Dreams

Three questions arise about the relationship between dreams and memory. First, how reliably can we remember and report dreams? The privacy of dreams means that it is impossible to demonstrate conclusively that we can recall and report our dreams reliably, but there are some empirical reasons to have some confidence in dream reports. Second, can we have memories during dreams? It is rare to have a dream experience which would be considered an episodic memory, if we apply strict criteria, but many dreams incorporate aspects of waking experiences. Third, do dreams play a role in memory consolidation? The evidence on this question is mixed and no confident statement is possible, although the notion that sleep is important for memory consolidation is well supported.