Dreamers as agents making strategizing efforts exemplify core aggregate of executive function in non-lucid dreaming
heiDOK (Heidelberg University) January 1, 2012 Miloslava Kozmová 12 citations
Dreamers can use higher-order thinking to solve problems during non-lucid dreaming. Analysis of archived cross-cultural dreams identified eight executive thought processes: analytical, decision-making, defense mechanisms, evaluative, goal-oriented, interpretative, motivational, and self-determinative. These serve four purposes: gathering information, making judgments, protecting oneself and maximizing success, and exercising volition, agency, and autonomy. The findings suggest that strategic thinking during dreams is a real cognitive capacity, not limited to lucid dreaming, and may have neural correlates that future research could investigate.