Peace of mind and anxiety in the waking state are related to the affective content of dreams
Pilleriin Sikka, Henri Pesonen, Antti Revonsuo
Scientific Reports August 20, 2018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30721-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (daily diary) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy participants |
| Duration | Three-week daily dream diary |
| Topics | Anxiety Dreaming |
| Citations | 56 |
| Key findings | Peace of mind was related to positive dream affect, whereas anxiety symptoms were related to negative dream affect. Waking well-being measures related more strongly to affect expressed in dream reports than to participants' self-ratings of dream affect. The authors propose that anxiety may reflect affect dysregulation across waking and dreaming, while peace of mind reflects enhanced affect regulation in both states, and suggest dream reports may serve as markers of mental health. |
Abstract
Waking mental well-being is assumed to be tightly linked to sleep and the affective content of dreams. However, empirical research is scant and has mostly focused on ill-being by studying the dreams of people with psychopathology. We explored the relationship between waking well-being and dream affect by measuring not only symptoms of ill-being but also different types and components of well-being. Importantly, this is the first time peace of mind was investigated as a distinct aspect of well-being in a Western sample and in relation to dream content. Healthy participants completed a well-being questionnaire, followed by a three-week daily dream diary and ratings of dream affect. Multilevel analyses showed that peace of mind was related to positive dream affect, whereas symptoms of anxiety were related to negative dream affect. Moreover, waking measures were better related to affect expressed in dream reports rather than participants' self-ratings of dream affect. We propose that whereas anxiety may reflect affect dysregulation in waking and dreaming, peace of mind reflects enhanced affect regulation in both states of consciousness. Therefore, dream reports may possibly serve as markers of mental health. Finally, our study shows that peace of mind complements existing conceptualizations and measures of well-being.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 19
- How deep is the rift between conscious states in sleep and wakefulness? Spontaneous experience over the sleep–wake cycle Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences December 13, 2020
- Dream lucidity is associated with positive waking mood. Consciousness and Cognition August 1, 2020
- Strange themes in pandemic dreams: Insomnia was associated with more negative, anxious and death‐related dreams during the COVID‐19 pandemic Journal of Sleep Research June 14, 2022
- Endorsement of metaphysical idealism mediates a link between past use of psychedelics and wellbeing Scientific Reports June 10, 2024
- The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress. Scientific Reports September 21, 2022
and 14 more in the library
Cites 16
- Neural mechanisms of symptom improvements in generalized anxiety disorder following mindfulness training NeuroImage: Clinical 2013
- The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Journal of Sleep Research May 26, 2004
- Graph analysis of dream reports is especially informative about psychosis Scientific Reports January 15, 2014
- Dream content and psychological well-being: A longitudinal study of the continuity hypothesis Journal of Clinical Psychology 2005
- Metaphor and hyperassociativity: the imagination mechanisms behind emotion assimilation in sleep and dreaming Frontiers in Psychology August 18, 2015
and 11 more in the library