Can Dream Science Be Used To Elicit Healthy Behaviors?
LSHTM Research Online May 19, 2018 Nadia Judith Bijaoui, Joshua Bernstein, Christine Markham et al.
Dreaming, long studied as oneirology, may promote healthy behaviors when the psyche's structure is consciously understood. This narrative review examines relationships between dreaming and health promotion through the lens of Freudian dream theory. It classifies current evidence according to psychoanalytic fundamentals and suggests new approaches, including a possible explanation for the REM sleep paradox and proposed terms pre-REM and post-REM to replace NREM sleep. Parallels between selected studies and health promotion benefits are drawn, proposing lines of research to improve physical and mental health. Further dream science could open unexplored areas in public health, neuropsychoanalysis, and integrative health promotion.