The Meaningful Continuities Between Dreaming and Waking: Results of a Blind Analysis of a Woman’s 30-Year Dream Journal
Dreaming (New York, N.Y.) December 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1037/drm0000083 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A woman ('Beverly') who kept a regular dream journal for 30 years |
| Duration | 30-year dream journal, with subsets from 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016 |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Blind analysis of dream content using a digital word search template correctly predicted 23 of 26 aspects of the dreamer's waking life, supporting meaningful connections between dream patterns and waking concerns. |
Abstract
This article reports the findings of a new exercise in the “blind analysis” of a long dream series. The study focused on 940 dreams of a woman (“Beverly”) who kept a regular dream journal for 30 years. Four subsets of her dreams (from 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016) were analyzed using a digital word search template, and then predictions were made about Beverly’s waking life based on the word usage frequencies of her dreams. A total of 26 predictions were made, of which Beverly confirmed 23 as accurate. The correct inferences included aspects of Beverly’s emotional temperament, preoccupations, relationships, financial concerns, physical health, and cultural interests, especially revolving around religion and spirituality. The waking–dreaming continuities identified by the blind analysis method in this study strongly support the claims by Hall, Domhoff, Schredl, and others that patterns in dream content have meaningful connections with people’s concerns, interests, and activities in waking life.