Chromatic or monochrome dreaming: a reality?

Specialists suggest that the manner by which we remember our dreams is influenced by the television shows and films we view.(Image credit: Vasilina Popova via Getty Images)

We dream nightly, yet we frequently find it hard to recall these dreams. On some mornings, we can retrieve clear details, and on other days, we can only gather vague impressions. But what about hue? Is it true that most people dream using color, or do they see only black and white?

Some individuals might find it surprising to discover that this has proven to be a controversial topic. Contemporary investigations have shown that media such as TV and motion pictures have a substantial impact on how we experience dreaming and what we can recollect upon waking.

You may like

REM sleep might alter what we recall
In what manner do our brains become conscious?
Scientists have now characterized five sleep profiles — with some able to aid in pinpointing mental conditions

But this hasn’t been the situation eternally. Up until the decade of the 1960s, researchers thought that people mainly dreamed in monochrome, and investigations have corroborated this supposition. A limited analysis of 277 participants published in 1942 indicated that 70.7% of the college freshmen surveyed seldom or never discerned colors while dreaming. Approximately 60 years subsequently, Schwitzgebel posed the equivalent questions to 124 college students — and the findings had shifted considerably. In the more up-to-date survey, fewer than 20% of those polled communicated that they seldom or never perceived colors during their dreams.

Other recent explorations have yielded akin outcomes. Researchers have noted a pattern: Individuals born before the widespread adoption of color television and films were significantly more apt to report having dreams in monochrome than those born after. This implies that the manner in which we process our dreams is affected by the forms of media we take in.

Amusement isn’t the singular consideration. Much of what we abstract from our nightly reveries has to do with the exactness with which we remember them and which elements remain with us the most.

“Dreams are characterized as subjective happenings during slumber, and we can only arrive at them if the person remembers them after consciousness,” Michael Schredl, the head of the sleep facility at the Central Institute of Mental Health based in Germany, reported to Live Science. “The key issue is, ‘How skilled are you at remembering?'”

Correspondingly in waking existence, the colors of entities can be fairly easy to forget if they align with what we anticipate perceiving. As an illustration, a yellow banana in a dream may not leave a lasting impact.

“You give it no thought, so it is difficult to remember,” Schredl specified. Nevertheless, should a neon-pink banana show up in a dream, it could produce a bigger effect.

Furthermore, if a given hue holds importance for a person, they could be more inclined to remember it.

“If the hue possesses a specific significance for the individual in their waking life, it may be that the hue might guide something,” Schredl communicated. “It’s not regarding the color in itself but how the color is impacting the person.”

RELATED MYSTERIES

—Do visually impaired individuals ‘see’ visuals when dreaming?

—Is it possible to dream during non-REM slumber?

—Do dreams truly expose our deepest secrets?

But Schwitzgebel contends that posing the question of whether we dream using black and white or colored images might be somewhat misdirected initially. When we envision a situation in which hues aren’t paramount, our mental image may not be in monochrome or vibrant; it might merely be a hazy, “indefinite” impression. Alternatively, it is conceivable that what we recollect in the morning diverges slightly from the mental impression we had while dreaming, influenced more by assumptions than memory. He said that dreams may be less of a visual, film-resembling encounter than we are likely to presume. Rather, our media consumption might affect how we recall our dreams.

“Many folks can’t truly quite wrap their heads around what it would entail for a dream event to be neither colored nor grayscale,” he expressed.

Sleep quiz: How much do you know about sleep and dreams?TOPICSLife’s Little Mysteries

Abby WilsonSocial Links NavigationLive Science Contributor

Abby Wilson is a London-based freelance reporter having writing experience relating to the interactions of technology, wellness and the natural world. Her work has been published in The Week, New York Daily News, Homes & Gardens, as well as Better Homes & Gardens, among other outlets. She holds a Master’s Degree in Investigative Reporting obtained from City St George’s, University of London, together with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism awarded by New York University.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

LogoutRead more