Why Some Dreams Stick

Why do some dreams feel like vivid movies while others vanish the moment you open your eyes?

It turns out your brain uses the same "save" button for dreams as it does for real-life experiences.

Using high-density EEG, scientists have found that successful dream recall is

linked to specific electrical patterns in the minutes before you wake up. Specifically,

theta oscillations in your frontal cortex—the exact same signals your brain uses to record

memories while you're wide awake—predict whether you’ll remember a dream from REM sleep.

This "continuity model" suggests that dreaming isn't some separate, mysterious state;

it’s actually a variation of the mental imagery and memory systems we use every single