1194 Targeted Dream Incubation’s Impact on Dream Self-Efficacy & Joy
Westley Youngren, Emma Angle, Victoria West Staples, Sarina Soligo, Adam Horowitz, Michelle Carr, Guillermo Bernal, Robert Stickgold
Sleep May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaf090.1194 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study with pre-post and follow-up assessments Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Participants who completed a Targeted Dream Incubation protocol |
| Duration | 1.5-hour nap opportunity with one-week follow-up |
| Keywords | Dream Incubation Psychoanalysis Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | Targeted Dream Incubation significantly increased dreaming self-efficacy and joy related to dreams. |
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Targeted Dream Incubation (TDI) is the process of utilizing verbal cues (such as, “while you try to fall asleep, try and think of a tree”) during pre-sleep stages in order to directly shape dream content. Preliminary results have demonstrated that TDI may be able to increase dreaming self-efficacy (DSE). Our study aimed to replicate and extend initial findings by examining TDI’s impact on DSE and related variables.
Methods: Fifteen participants completed the TDI protocol, which included a pre-nap assessment (baseline), a 1.5-hour nap opportunity, a post-nap assessment, and a one-week follow-up assessment. In all assessments, we measured DSE and subjective feelings related to dreaming. During the nap, when entry into hypnagogia was detected (via a portable EEG system) dream reports were collected and afterwards participants were again given the verbal cue and told to continue sleeping. Non-parametric statistics were used to examine descriptives, compare means, and explore linear relationships.
Results: Most participants (n = 12; 80%) reported at least one dream that included the cued subject (a tree). Mean comparison analyses found that post-nap DSE (M = 4.56, SD = 1.55) and one-week follow-up DSE (M = 4.45, SD = 1.69; p < 0.05) were both significantly higher than baseline DSE (M = 3.49, SD = 1.54; p < 0.05); and that joy related to dreams measured at the one-week follow-up (M = 4.36, SD = 1.55) was significantly higher than joy related to dreams measured at baseline (M = 3.14, SD = 0.66; p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Findings both replicate and extend prior research, by demonstrating that TDI may be a reliable method for increasing DSE. Additionally, these findings are the first of their kind to demonstrate that TDI may also impact joy related to dreaming. Both results are quite meaningful as prior research has linked self-efficacy to positive treatment outcomes, and low levels of joy have been linked to outcomes such as depression and suicide. Although statistical power was accounted for, the small sample size is still a limitation of the findings and directly impacts generalizability. Support (if any)