Dreaming Eases Painful Memories

I'd say the last paragraph tends to take the hope out of the title of the article. If your "painful" memories aren't having a significant impact on your day-to-day life, they probably aren't that painful.

The conclusion is implied... conjecture to some degree. Besides, you don't need to note increased blood circulation in a certain part of the brain for dreamers to know that they are processing thoughts and memories. They know this from the automatic reflection that happens when dreams are remembered. That's instinctive.

It also isn't explained what images were shown to subjects. If they weren't connected to some personal experience in the subject's life, then you haven't really studied the most personal pain. I suppose the hope is that even images "detached" from a subject's life might evoke their own memory (as remembered images) of an event that is personal. But unless the subjects are interviewed for that connection, dots may not be as "connectable."

Dreams and dreaming are quite vast subjects that are still little understood. Dreams can be "cultivated." There are dreams, then there are lucid dreams and, further, what some call "visions." As an extension or expression of consciousness, until we understand that, we may not know the true significance... or not... of dreaming of any kind.