ABSTRACT
With the development of sleep monitoring technology came several surprises concerning the nature of sleep and dreams. Four classes of variables have been identified which may account for dreams being recalled following one night and not another: the conditions of awakening, the individual's motivation to recall dreams, the characteristics of the dream experience, and life stress. Webb and Kersey have argued that the simplest explanation for variability is the stage of sleep from which a person awakens. Specifically, they suggest that if individuals awaken from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep they are much more likely to recall a dream than if they awaken from NREM sleep. There are great differences across people in the number of dreams typically recalled. Only in individuals with a consistent style is it reasonable to hypothesize that personality or ability factors would predict recall. It is also possible that they are more skilled in recalling visual stimuli or sensory experiences; however, this possibility clearly requires more investigation.
