THE RELATIONSHIP OF REM DREAMING AND ECOLOGICAL RISK AMONG FIREFIGHTERS

1. THE RELATIONSHIP OF REM DREAMING AND ECOLOGICAL RISK AMONG FIREFIGHTERS Stacey Rucas PhD1; Alissa Miller1; Rikki Murphy1; Alex Roa1; Michael Muehlenbein, PhD2 1California Polytechnic State University, 2Indiana University ABSTRACT RESULTS DISCUSSION INTRODUCTION Using discriminate analysis in SPSS, it was found that; 1.) Men at stations with higher risk rankings, 2.) Men who are awakened more often for all emergency calls, and 3.) Men who were awakened for a higher proportion of fire related calls experience stronger intensity of fearful, anxious, and panicked emotions in their dreams (Figs. 1, 2, and 3). Binary logistic regression was used to investigate age effects and sleep location on the likelihood of having frightful dreams. Data indicate that younger men are significantly more likely to experience frightful dreams while sleeping at the station indicates a stronger sense of confidence among older males due to greater years on the job (Fig. 4). We also found a relationship between station risk ranking and both the likelihood of having fire related dreams and non-typical task dreams (p=.08, p=.003, Fig. 7). Binary logistic regression indicated that men at stations with higher call volumes experience significantly more dreams related to oral sex (Fig. 5), but not to an overall number of sex dreams. It is unclear exactly why the correlation is only significant with this particular type of sex dream and not others. Discriminate analysis was used to examine the relationship between recent amount of sexual content in dreams and the intensity of the desire for sex within the next 24 hours. Data indicates that sexual content in dreams significantly predicts reported desire for sex (Fig. 6). Our research indicates that contrary to popular randomness theories, dream content exhibits predictable patterning. This data further specifies that dreams significantly correlate to ecological circumstances, and the riskiness associated with the productive and reproductive environment. Men who work at stations with more males report having more competitive dreams, including physical fights, sports competitions, and work and status competitions. The frequency of awakening due to emergency calls is associated with increases in oral sex dreams, supporting a behavioral response to risk through increases in reproductive investment. A relationship between dream content and behavioral motivation was indicated via correlations between sex-dreams and current desires for sex. Emotions are strong motivators and our data indicates strong panicked, anxious and fearful emotional dream responses due to ecological stress as measured by call volume, station riskiness rankings, and number of times awakened for fire related incidents. Non-typical task dreams and fire-related dreams were associated with station risk ranking. Future work should explore relationships between health and morbidity outcomes with dream content and associated emotions. We tested the ecological theory of dreaming to address the question of whether REM dreams and their associated emotional content alter in quantity or intensity to reflect the environment and the level of risk required in order to survive. This research hypothesized that individuals experience more intense survival, competitive, and reproductive dreams in risky environments that require more waking time. Firefighters were targeted as the sample population, because they are a unique group that, due to job demands and structure of their work environment, exhibit varying levels of physical and mental stress. Call volume and emergency response fluctuate greatly by station, thus providing additional variation in the level of ecological risk encountered by individuals of different stations. Extensive dreaming and sleep quality interviews were correlated to call volume and independent measures of physical and mental stress. The ecological theory of sleep hypothesizes that REM dreaming evolved to provide a safe virtual environment whereby individuals can play out reproductive and survival strategies within a safe environment, sometimes mimicking those that may rarely occur during wake states, but for which optimal quick responses are of critical importance to an individual’s success and fitness (Revonsuo 2000; Valli, Revonsuo et al. 2005). Several lines of evidence indicate that, contrary to random generating hypotheses, dreams are organized and selective and include a variety of evolutionarily relevant themes (Mackey and Immerman 2006). What is not known however, is to what extent specific ecological factors influence dreaming content and subsequent emotions, which are strong motivators for behavior. One hypothesis proposes that dreams simply rehearse evolutionarily relevant scenarios. Therefore dream content would not necessarily reflect current ecological circumstances. This work proposes the opposite hypothesis. We predict using behavioral ecology theory that dream content and emotions alter to reinforce optimal fitness responses as they relate to current circumstances. METHODSANDMATERIALS The pilot dreaming sample size included 233 males from the San Luis Obispo Unit of Cal Fire/County Firefighters employed across 19 stations and varying in age, marital status, job position. Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered from each of the participants by means of interviews and online surveys, and included questions pertaining to general demographics, work history, sleep quality, reproductive inclinations and life history, and dream content. Dream questionnaires targeted quantity of common themes and their evoked emotions. Ecological risk was assed using several measures including the percentage of fire-related station calls, administrative risk ranking, average call volume per person, number of times awakened for any call, number of times awakened for a fire call, and number of males at the station. Given this extensive variation, several predictions were made; 1.) Men at riskier stations will have more unpredictable dreams (as opposed to typical daily activities, 2.) Men at riskier stations will be more interested in sex (quantity strategy), 3.) Men at riskier stations will experience stronger threat associated emotions and content in their dreams, 4.) Men at larger stations will have more competitive content in their dreams, and 5.) Younger men will experience more fearful dreams. Figure 6. p=045, n=120 3.5 baseline average Figure 5. p=037, n=36 Image 1. Team site visit Shandon Station Image 2. Project debriefing Paso Robles Station REFERENCES Figure 1. Panic p=.01, n=63 Anxiety p=.03, n=60 Figure 2.Panic p=.07, n=44 Anxiety p=.049, n=57 • Mackey, W. and R. Immerman (2006). "A corollary to Revonsuo's: "The reinterpretadon of dreams"." Mankind Quarterly47(1): 61-77. • Revonsuo, A. (2000). "The reinterpretation of dreams: An evolutionary hypothesis of the function of dreaming." Behavioral and Brain Sciences23: 877-901. • Valli, K., A. Revonsuo, et al. (2005). "The threat simulation theory of the evolutionary function of dreaming: Evidence from dreams of traumatized children." Consciousness and Cognition14(1): 188-218. Image 4. Alex Roa working the Gap Fire Image 3. Michael Muehlenbein working in his endocrinology lab ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Figure 7. p=.003, n=214 This project was funded by an Extra-Mural Funding Initiative Award and College Based Fees from Cal Poly.  Special thanks are given to Marlee Miller for logistical assistance and Deputy Chief Pat Kerschen and Battalion Chief Tim Eckles of Cal Fire/San Luis Obispo County Fire for their unwavering support of this project and its goals.. Image 5. Dr. Stacey Rucas and Dr. Michael Gurven at Sleep Project Headquarters Figure 4. p=.020, n=36 Figure 3. p=.049, n=71 Img 7. Dr. Michael Muehlenbein Indiana University