There are several studies that have wanted to know the reason why we move our eyes involuntarily during REM sleep, the deepest phase of rest and where we have the most vivid dreams. Recent research has found that these eye movements could be a reflection of where we are looking in dreams.
The work has been carried out in mice, since these animals, like many others, including humans, experience REM sleep at rest. The researchers measured eye movements — also called saccades — using tiny cameras placed in front of the eyes, and the thalamic head steering system when the rodents were awake and when they were asleep.
The results of this curious work, which have been published in the journal Science, showed that the direction of eye movement during sleep coincided precisely with changes in the direction of the head and very similarly with the variations in the gaze of mice when they were awake. This could mean that eye movements in REM sleep reveal gaze changes from the dream world.
Dream impossible things due to the absence of sensory inputs
During REM sleep, the part of the brain that controls the sense of direction of the head is coordinated with the area that controls eye movements. This discovery, pending confirmation in human tests, provides information and a window to learn more about the cognitive processes that occur while people or animals are dreaming.
Eye movements during REM sleep could be a reflection of the gaze that is being taken in the parallel reality created in the dream
“One of our strengths as humans is this ability to combine our real-world experiences with other things that don’t exist in the present moment and may never exist. This generative capacity of our brain is the basis of our creativity”, explained Massimo Scanziani, lead author of the research. During sleep we can believe unimaginable things, this happens because there are no sensory inputs that evoke reality.
At the moment of wakefulness, the direction of the head is influenced by the information compiled by various areas of the brain related to balance and sight, which allows correct and safe movement. If it is shown that other areas of the brain, such as those responsible for sensory perception, emotion, or a sense of place, also work together during REM sleep, this coordination could underlie vivid dream experiences and realistic.
The next step the researchers intend to take is to analyze what moves the brain’s internal compass during REM sleep, how it moves with the eyes, and how the different senses work together to generate the realistic experience of dreams.
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