Dream content and political ideology.
Dreaming June 1, 2002 DOI: 10.1023/a:1015398822122 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 56 |
| Population | U.S. adults who identified as members of the political right or political left (28 per group; 14 male and 14 female in each group) |
| Measures | Hall and Van de Castle content analysis categories |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key points | The authors report that people on the political right had more nightmares, more dreams in which they lacked personal power, and a greater frequency of lifelike dreams, while people on the political left had fewer nightmares, more dreams in which they had personal power, and a greater frequency of good fortunes and bizarre elements. They suggest these patterns may correlate with features of left- and right-leaning political ideologies, but caution the small sample precludes definitive interpretation. |
Abstract
This pilot study focuses on the relationship of dream content and political ideology in a contemporary U.S. context. The study involved 56 people, 28 (14 male and 14 female) who identified themselves as members of the political right and 28 (14 male and 14 female) who identified themselves as members of the political left. “Most recent dream” reports from these subjects were analyzed using Hall and Van de Castle content analysis categories. Following that quantitative analysis, each dream was analyzed in terms of its narrative qualities (themes, images, emotional patterns, etc.). Although the small size of the study makes it impossible to offer definitive interpretations, the findings are suggestive: people on the political right had more nightmares, more dreams in which they lacked personal power, and a greater frequency of “lifelike” dreams; people on the political left had fewer nightmares, more dreams in which they had personal power, and a greater frequency of good fortunes and bizarre elements in their dreams. These findings have plausible correlations to certain features of the political ideologies of people on the left and the right, and merit future investigation in larger-scale studies.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A combined group treatment for nightmares and insomnia in combat veterans: A pilot study Combat veterans with PTSD | 2009 | Open clinical trial | n = 10 |
| Cognitions in Sleep: Lucid Dreaming as an Intervention for Nightmares in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2020 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Managing Insomnia Using Lucid Dreaming Training: A Pilot Study. Adults with Insomnia Disorder | 2021 | Open-label trial | n = 48 |
| Imagery rehearsal therapy for the treatment of nightmares in individuals with borderline personality disorder – A pilot study Individuals with borderline personality disorder | 2024 | Between-subjects design, pilot study | n = 44 |
| Does training increase NREM dream recall? A pilot study High dream recallers | 2013 | Pilot study |