Assessing the effects of meditation on dream imagery, depression and anxiety

Miller, Nicolle; DeCicco, Teresa L.; Dale, Allyson; Murkar, Anthony

doi:10.11588/ijodr.2015.2.18702

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Although locations and settings in dreams of anxiety patients were significantly more numerous than in dreams of healthy subjects, in the subcategories this was only substantially for no or questionable settings, indicating that the settings in dreams of anxiety patients are characterized to be unclear and thus may induce insecurity. The finding that the dreams of anxiety patients contain significantly higher numbers of different locations and settings is partly consistent with the previously mentioned findings that dreams of individuals with clinical anxiety disorders (DeCicco et al, 2013; Miller et al, 2015) and people with higher levels of trait and state anxiety (Jones & DeCicco, 2009) are characterized by a higher rate of changes in location and settings.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…A large number of psychological studies indicates that dream contents are directly influenced and affected by an individual’s psychopathology (Cartwright et al, 2006; Desroches & Kaiman, 1964; Free et al, 1993; Gentil & Lader, 1978; Hartmann, 1996; Kirschner, 1999; Miller et al, 2015; Nadorff et al, 2014; Simon et al, 2016; Swart et al, 2013). According to these studies, we can assume that dreams and dream content of individuals suffering from anxiety disorders will directly reflect their mental state and be immediately associated with it.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Analysis of dream contents of patients with anxiety disorders and their comparison with dreams of healthy participants.

Rimsh¹,

Pietrowsky²

2021

Dreaming

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Although anxiety disorders are well investigated, little is known about the dream content of patients suffering from anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate specific characteristics manifested in dreams of patients with clinical anxiety disorders and to compare them with dreams of healthy persons. The sample consisted of 38 participants with anxiety disorders and a matched healthy control group of 38 individuals. As soon as they woke up in the morning, each participant filled in written dream diaries for 21 days and thus provided written dream logs. Dream reports of the participants were analyzed according to the Hall and Van de Castle (1966) system of content analysis of dreams. The results of our study showed that the presence of an anxiety disorder resulted in significant differences in dream contents, compared to the dreams of healthy individuals. Dreams of anxiety patients contained more characters, higher numbers of different activities, social and aggressive interactions, lower numbers of friendly interactions, higher frequencies of failures, misfortunes and negative emotions, and a lower prevalence of successes, good fortune and positive emotions. In addition, they had higher numbers of locations and settings, had more negative evaluations and assessments, and were characterized by a more intense and wider range of different modifiers. The results thus indicate a clear difference in the content and structure of dreams in anxiety patients compared to healthy persons, although anxiety themes are not always prevalent in their dreams.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of dream contents of patients with anxiety disorders and their comparison with dreams of healthy participants.

Rimsh¹,

Pietrowsky²

2021

Dreaming

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“…According to the continuity hypothesis, waking states and concerns are reflected in dream imagery 84 , 85 and neuroscientific findings suggest that waking emotional patterns are preserved in dreams, influencing the dream contents. In this regard, studies have found that if someone is experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression during waking life, this could also be evident in their dream imagery 86 , 87 . Moreover, it has been suggested that after only one week of meditation, anxiety and depression scores decrease and dream imagery changes 87 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress

Tzioridou

Dresler

Sandberg

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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A theoretical and empirical association between lucid dreaming and mindfulness, as well as lucid dreaming and nightmares has previously been observed; however, the relationship between nightmares and mindfulness has received surprisingly little attention. Here, we present the findings of two studies exploring the relation of nightmare frequency and distress with two components of mindfulness, termed presence and acceptance, as well as lucid dreaming. Study 1 (N = 338) consisted of a low percentage of frequent lucid dreamers whereas Study 2 (N = 187) consisted primarily of frequent lucid dreamers that used lucid dream induction training techniques and meditation. Across studies, nightmare-related variables showed a more robust association with mindful acceptance as opposed to mindful presence. Moreover, individuals with high levels of meditation expertise and practice of lucid dreaming induction techniques reported lower nightmare frequency. Finally, in Study 2, which consisted of frequent lucid dreamers, a positive correlation between lucid dreaming frequency and mindfulness was apparent. The present findings support the notion that wakeful mindfulness is associated with the quality of dreams and extend previous research by suggesting a disentangled role of the two facets of mindfulness in dream variation. This association remains open for experimental manipulation, the result of which could have clinical implications.

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“…Previous research has shown that anxiety disorders directly influence, affect, and alter dreams and dream contents of clinical patients diagnosed with such disorders (Desroches & Kaiman, 1964; Foss, 1994; Free et al, 1993; Gentil & Lader, 1978; Khodarahimi, 2009; Kirschner, 1999; Miller et al, 2015; Nadorff et al, 2014; Simon et al, 2016; Swart et al, 2013). In terms of the influence of anxiety disorders on dreams and dream characteristics, it might be assumed that the presence of a clinical anxiety disorder may lead to more frequent and more intense, fearful, frightening, and harming dreams, instigate anxiety-related feelings, thoughts, or emotions in dreams and may also enhance nightmare frequency, as well as increase subjective distress from nightmares.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…With regard to dream recall frequency in patients with anxiety disorders, the existing data are not univocal. There is evidence that patients suffering from anxiety disorders possess a decreased level of dream recall frequency (Miller et al, 2015; Zanasi et al, 2010), whereas, on the other hand, there is also evidence that patients with anxiety reaction disorders (Desroches & Kaiman, 1964) and anxiety neurotic disorder (Gentil & Lader, 1978) exhibit a higher dream recall frequency (Desroches & Kaiman, 1964; Gentil & Lader, 1978). With regard to other specific dream characteristics of patients with anxiety disorders, there is still an evident lack of research on such topics, although anxiety disorders are still one of the most common mental disorders in the contemporary western world (Remes et al, 2016).…”

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confidence: 99%

Characteristics of dreams and nightmares in patients with anxiety disorders.

Rimsh¹,

Pietrowsky²

2022

Dreaming

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Characteristics of dreams of clinical outpatients with anxiety disorders still remain a relatively poorly investigated field of psychology. The present study aimed at investigating several dream characteristics of outpatients with anxiety disorders in comparison with dream characteristics of healthy individuals. In the study, 38 adult participants with anxiety disorders and a matched healthy control group of 38 individuals were investigated. During a period of 21 days, all participants filled in written dream diaries directly after sleep, which contained two scales for positive and negative emotions and one scale for the general intensity of emotions in a dream, two dream questionnaires, the Multidimensional Düsseldorf Dream Inventory and the Mannheim Dream Questionnaire, and two nightmare questionnaires, the Nightmare Behavior Questionnaire and the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire. Results showed that patients with anxiety disorders tended to provide longer dream reports and possessed a higher dream recall frequency, their dreams were distinguished by a more negative emotional tone and a lower dream mood, more intense and vivid emotionality, more aversive dreams, a higher rate of incorporations of waking life into dreams, their waking-life mood was found to be more often influenced by dreams, they had a higher nightmare frequency and more nightmare distress and were more interested in the interpretation of their dreams. Within the group of anxiety patients, nightmare distress did not differ between men and women, as well as any behavioral consequences and effects after nightmares. The results indicate marked differences in the way anxiety patients experience dreams, irrespective of the dream contents.

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Assessing the effects of meditation on dream imagery, depression and anxiety

Cited by 4 publications

References 25 publications

Analysis of dream contents of patients with anxiety disorders and their comparison with dreams of healthy participants.

Analysis of dream contents of patients with anxiety disorders and their comparison with dreams of healthy participants.

The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress

Characteristics of dreams and nightmares in patients with anxiety disorders.

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