Dreaming as Delirium

Hobson, J. Allan. Dreaming as Delirium. Cambridge MIT Press, 1999. Hofmann, Albert. LSD My Problem Child. New York McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1980. 

Sleep loss is therefore common in and contributes powerfully to the development of psychosis. In the case of schizophrenia (now thought to be a disorder of excessive dopamine release and/or heightened effectiveness of dopamine), we can hypothesize an indirect but positive interaction with the other modulators of the awake state, noradrenaline and serotonin, and a direct negative interaction with acetylcholine. Significantly for my dreaming-as-delirium thesis, no distinctive changes in sleep are seen in chronic schizophrenia. 

Why do I use the qualifier "so-called in this discussion Because stimulant psychosis—and schizophrenia—must both be as much organic as they are functional. They are just different kinds of organic psychosis from those characterized by delirium. And why are they different Because the stimulants suppress REM physiology and with it dreaming, whereas the psychedelics enhance REM physiology (or at least some aspects of it). 

They are rarely related to the body (i.e. somatic) as they can be in depression (a common feature of which is a mistaken conviction about lost, defective, or diseased body parts). The grandiosity and fearless elation of mania are shared with dream psychosis, although these features are also found in organic delirium, especially in its chronic, post-intoxication phase. 

Ketamine, a compound chemically related to PCP, is used primarily as a veterinary anesthetic but has gained popularity recently as a recreational drug Once used extensively in human medicine, it has fallen out of favor because of emergence delirium, characterized by hallucinations, delirium, vivid dreams, and other psychiatric effects. This untoward effect as a medicinal agent is precisely the effect that recreational users are seeking. 

There have been several reports that some species of fish are psychotogenic in that ingestion can cause delirium, mental disorder or hallucinations. Indeed one of the sea chub family, Kyphosus fuscus, reputedly causes nightmares and is subsequently referred to in certain regions of the Pacific as the "dream fish". 

Ketamine can cause attention deficits and memory problems. At higher doses, users may experience symptoms similar to those seen with phencyclidine (PCP) use, such as hallucinations, dream-like states, or delirium. Even higher doses of Ketamine may cause high blood pressure, depression, and severe breathing problems, which may lead to death. 

Emergence from ketamine s anesthesia may be associated with psychological manifestations such as pleasant dream-like states, vivid imagery, hallucinations and emergence delirium, sometimes accompanied by confusion, excitement, and irrational behavior. The duration is ordinarily a few hours however, recurrences have been seen up to 24 hours postoperatively. No residual psychological... 

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