Dream, Sleep and Hypnosis Research

The Master’s Program in Sleep Research is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide fundamental scientific knowledge in the fields of dreams, sleep, and hypnosis, and to equip students with the skills required to plan and conduct scientific research in these areas.

Sleep studies primarily address topics such as the processes affecting sleep and wakefulness; the relationship between circadian rhythms and behavior; the interaction between neuroendocrinology and sleep; the relationship between immunology and sleep; the association between healthy aging and sleep; the effects and differences of daytime and nighttime sleep; the relationship between neurodegenerative diseases and sleep; and the connections between metabolism, cognition, and sleep processes. In addition, subjects such as sleep–emotion and sleep–memory relationships, as well as the effects of caffeine on sleep, are examined. Dream studies investigate the content of dreams, their impact on individuals’ social lives, and the neural correlates of specific types of dreams. Research in hypnosis focuses on the behavioral, cognitive, and neural correlates of hypnosis, the modeling of hypnotic dreams and confabulation, and the relationship between hypnosis and analytical and critical thinking.

Throughout the program, students are expected to participate in experimental studies conducted at RUHMER (Dream, Sleep, and Hypnosis Research Center) involving both healthy individuals and clinical populations. Within this framework, various experimental paradigms are employed, including polysomnography (PSG), electroencephalography (EEG), and neuropsychometric measurements. In addition, advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) are utilized.

The aim of the Sleep Research Master’s Program is to educate scientists who are well-versed in the literature on dreams, sleep, and hypnosis and who are capable of designing and conducting responsible, creative, and scientifically sound research that contributes to humanity.