J F Pagel

Cape Breton University, Psychology, Faculty Member

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Dr. James Pagel is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Director of Rocky Mt. Sleep. He is the co-editor of one of the major Sleep Medicine texts: Primary Care Sleep Medicine (Humana, 2007) (2nd Edition, Springer, 2014). Over the last 35 years, his clinical and research work, primarily focused on the cognitive state of dreaming, has resulted in more than 180 publications. These include work on the effects of dreaming on waking behavior, dreams and disasters, dream and nightmare use in creative process and film making, parasomnias, machine dreaming, narcolepsy, pediatric sleep, and non-dreaming, as well as the effects of insomnia, sleep apnea, and medications on dreaming and nightmares. His books include: The Limits of Dream: A Scientific Exploration of the Mind/Brain Interface (Academic Press – Elsevier, 2007), Dreaming and Nightmares (Ed.) (Saunders, 2010), Dream Science: Exploring the Forms of Consciousness (Academic Press, 2014) and Machine Dreaming and Consciousness (Academic Press, 2017).

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Papers by J F Pagel

The Persistent Paradox of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REMS): Brain Waves and Dreaming

Brain Science, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more

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Medications and Sleep

Encyclopedia of Sleep, 2013

Pharmacological agents known to induce central nervous system (CNS) effects and/or CNS side effec... more Pharmacological agents known to induce central nervous system (CNS) effects and/or CNS side effects almost always affect sleep. These effects include alteration in cognitive levels of sleepiness/alertness, affects on the symptoms of medical, sleep, and psychiatric diagnoses known to affect sleep, and/or alteration of cognitive activity during sleep – generally reported as dreaming. Most drugs affecting sleep exert effects through the γ-aminobutyrate neurotransmitter receptor system. The sleep-associated cognitive states are neurochemically complex. Medications that have the clinical effects of arousal (insomnia) and/or sedation are those that alter reports of dreaming and nightmares.

Synchronous Physiological Electrical Fields

Exploring the Collective Unconscious in the Age of Digital Media, 2016

Humans utilize sensory and motor systems developed genetically, physically and socially for inter... more Humans utilize sensory and motor systems developed genetically, physically and socially for interfacing with our external environment. We use these same systems to interface in our interactions with artificial intelligence. There are other functioning central nervous system (CNS) systems, however, involved in cognitive processing for which the function and environmental interface is less clear. The synchronous physiologic electrical field system utilizes broadcast extracellular electrical fields for a wide variety of CNS functions. The operations of this system are usually non-conscious and most apparent during sleep (especially the conscious states of sleep that include dreaming), and un-focused waking. The electrical fields of this system are altered and affected by both internal and external stimuli. These fields can be monitored and analyzed by artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and independently of human input, AI systems can utilize similar frequency based electrical potent...

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Animal Dreaming—Animal Consciousness

Versions of dreaming and consciousness are present in our closest relatives, as well as in creatu... more Versions of dreaming and consciousness are present in our closest relatives, as well as in creatures existing on only the edge of biological existence. The question of “dreaming” in dogs is addressed as well as its closest human equivalents: REM behavior disorder and periodic limb movements of sleep. The evidence for dream functions (threat rehearsal, emotional processing, and creativity) is considered from an individual and species perspective. Consciousness is considered in animals, humans, and machines as based on primary, secondary, and tertiary constructs. Aspects of consciousness (attention, intention, self-awareness, and reflexive consciousness) are also defined and compared.

Section I: Machine Dreaming and Consciousness—The Human Perspective

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness, 2017

Viewing the Border Between Brain and Mind: A Modified Cartesian Perspective

The brain component is different for each of the cognitive states. The component of each state th... more The brain component is different for each of the cognitive states. The component of each state that could be considered as mind varies for each state as well as between individuals. The modified Cartesian perspective is used to build a conceptual model of the mind/brain border cutting its path across the cognitive states. Some cognitive states are predominantly brain-based and could be created as artificial constructs outside biological systems such as motor action, communication, and calculation. The border varies and changes like a fuzzy dotted line. That change would occur for the scientist as technology leads to an increased understanding of the extent of the brain basis for each of these states. That change occurs for each individual through the experience of life. The relative component of mind and brain, the looseness and/or concreteness of the border, are likely to change, and to be different in different individuals. A focus on psychoanalytic theories of mind is helpful in ...

Chronic PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2020

Nightmare Science

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2020

Dreaming: The Human Perspective

In order to determine whether AI systems have the capacity to experience dream-like cognition, we... more In order to determine whether AI systems have the capacity to experience dream-like cognition, we must first attempt to define what we call dreaming. Based on archeological and historic records, dreaming has been a human topic of study for over 6000 years. Primary definitions used for dreaming include: (1) messages from God; (2) sleep-associated mental activity; (3) Freudian-based metaphor; (4) bizarre and hallucinatory mentation; (5) REM sleep; and (6) lucid capability during sleep. Dreams have also been studied independent of definition by addressing associated phenomenology. Dream recall, dream content, and dream affects on waking behavior have been studied in this manner. Dreaming as variously defined, and characterized based on phenomenology, may be within the capacity of some machine systems.

Unzipping PTSD: Criteria and Screeners

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2020

Treating the Emergency: Acute Trauma

Section III: The Philosophy of Machine Dreaming

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness, 2017

Medication effects on sleep

Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007

Treatment of insomnia

American family physician

Section III: The Philosophy of Machine Dreaming

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness, 2017

Medication effects on sleep

Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007

Treatment of insomnia

American family physician

Medication effects on sleep

Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007

Each person spends one third of his or her life asleep. It is not surprising that such a complex ... more Each person spends one third of his or her life asleep. It is not surprising that such a complex and pervasive cognitive state should be affected by drugs in many different ways. A philosophy that remains cogent for the CNS is that new research almost always shows this system to be more complex than previously thought. Only a few years ago, if patients complained of difficulty sleeping, they were given pills, often dangerous and addictive pills, to induce sleep no matter what the basis of the complaint might be. Sleeping pills may be safer now, and the understanding of the sleep state itself has increased rapidly. Diagnoses are still diffuse, however, and treatments are often poorly directed. Depression is the offspring of the phlegmatic disposition and the melancholia of another era. Clinically, diagnosis is based on a global assessment of symptoms. It is likely that a diagnosis of depression may include a spectrum of underlying diseases that cannot now be clinically differentiated. Medications have multiple effects on sleep and have many side effects. Progress has, however, been made beyond mother's little pills. Insomnia is no longer a diagnosis but a complaint to be addressed--a symptom of 1 of 60 potential sleep disorders. Each of these disorders has specific and appropriate treatments.

The Persistent Paradox of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REMS): Brain Waves and Dreaming

Brain Science, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more

Download

Medications and Sleep

Encyclopedia of Sleep, 2013

Synchronous Physiological Electrical Fields

Exploring the Collective Unconscious in the Age of Digital Media, 2016

Download

Animal Dreaming—Animal Consciousness

Section I: Machine Dreaming and Consciousness—The Human Perspective

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness, 2017

Viewing the Border Between Brain and Mind: A Modified Cartesian Perspective

Chronic PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2020

Nightmare Science

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2020

Dreaming: The Human Perspective

Unzipping PTSD: Criteria and Screeners

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2020

Treating the Emergency: Acute Trauma

Section III: The Philosophy of Machine Dreaming

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness, 2017

Medication effects on sleep

Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007

Treatment of insomnia

American family physician

Section III: The Philosophy of Machine Dreaming

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness, 2017

Medication effects on sleep

Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007

Treatment of insomnia

American family physician

Medication effects on sleep

Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007

DRUG INDUCED HYPERSOMNOLENCE

Many drugs induce sedation. Drug induced hypersomnolence has significant negative personal and so... more Many drugs induce sedation. Drug induced hypersomnolence has significant negative personal and social effects, including an involvement in at least one-third of motor vehicular accident (MVA) deaths 1. Drugs of abuse most often induce hypersomnolence as a direct effect (ethanol, cannabis, opiates), or by potentiating sleep disturbances known to induce daytime sleepiness such as sleep apnea (ethanol, opiates) and chronic sleep deprivation (amphetamines). Drug induced sleepiness is among the most commonly reported effect and/or side effect of pharmacological agents 2. Sedating prescription medications are generally classified as: 1) hypnotics - short-acting agents clinically utilized to induce sleep with minimal effects on waking performance; 2) sedatives - agents that diminish arousal, and commonly produce sedation that affects both wake and sleep; and 3) agents utilized clinically for other purposes that produce sedation as a side effect. These categories are not concrete, and some drugs meet criteria for multiple categories.

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THE CREATIVE UTILIZATION OF NIGHTMARES BY SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS – AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO PTSD?

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is arguably the most dangerous of sleep-associated diagnose... more Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is arguably the most dangerous of sleep-associated diagnoses with a higher associated morbidity and mortality than any other commonly experienced sleep or psychiatric disorder. While multiple treatment modalities giving short-term symptomatic relief from symptoms are available, longer-term treatment cures are rare, so that for many of those affected PTSD becomes a life-long disorder. Many successful artists use their nightmares in their work. This small study (N=14) is based on a series of in-depth interviews with such artists, including an assessment of nightmare use in their work, any experience of trauma that may have contributed to their nightmares, and an assessment as to any past and current symptoms of PTSD. While some of these artists were best classified diagnostically as having Nightmare Disorder, a majority (11/14) of these successful artists had histories of significant trauma, and met DSM-V diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Their is some evidence that these individuals did their best creative work after their experiences of trauma. These findings suggest that for the artist, nightmare expression rather than suppression (the objective of most PTSD therapies) might be a reasonable therapeutic option.

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J F Pagel

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