Does global warming affect dream content? Analyzing a 30-yr. dream series
University Library Heidelberg January 14, 2021 DOI: 10.11588/ijodr.2021.1.78020 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A single dreamer |
| Duration | 1984 to 2015 (over 30 years) |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Dream Content measure theory Snow Affect linguistics Psychoanalysis Meteorology Psychotherapist Communication |
| Key findings | Cold elements in dreams decreased over a 30-year period, suggesting dreams may reflect global environmental changes. |
Abstract
The continuity hypothesis of dreaming postulates that dreams reflect waking life, e.g. preoccupations, experiences, thoughts; however, other topics like seasonal changes have been studied very rarely. A long dream series recorded between 1984 and 2015 (over 30 years) including 11,808 dreams showed that “cold” elements like snow, ice, and hail occurred less often over time and, thus, indicates that dreams might provide clues regarding global changes. Using modern tools for digital dream content analysis might enable researchers to validate this preliminary finding using other large data sets.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study The author | 1980 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares People with recurrent nightmares | 2010 | Case study | n = 5 |
| Treating Chronic Nightmares of Sexual Assault Survivors with an Intellectual Disability – Two Descriptive Case Studies Adults with learning disabilities suffering from post-traumatic nightmares | 2006 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Lucid dreaming: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during rem sleep A lucid dreamer | 1984 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: A series of cases. Participants with nightmares | 2003 | Case series | n = 8 |