Evidence for an emotional adaptive function of dreams: a cross-cultural study

Dreams in two small-scale forager groups, the BaYaka and Hadza, contain more threat-related content than dreams in Global North populations, yet the Hadza show low negative emotions in their dreams, suggesting emotion regulation through linking threats with non-fearful contexts. The BaYaka display more community-oriented dream content. In contrast, a Global North Nightmare Disorder group shows increased negative emotion content, and a Canadian student sample during COVID-19 shows the highest anxiety dream content. The findings support the idea that dreams in non-clinical populations can reduce anxiety and negative emotions via emotional release, contributing to understanding the evolutionary function of dreaming.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The function of dreams is a longstanding scientific research question. Simulation theories of dream function, which are based on the premise that dreams represent evolutionary past selective pressures and fitness improvement through modified states of consciousness, have yet to be tested in cross-cultural populations that include small-scale forager societies. Here, we analyze dream content with cross-cultural comparisons between the BaYaka and Hadza foraging groups and Global North populations, to test the hypothesis that dreams in forager groups serve a more effective emotion regulation function due to their strong social norms and high interpersonal support. Using a linear mixed effects model we analyzed 896 dreams from 235 individuals across these populations, recorded using sleep diaries and the Most Recent Dream survey method. Dream texts were processed into four super-categories psychosocial constructs using the LIWC-22 dictionary. The BaYaka displayed greater community-oriented dream content. Both the BaYaka and Hadza exhibited heightened threat dream content, while, at the same time, the Hadza demonstrated low negative emotions in their dreams. The Global North Nightmare Disorder group had increased negative emotion content, and the Canadian student sample during the COVID-19 pandemic displayed the highest anxiety dream content. In conclusion, this study supports the notion that dreams in non-clinical populations can effectively regulate emotions by linking potential threats with non-fearful contexts, reducing anxiety and negative emotions through emotional release or catharsis. Overall, this work contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary significance of this altered state of consciousness.