PAPER 119
SLEEP AND DREAM IN ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS '
J.-P. BANQUET 1, C. HAYNES 2 , J. R. HEBERT 2 , and W. REBER 2
'LENA, La Salpetriere, Paris
EEG Laboratory, Maharishi European Research University, Seelisberg, Switzerland
2
Research completed October 1976.
The phrase 'altered states of consciousness' in this paper refers to higher states of consciousness developed through the Transcendental Meditation programme. Subjects practising Transcendental Meditation were found to require less sleep during the night than controls. In
addition, the number of sleep stages was fewer and their duration shorter, except for stage 1,
which was longer .-EDITORS
INTRODUCTION
A large number of EEG results have established
Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) as different
from sleep (Banquet, 1974-1976; Levine, 1976)
notwithstanding the possibility of sleep during these
states (Pagano et al., 1976). Nevertheless, normal
sleep and these ASC seem to have some relation.
During the ASC, periods of reduced metabolism and
mental activity may parallel Deep Sleep (DS)
phases, but awareness is maintained; occasional
sensory experience could parallel Paradoxical Sleep
(PS).
Bearing this in mind we hypothesized changes in
night sleep cycling patterns for subjects involved in
intensive training by an ASC (Transcendental Medi-
836
tation). The data presented in this paper are intended
to prove this hypothesis.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Five subjects whose age ranged from 18 to 28
(average 23.8) were recorded at the end of a six
months intensive training program that included several hours per day of Transcendental Meditation
(TM) as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi-there
was no napping during day time. (Subjects rested
during 15-30 min in the afternoon, without sleep).
Five controls (16 to 48 years old, average 24.4) were
studied with the same protocol. A total of 10 nights
sleep were analyzed in this study.
BANQUET ET AL.
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND EEG CHANGES: SLEEP AND DREAM
Six standard EEG derivations (01-2, C3-4,
F3-4), the surface EMG (Electromyogram) on the
chin and 2 eye movements electrodes (located at the
outer canthus of each eye) were recorded. Linked ear
lobe electrodes served as neutral points. Records
were made on a Grass Model 76B at a gain of 10
mm/50 ~V and 0.3 sec time constant.
The subjects had already been recorded in the
laboratory during daytime, in meditation sessions,
but for all subjects and controls (except 1 subject) it
was the first sleep session under laboratory conditions. However, the laboratory was in the same
building where subjects lived and spent their training
sessions. This point will be discussed later.
The sleep stages were scored according to the criteria of the handbook of Rechtschaffen and Kales
(1968). Special attention was given to REM periods
characterized by 6 values, namely, latency (L), situation,* duration (D), the total number of REMs (N),
and their average number occuring in a group as well
as the REM frequency (F = N/D).
Latency and situation of the REM periods -The
latency of each REM period was counted in minutes
starting from the first Stage 2 Sleep (time zero).
Two REM periods were individualized if separated by
a phase of slow activity (Stage 3, 4).
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119
Duration of the REM periods -A typical Stage 1
EEG combined with an absence of muscular tone
were the ''tonic criteria''. The occurrence of REM in
the following 1 or 2 min was the "phasic" confirmation of the dream period.
Number of REMs- Any REM occurring in at least
one derivation was taken into account.
REM groups - Two REMs belonged to the same
group if they were separated by less than 10 sec.
RESULTS
The results cover both the overall organization of
the different sleep cycles and the more specific
analysis of REM periods.
I. OVERALL ORGANIZATION OF SLEEP CYCLES-
The sequential organization of the 5 sleep stages
does not differ between the experimental subjects
and the controls. The subjects present normal cyclic
patterns of sleep, but this preservation of the organization of sleep is accompanied by dramatic changes
in duration of the different stages.
Table 1 shows that the control group does not
differ significantly from reports of the literature
(Webb et al. , 1968) for the same age group. But the
TABLE 1
MFAN VALUES OF SLEEP PARAMETERS IN SUBJECfS, CONTROLS, AND LITERATURE
MEANS
REM PERIODS
TOTAL
SLEEP
~
266.3 ± 58.6
419.1 ± 54.4
435
p(t) < .002
SUBJECTS
CONTROLS
LITERATURE
SUBJECTS VS. CONTROL
CYCLES
Length (total)
O'fo
Number
Length
Number
35.2 ± 16.8
81.7 ± 22.1
105
p(t) < .005
13.2
19.5
24.2
2.4 ± .6
4 ± 1
4.1
p(t) < .02
88 ± 8.1
100 ± 33.9
95.8 ± 8.7
NS
1.4
2.8
2.6
p(t) < .02
TABLE2
SLEEP STAGES DuRATION (MIN) AND PERCENTAGE IN SUBJECTS, CONTROLS, AND LITERATURE
SUBJECTS
CONTROLS
LITERATURE
STAGES
Means
0
1
2
3
4
REM
Movement Time
TOTAL
31.5
51.8
122.8
39.4
9.8
35.2
7.3
266.3
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
49.1
38.2
44.8
18.0
17.2
16.8
5.3
58.6
O'fo
11.8
19.4
46.1
14.8
3.7
13.2
2.7
p(t)
NS
NS
NS
<.02
<.005
<.05
<.002
Means
O'fo
Means
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
1.8
8.2
44.0
10.5
14.5
19.5
3.3
4.2
20.9
209.0
29.3
54.3
100.3
7.6
34.5
184.5
43.8
60.6
81.7
17.4
419.1
13.9
45.1
88.1
22.9
38.6
22.1
23.6
54.4
O'fo
1
5
so
7
13
24
418
*situation of the REM period in the night's sleep
837
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
difference between subjects and controls is very significant:
Duration of total sleep for subjects is 64% of
same for controls.
Duration and number of dreams of subjects is
respectively 43% and 60% of same for controls.
In this context, cycle length presents a remarkable
stability since it is just slightly shorter in the subjects,
but number of cycles of subjects is 60% of the
controls' number.
· jects are slightly but not significantly decreased in length and actually slightly higher in
the percentage of the total duration.
3. Lengthened stages- Stages 0 and 1 are significantly increased in absolute length and
percentage of the duration of the total. Stage 1
duration of the subjects is 150% of same for
controls. Stage 0 is longer, but this last result is
ambiguous and will be discussed later.
II. REM PERIODS ORGANIZATION- In order to investigate further the dramatic shortening of REM time
previously reported in experimental subjects we
analyzed the tonic aspect of REM periods (duration)
and their phasic character indicated by number, frequency and grouping of REMs (number of REM per
group). These variables were related to rank and
latency of REM periods.
Table 2 gives more details about the different
stages. We notice 3 separate trends:
1. Shortened stages - Besides the REM stage
mentioned above, Stage 4 duration for the
subjects is 16% of same for controls and
almost absent in 3 out of 5 subjects. Movement time of subjects is 42% of same for controls. These 3 stages are decreased in absolute
length as well as percent of the total duration.
2. Unchanged stages -Stages 2 and 3 of the sub-
30
Rank effect -According to the conclusions of Benoit et al. ( 1974) the larger the rank of the REM period
the longer the period, the greater the number of eye
movements and the higher their frequency. The re-
300
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controls
FIG. 1. EVOLUTION OF THE MFANS OF DURATION, NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF REM ACCORDING TO THE RANK OF THE REM PERIOD
FOR THE SUBJECTS AND CONTROLS. The control group reaches higher (twice or more) and later (3rd or 4th rank) maximal values
than subjects (1st or 2nd rank).
838
BANQUET ET AL.
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND EEG CHANGES: SLEEP AND DREAM
-PAPER
119
TABLE 3
AVERAGE VALUES CLASSIFIED BY RANK
SUBJECTS
RANK
·-----
Laten~y } REM-Period
Duration
Number }
Frequency REMs
Grouping
Average
2
MEANS
94.4
19.9
54
3.2
3.3
±
±
±
±
35.1
15.8
37
2
188.3 ± 30.2
15.5 ± 5.5
71 ± 18.7
4.7 ± 1.2
3.6
275.5
6
15.5
2.8
2.1
13.8 ± 7.1
43.8 ± 28.4
3.6 ± 1
3
CONTROLS
RANK
~
Laten~y } REM-Period
Duration
Number }
Frequency REMs
Grouping
± 63
± 3.1
± 3.5
±
.8
2
98.2
12.6
86.4
5.8
4.9
± 49.6
± 4.3
± 93.9
± 5.5
206.2
22.9
161.4
7
4.9
± 38.9
± 5.1
± 98.1
± 4.2
suits in the control group agree with that only for the
frequency of REM. Duration and number of REM
reach a maximum respectively at the 3rd and 4th
rank, after which they fall below the starting level at
the 5th rank (Fig. 1).
The experimental subjects have a maximum
number of 3 REM periods, versus 5 for controls,
reaching a maximum value of the parameters (which
is half of the controls' value or even less for REM
number N) during 2nd rank dream (1st rank for
duration), and falling below the starting level at 3rd
rank REM period (Fig. 1). The grouping of REMs
follows a curve parallel to that of REM number.
Latency effect -In the control group tonic and
phasic characteristics increase slowly (number and
frequency increasing more rapidly than duration)
reaching a maximum between 300 and 360 min;
decrease sharply until 420 min and later stabilize.
The experimental subjects present a mirror image of
this curve, with sharp increase of the parameters,
maximal value between 60 -120 min, slow decrease
and later stabilization.
To summarize, tonic and phasic characteristics of
the subjects' REM periods reach maximal values be·tween the 1st and 2nd hour of sleep, in the 1st or
2nd REM period. Maxima in the control group occur
between the 5th and 6th hour, in the 3rd or 4th
REM period.
Average
4
301.9
30.2
264.8
8.4
5.6
± 30.8
± 24.4
± 254.5
±
3
367.7
25
276.7
8.6
6.2
± 56.2
± 21.5
± 243.8
5.2
±
434.4
4.9
36
7.4
4.3
± 12.2
±
.2
± 2.8
±
.3
19.1 ± 10.2
165.1 ± 106.4
7.4 ±
1.1
5.2
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The "first night effect" altered very little the
characteristics of sleep in the control group as indicated by comparison with reports in the literature.
Since the conditions were similar for controls and
subjects, the most important results concern the
dramatic decrease of total sleep and alteration of the
REM pattern of experimental subjects. The total sleep
duration of the subjects was 2/3 that of the controls,
with the absence of sleep in the meditation immediately following their night's sleep and no napping during the following day. Questioning of the
subjects showed that this sleep schedule was usual
during the training. Moreover, a followup revealed
that sleep duration increased very little (about one
hour) when subjects returned to active life. Referring
to Hartman's work (1968), if we notice that the
sleep cycle was shortened and Stage 4 sleep almost
nil in most of the subjects, we infer that the Transcendental Meditation program can alter (possibly increase) the level of serotonin of the brain, and/or act
upon a hypothetical sleep factor. Taking into account
the REM pattern alteration, TM could simultaneously
act as a facilitator and a substitute for the REM process. (Indeed the total number of REMs of subjects is
more than 6 times less than that of controls.)
Finally, increased Stage 0 in subjects is ambiguous
because we counted as Stage 0 records with occipital
alpha and low amplitude mixed frequencies in an-
839
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 2
terior derivations. This is characteristic of the sleep
onset pattern of experimental subjects and there were
no more awakenings during the night for these subjects.
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840
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