and dreaming is associated with phasic.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-03-28. Score: 15 | Accepted answer

I am not aware of any study that specifically addresses *dream* recall, but there is a growing literature about "memory reconsolidation" or "post-reactivation plasticity", the idea that memory reactivation (recall) can temporarily return a memory to a state of high fragility and susceptibility to interference, after which a process similar to consolidation makes it more resistent again. Most memory reconsolidation work has been with animals, but there are a few studies with human subjects [1][2]. [3] is an interesting paper about (re)consolidation of motor memory during slow-wave sleep. [4] and [5] are good reviews of the field.

[1] Hupbach, A., Gomez, R., Hardt, O., & Nadel, L. (2007). Reconsolidation of episodic memories: A subtle reminder triggers integration of new information. Learning & Memory, 14(1-2), 47 -53. doi:10.1101/lm.365707

[2] Forcato, C., Burgos, V. L., Argibay, P. F., Molina, V. A., Pedreira, M. E., & Maldonado, H. (2007). Reconsolidation of declarative memory in humans. Learning & Memory, 14(4), 295-303. doi:10.1101/lm.486107

[3] Walker, M. P., Brakefield, T., Hobson, J. A., & Stickgold, R. (2003). Dissociable stages of human memory consolidation and reconsolidation. Nature, 425(6958), 616–620. doi:10.1038/nature01930

[4] Nader, K., & Hardt, O. (2009). A single standard for memory: the case for reconsolidation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 224–234. doi:10.1038/nrn2590

[5] Schiller, D., & Phelps, E. A. (2011). Does Reconsolidation Occur in Humans? Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 5. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00024


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