The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures taken against the spread of the contagion can be considered as traumatic events having a major impact on mental health. Dreams after undergoing traumatic experiences could “replay” traumatic scenes or have a para-therapeutic role that facilitates connections between a traumatic event and associated emotions. However, the studies carried out thus far in the field of sleep and dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic have mostly focused on sleep disorders, emotional tones, and contents of dreams. The aim of the present study was to explore, from a qualitative–quantitative perspective, the contents of dreams and the functions of dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 1,095 subjects who decide to recount their dreams, during the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, was involved. A part of the Mannheim Dream questionnaire was also examined, considering both dream recall and the attitudes toward the dreams—both meaningful and transformative—as indicators of the dreaming process. A cluster analysis was performed on dream narratives through the T-Lab software. In all, 4 thematic clusters emerged: Escape From the Threat; The Work of Mourning, Unrecalled Dreams; COVID-19: As Manifest Content. The factorial mapping organized 3 vectors of meaning, representative of the function of dreaming: Remembering, Repeating, and Working Through; From Traumatic Content to Problem-Solving Strategy; From the Safe-Guardian of Sleep to the Safe-Guardian of Dream Waking continuity. The dreaming process shows functions of integration and processing of memories but also that a decrease in dream recall can act as a defense and have a crucial role in mental life. Clinical implications are discussed.

Are We Dreaming or Are We Awake? A Quali–Quantitative Analysis of Dream Narratives and Dreaming Process During the COVID-19 Pandemic / Margherita, G.; Gargiulo, A.; Lemmo, D.; Fante, C.; Filosa, M.; Manari, T.; Lenzo, V.; Quattropani, M. C.; Vegni, E.; Borghi, L.; Castelnuovo, G.; Cattivelli, R.; Saita, E.; Franceschini, C.; Musetti, A.. - In: DREAMING. - ISSN 1053-0797. - 31:4(2021), pp. 373-387. [10.1037/drm0000180]

Are We Dreaming or Are We Awake? A Quali–Quantitative Analysis of Dream Narratives and Dreaming Process During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Filosa M.;Manari T.;Franceschini C.;Musetti A.
2021-01-01

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures taken against the spread of the contagion can be considered as traumatic events having a major impact on mental health. Dreams after undergoing traumatic experiences could “replay” traumatic scenes or have a para-therapeutic role that facilitates connections between a traumatic event and associated emotions. However, the studies carried out thus far in the field of sleep and dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic have mostly focused on sleep disorders, emotional tones, and contents of dreams. The aim of the present study was to explore, from a qualitative–quantitative perspective, the contents of dreams and the functions of dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 1,095 subjects who decide to recount their dreams, during the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, was involved. A part of the Mannheim Dream questionnaire was also examined, considering both dream recall and the attitudes toward the dreams—both meaningful and transformative—as indicators of the dreaming process. A cluster analysis was performed on dream narratives through the T-Lab software. In all, 4 thematic clusters emerged: Escape From the Threat; The Work of Mourning, Unrecalled Dreams; COVID-19: As Manifest Content. The factorial mapping organized 3 vectors of meaning, representative of the function of dreaming: Remembering, Repeating, and Working Through; From Traumatic Content to Problem-Solving Strategy; From the Safe-Guardian of Sleep to the Safe-Guardian of Dream Waking continuity. The dreaming process shows functions of integration and processing of memories but also that a decrease in dream recall can act as a defense and have a crucial role in mental life. Clinical implications are discussed.
2021
Are We Dreaming or Are We Awake? A Quali–Quantitative Analysis of Dream Narratives and Dreaming Process During the COVID-19 Pandemic / Margherita, G.; Gargiulo, A.; Lemmo, D.; Fante, C.; Filosa, M.; Manari, T.; Lenzo, V.; Quattropani, M. C.; Vegni, E.; Borghi, L.; Castelnuovo, G.; Cattivelli, R.; Saita, E.; Franceschini, C.; Musetti, A.. - In: DREAMING. - ISSN 1053-0797. - 31:4(2021), pp. 373-387. [10.1037/drm0000180]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2915079
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