A note on the social referents of dreams.
Dreaming March 1, 2001 DOI: 10.1023/a:1009492832578 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that dreams reflect both social and personal referents, and that dream-sharing groups provide a favorable opportunity to observe how unresolved social issues enter the personal unconscious. Proposes that dreaming consciousness reveals personal disconnects reinforced by current bias and prejudice, and that dreams' concern with connectivity relates to human unity and survival. |
Abstract
Social as well as personal referents appear in dreams and, when recognized as such, provide insight into how unresolved social issues seep into the personal domain at an unconscious level. Dream-sharing groups (because of the time available and other factors) offer a particularly favorable opportunity to observe this interplay. The truth-telling nature of dreaming consciousness not only exposes disconnects from our past arising out of our unique personal developmental history, but also calls attention to the way such disconnects are reinforced by current bias and prejudice. The concern of the dream with connectivity leads to the broader issue of the role dreams play in maintaining the unity of the human species and its survival.