Dreaming and mind wandering: Spontaneous thought across the sleep-wake cycle. Editorial introduction

This special issue brings together theoretical and empirical work on dreaming and waking mind wandering, two areas with growing attention in cognitive neuroscience and psychology but limited philosophical exploration. Despite being studied separately, phenomenological and neurophysiological overlaps between waking mind wandering and sleep-related experiences indicate they are closely linked. These connections prompt questions about the nature and functions of spontaneous mental phenomena, their relationship to wakefulness and sleep, and implications for theories of attention, action, and consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This special issue unites original theoretical and empirical research on two topics that are gaining traction in cognitive neuroscience and psychology, but so far have small philosophical footprints: dreaming and waking mind wandering. While the fields of dream and mind wandering research are largely separate, phenomenological and neurophysiological similarities between waking mind wandering and sleep-related experiences suggest that these phenomena are intimately connected. Together, they raise important questions about the nature and functions of spontaneous mental phenomena and their relation to wakefulness and sleep, as well as for theories of attention, action, and consciousness.