ABSTRACT
The psychological content of somniloquy observed in the laboratory is on the whole similar to that reported in clinical-anecdotal literature. The mental content of somniloquy is as variable as that of wakeful speech. References to trivial gossip, school matters, newspaper items, everyday occurrences, entertainment, art, science, the laboratory situation itself, food, philosophical discussion, slapstick inanity, fearful and dramatic events, remorse; visual scenes, opinions about all sorts of things, and the like were common. The content of sleep-speech is often emotional, and reveals a desire, an unsatisfied wish, an awaited pleasure, regret, or more often a state of fear, anxiety, anguish or terror. A quarrel during the day or near bed-time seemed to provide a potent stimulus and subject matter for sleep-utterance. Episodes of sleep-speech have often been used by creative writers. Usually, its content is employed to present some fateful, dramatic truth. Sleep-talking in the laboratory has rarely resulted in the disclosure of secrets, and then only indirectly.
