DREAMS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Integrating Wearable Technologies and Psychoanalysis

This article explores the tension between classical psychoanalytic interpretations of dreams and contemporary physiological measurements of sleep. By integrating Freudian theory with data obtained from wearable sleep-tracking technology, the study demonstrates that REM sleep can occur without subjective dream recall. Introducing the concept of the digital unconscious, the article proposes a new model in which physiological sleep processes, potential symbolic activity, and conscious remembrance are dissociable stages. This interdisciplinary approach reframes dreams not only as symbolic narratives but also as measurable data, expanding the methodological and theoretical boundaries of sleep research, psychoanalysis, and philosophy of mind.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-01-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18420563
Primary Topic
Sleep and Wakefulness Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

DREAMS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Integrating Wearable Technologies and Psychoanalysis

Victoria Akopova
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Sleep and Wakefulness Research
article

DREAMS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Integrating Wearable Technologies and Psychoanalysis

Victoria Akopova
article en

Abstract

This article explores the tension between classical psychoanalytic interpretations of dreams and contemporary physiological measurements of sleep. By integrating Freudian theory with data obtained from wearable sleep-tracking technology, the study demonstrates that REM sleep can occur without subjective dream recall. Introducing the concept of the digital unconscious, the article proposes a new model in which physiological sleep processes, potential symbolic activity, and conscious remembrance are dissociable stages. This interdisciplinary approach reframes dreams not only as symbolic narratives but also as measurable data, expanding the methodological and theoretical boundaries of sleep research, psychoanalysis, and philosophy of mind.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Institute for Literature (BG)
Openalex Percentile: Top 74%
Sleep and Wakefulness Research
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