Alexithymia, a trait involving difficulty identifying and describing emotions and limited imagination, is linked to how people experience and relate to their dreams. In 30 non-clinical adults, higher alexithymia was associated with stronger dream correlates and a more negative attitude toward dreams. Trait anxiety was linked to more frequent nightmares, while self-reported depression was associated with more déjà-vu experiences in dreams. The findings suggest that emotional regulation traits shape dream quality and content.
Nightmares are associated with higher levels of depressive distress and increased intensity of both state and trait anxiety. Depression is more severe in individuals experiencing recent stress, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings during the night. Stable anxious traits contribute to frequent awakenings during the night. The frequency of nightmares is linked to stress, overexertion, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings. Dream recall is related to stress, with those experiencing recent stress tending to recall their dreams more often.
The article argues that subjective experience and narrative interpretation can be understood through a cognitive re-evaluation of the self from the first-person perspective, bridging phenomenology and cognitivism. It examines phenomenal consciousness through Daniel Dennett's theory of intentionality, proposing that the reflected self is a form of consciousness that continuously updates a divided or hyphenated self. The work suggests that a new hybrid self emerges through intercommunication and awareness of self via 'us'. Drawing on theory of mind, the fluctuations of self and subjectivity aim to reveal self-existence. Ultimately, the article explores self-awareness as a new form of intentional dynamics, rethinking the self's position in relation to the hyper-reality of mental metabolism.