Dreaming

Thematic and content analysis of positively toned dreams.
This study aimed to investigate a large sample of highly positive dreams to better understand the overarching themes and emotions present in such dream reports and the way in which highly positive dreams unfold. Participants (N = 345) included in the present study kept home dream journals in which they were asked to write down their dreams each morning upon awakening over the course of 2–5 consecutive weeks. The prevalence of maximally rated positive dreams in our sample of 5,502 everyday dream reports was 3.4% and 118 dream narratives reported by 88 participants (26 men and 62 women) who self-rated these dreams as containing intense positive emotions were subsequently analyzed. The three most common themes in this sample of highly positive dreams were sexual content, positive platonic social interactions, and nature/bountiful environment. The most frequently reported emotions in the sample included joy, lust/sexual arousal, pride, calmness/serenity, surprise, and playfulness/amusement. Approximately 16% of all highly positive dreams also contained negative emotions. When compared to women, men were significantly more likely to report themes of positive platonic social interactions and artistic creations and endeavors. No sex differences were found for emotions. Finally, almost half of all highly positive dreams contained triggering factors that rendered the dream positive or enhanced the positive emotion in the dream, and almost 25% of our sample of highly positive dreams were lucid dreams. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the broader literature on dreams. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Differential brain activation during dream versus story recognition in the medial prefrontal cortex: An event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
Compared to ordinary memories, dream memories still have something mysterious about them and invite interpretation. The aim of this study was the simple but fundamental question whether this (perceived, presumed) emotional–mental specificity of dream memories is associated with something specific at the level of brain physiology. Subjects were n = 30 healthy volunteers, aged 21–62 years, who had experienced a significant high-intensity dream or had repeatedly experienced such a dream. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a recognition memory paradigm, we investigated the neural correlates of recognition of “dream words” compared to “story words.” Thirty dream words that best represented the dream were extracted during a qualitative dream interview with intensive dream reliving. Thirty story words were learned through self-directed effort from a written short story. These items, along with 60 additional distractor words from the dictionary, were randomly presented on the scanner in an old/new decision task. When dream words were statistically contrasted with story words in terms of their blood-oxygen-level-dependent effects, the difference was significant (p <.001, effect size dz = 1.2). By superimposing the mean contrast image on a reference brain, we were able to localize the specificity of dream activation in the medial orbitofrontal cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, a central part of the default mode network. The results suggest that dream memories are differentially processed in these areas. A novel experimental design was demonstrated that allows precise control of dream stimuli for future functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Revisiting trait and state predictors of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress.
Previous research has yielded mixed results as to whether state or trait factors best predict nightmare frequency and nightmare distress. Several previous studies examining state and trait factors have included psychological distress as a state factor while neuroticism, absorption, and psychological boundaries have been included as trait factors. Using a sample of 166 university students, the current study extends previous research by including other trait factors recently found to be important in predicting nightmares—ego strength, emotional dysregulation, and nightmare proneness—in addition to neuroticism, boundaries, and absorption. Regression results found that trait variables combined to account for significant variance in nightmare frequency and nightmare distress above state factors. Nightmare frequency was best accounted for by nightmare proneness and psychological boundaries. Nightmare distress was best accounted for by ego strength and emotional dysregulation. State distress did not independently predict nightmare distress or nightmare frequency after accounting for trait variables. The results and areas for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Indigenous resilience and healing through dreams and spirituality.
Through Indigenous dream knowledge, Indigenous youth are beginning to find or achieve a new resilience. Their new set of guidance is coming from the dream narrative’s contribution to healing their trauma as more and more people take back their stolen culture, especially, regarding dreams and spirituality that may aid in the building of resilience and healing of trauma. This article looks at the concept of Indigenous dream narrative from the intersections of resilience, spirituality, healing, and trauma by looking at traditional knowledge shared through lived experiences to understand this essential part of Indigenous culture. There are many ways of interpreting of dreams, however, this article will focus on the wisdom and knowledge of Elders and others, who are familiar with Indigenous social–cultural and spiritual perspectives. Analyzing dreams or “dream weaving” is a conduit with a message that can bring about healing and well-being (Lorenz, 2013; Riley-Mukavetz, 2021). An evaluation of dreams, lucid dreaming, and dream knowledge will be included along with spirituality and two-eyed seeing. This enables a duality for assessing how dreams are interpreted within a healing context. Interpreting dreams through the areas of spirituality and healing puts this method in conjunction with the Elders’ roles. This knowledge presented, reflects my own lived experience as an educator of settler-Indigenous background, as I acknowledge how dreams are used to interpret one’s spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental stability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Associations between autobiographical memory and dreaming: An individual-differences approach.
Autobiographical memory and dreaming are ubiquitous in everyday life. The study of their relation has largely been assessed using experimental approaches, abstracting from individual differences, despite evidence of stable individual differences in both mental processes. Here, we examined, for the first time, whether individual differences in the recollective experience of autobiographical memory (measured by the Autobiographical Recollection Test [ART]; Berntsen et al., 2019) are associated with individual differences in dreaming (measured by the Inventory of Dream Experiences and Attitudes, Beaulieu-Prévost et al., 2009) in a sample of 246 participants. The ART showed consistent and robust associations with five out of seven aspects of dreaming, demonstrating that the way people generally remember their personal past is reliably related to the way they experience their dreams. The findings provide new perspectives on the role of autobiographical memory in dreaming as well as on the continuity hypothesis of dreaming. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Characteristics and psychological analysis of typical dreams in orphan college students.
This study intends to explore the characteristics of dreams from orphan college students with corresponding analysis. A total of 139 orphan college students and 201 college students from ordinary family backgrounds were investigated using the Typical Dreams Questionnaire. The most important findings are (a) The average number of typical dream themes dreamed by orphan college students was 5.55, much less than ordinary students with extremely significant difference (p <.001). (b) The top five dream themes for orphan college students were “being chased or pursued but not injured,” “trying again and again to do something,” “falling,” “school, teachers, studying,” and “snakes.” (c) Female orphan college students dreamed of the following themes more than male students: for the themes of “being chased or pursued but not injured” and “trying again and again to do something,” the gender difference was significant (p <.05); for the themes of “snakes” and “a person now alive being dead,” the difference was very significant (p <.01); and for the theme of “falling,” the difference was extremely significant (p <.001). Male orphan college students dreamed of the following themes more than female students: “flying or soaring into the sky” (p <.05) and “seeing yourself in a mirror” (p <.01). The discussion then focuses on the theme of “snake” from orphan college students for more detailed analysis, finding that it may be related to the orphan college students’ inner fear, shadow, repressed desire, negative mother, but also symbolizes rebirth, healing, and individuation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
A study on the effect of mental health on dream intensity among urban village residents.
In order to explore the relationship between the mental health of urban village residents and the intensity of dreams, we conducted the current study using the Symptom Checklist-90 self-rating scale and the Dream Intensity Scale to investigate the mental health status and dream intensity of 1,190 urban village residents recruited by random sampling in Xi’an City, China. A t test, correlation analysis, and one-dimensional regression analysis were conducted using SPSS 24.0. The study’s findings revealed that the lower dream intensity of urban village residents was mainly reflected in the lower number of conscious dreams and nightmares. Dream intensity differed significantly between men and women. There was a significant positive correlation between mental health and dream intensity, and mental health could negatively predict dream intensity to a certain extent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Dreaming - Vol 34, Iss 3