Video game play as nightmare protection: A preliminary inquiry with military gamers.
Dreaming August 22, 2011 Jayne Gackenbach, Evelyn Ellerman, Christie Hall 22 citations
Soldiers who play video games frequently report less threat and war content in their military-related dreams compared to those who game less often. The study surveyed soldiers, excluding those with recent psychological problems, and collected questionnaires on demographics, gaming history, emotional reactivity, trauma, and dream reports. Dream content was analyzed for threat simulation, war themes, and lucid or gaming elements. High-frequency gamers showed reduced threat and war imagery in their military dreams, even after accounting for emotional distress and trauma history.