Medical Definition of Oneirophrenia (2024)

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Medical Definition of Oneirophrenia? ›

Oneirophrenia (from the Greek words "ὄνειρος" (oneiros, "dream") and "φρήν" (phrēn, "mind")) is a hallucinatory, dream-like state caused by several conditions such as prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, or drugs (such as ibogaine).

Oneirophrenia: A hallucinatory (dream-like) state that is caused by such conditions as prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory isolation, and drug use.

The term 'Oneirophrenia' describes a state where a person becomes confused about the distinction between reality and dream as if he or she were living in a dream state. The Oxford Dictionary of Psychology defines oneirophrenia a 'dreamlike state of consciousness.

Dreams and psychosis may be related, with some researchers suggesting that they share similar underlying mechanisms. Psychotic disorders are a group of mental health conditions in which a person struggles to distinguish the real from the unreal.

Visual, auditory, kinetic, and tactile hallucinations, bizarre ideas, incoherence of thought, fears, terrors, and emotional chaos often characterize our dreams, as they also characterize the experience of schizophrenia [42].

Persons affected by oneirophrenia have a feeling of dream-like derealization which, in its extreme form, may progress to delusions and hallucinations. Therefore, it is considered a schizophrenia-like acute form of psychosis which remits in about 60% of cases within a period of two years.

Hypnagogia is the transition between wakefulness and sleep. During this state, it's common to experience visual, audio, or other types of hallucinations. It's also common to experience muscle jerks and sleep paralysis. Some people purposefully try to induce to hypnagogia to stimulate creativity.

Precognitive dreams are the most widely reported occurrences of precognition. Usually, a dream or vision can only be identified as precognitive after the putative event has taken place.

Noticing stress or frustration in those around them may cause the person living with dementia to become stressed as well. Dreaming while sleeping can cause disorientation, including confusion about what's a dream and what's real.

Dream-reality confusion (DRC) is a difficulty or inability to determine whether an event or experience occurred during the waking state or whether it was part of a dream.

What is the cause of Oneirophrenia? ›

We speculate that the ability of humans to differentiate a dream from the awake state may get disrupted during early and late dementia; we hypothesize a “laziness” of neuronal activation of the pontine centers by a portion of higher cortical structures during the waking or last stage of sleep, hence causing ...

Stress. Stress and traumatic events can lead to vivid dreams. Researchers believe that this is due to the role that dreaming plays in memory and processing emotions. People who experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to have bad vivid dreams than people who do not.

Mental health conditions: Frequent, intense nightmares can accompany a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Medications: Some medications, particularly antidepressants, appear to generate nightmares.

As opposed to fleeting hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations of the sleep/wake transition, dream delusions were false memories induced by the experience of a vivid dream, which led to false beliefs that could persist for days or weeks.

Sleep Disturbances

Additionally, bipolar disorder can cause an interrupted REM cycle which leads to dreams being less vivid and disturbing. It is important to keep up proper sleeping habits and to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other sleep-disordered breathing medications.

Vivid dreams can be emotionally draining, causing depression or anxiety symptoms. This can be an especially concerning problem if your vivid dreams persist over time. Resisting sleep. You may find that you consciously or subconsciously avoid going to bed or falling asleep because you fear you'll have another bad dream.

oneironaut (plural oneironauts) A person who explores dream worlds, usually associated with lucid dreaming.

Oneiroid syndrome (OS), or dream-like fantastic delusional derangement of consciousness, is characterized by a kaleidoscopic quality of psychopathological experiences, wherein reality, illusions and hallucinations are merged into one. It is typically accompanied by motor and, in particular, catatonic disturbances.

Oneiroid syndrome (OS) is a condition involving dream-like disturbances of one's consciousness by vivid scenic hallucinations, accompanied by catatonic symptoms (either catatonic stupor or excitement), delusions, or psychopathological experiences of a kaleidoscopic nature.

Precognitive dreams are the most widely reported occurrences of precognition. Usually, a dream or vision can only be identified as precognitive after the putative event has taken place. When such an event occurs after a dream, it is said to have "broken the dream".