The Transformative Potential of Anesthesia-Induced Dream States

Overview:

Researchers are developing a new therapy for PTSD using anesthesia to induce a specific type of dream that has the potential to help people recover from trauma and improve mental well-being.

Abstract:

Millions of people suffer from anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—a condition that severely impacts quality of life. Despite the availability of various treatments, there remains a significant unmet need for more universally effective therapies for PTSD. In this project, we will develop a novel therapeutic intervention that expands the walls of the ‘Perception Box’ by using anesthesia to induce and sustain a stable therapeutic dream state. We will first develop a neurophysiological biomarker of anesthesia dream experiences in healthy participants using the anesthetic propofol. We will then test this biomarker-guided anesthesia procedure in a double-blind, randomized control trial testing the therapeutic efficacy of this transformative dream experience in reducing symptoms of PTSD.

Broader Impact:

If successful, this approach could be a significant leap forward in PTSD treatment leading to more efficacious interventions. Additionally, this intervention holds immense potential for transforming the treatment of other mental health disorders and advancing surgical and anesthetic practices in general. We have already shown that integrating this approach into standard surgical practices is feasible and promising. We hope that inducing such dream states during anesthesia may enhance the psychological well-being of surgical patients without mental health conditions by reducing surgery-related anxiety and improving post-surgical mood and recovery. Beyond its immediate applications, identifying a neural marker of anesthesia dreaming could significantly contribute to our understanding of the neural correlates of dreaming and of conscious experiences more broadly. These insights could have far-reaching implications across a range of disciplines, spanning from neuroscience and medicine to psychology and philosophy.