Does early-night REM dream content reliably reflect presleep state of mind?

Author(s): Camirand, C., Foulkes, D., Dekoninck, J., Loftis, M., Kerr, N. H.

Journal/Book: Dreaming. 1996; 6: 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013-1578. Human Sci Press Inc. 121-130.

Abstract: In a small-scale study, Rados and Cartwright (1982) found that presleep thought samples, but not postsleep-elicited significant concerns, could be matched with a night's REM dream content on a cross-participant basis. We collected either presleep thought samples or significant concerns for later blind judge matching with 8 participants' mentation reports from the night's first REM period over 8 nonconsecutive nights each. Although some persons' first-REM dreams were successfully identified by judges from presleep ideation, both vs. presleep ideation from the same person on other nights and vs. presleep ideation from other persons on the same night, there was no overall group pattern suggesting continuity of dream content with presleep ideation. We also did not replicate the claimed superiority of thought samples vis a vis significant concerns. Reliable content analysis showed a different proportional distribution of life experiences in waking and dream ideation.

Note: Article J Dekoninck, Univ Ottawa, Sch Psychol, POB 450, Stn A, Ottawa, on K1N 6N5, Canada

Keyword(s): dream content; continuity; presleep ideation

Zurück | Weiter