The influence and effect of dreams on human health has been a subject of much study and research by medical and psychological professionals for centuries; dreaming is said to dramatically affect our abilities to process information, handle stress and anxiety and a plethora of other unique outcomes. Based on the prevailing literature of many health professionals, the act and ability to dream is closely tied to our health and emotional well-being. Kopp et al. (2008) perform a meta-analysis of existing theoretical literature on the connection between dreams and health, examining the importance of dreams and dream sequences in promoting proper health, considering several theoretical epidemiologies which equate dream health with mental health. Simor, Csoka and Bodizs (2010) use a variety of questionnaires and dream logs to examine the dream sequences of those who are diagnosed with BPD, linking the presence of bad dreams in borderline personality disorder-afflicted patients to potential uses of fantasy to combat these disturbances. Doll, Gittler and Holzinger (2009) perform a study in which a dream questionnaire is offer to subjects in order to examine the connections between dreaming, lucid dreaming, and the personality of the dreamer, concluding through research that lucid dreamers are in greater control of their mental health. These findings all combine to form the consensus that dreaming as a phenomenon is incredibly important to understand to provide proper mental health, and appropriate treatments can also be put in place to address the psychological and emotional deficits that bad dreaming or forgetful dreaming can indicate.
Dreams are defined as "hallucination-like experiences that are conceived as false perceptions by certain theories" (Kopp et al. 2008, p. 37).There is to date significant evidence that exists to point to the fact that dreams are representative of the emotions and concerns of the dreamer themselves (Kopp et al., 2008). Researchers are finding more and more reasons to research dreaming as an indicator of health, as data indicates there are significant relationships between what we dream about and our own physical and mental health (p. 36). Psychoanalysts and psychotherapists commonly use dreams as a means to understand the attitudes and feelings of their patients; however, it is difficult to put these relationships into a directly scientific context due to their abstract and subjective nature (researchers are reliant upon the dreamer to tell them the content of the dream, which may be inaccurate or forgotten) (p. 37).
Lucid dreaming in particular has a substantial effect, or is at least a sign-marker for, personality (Doll, Gittler, and Holzinger, 2009). The relationship between being able to recall/control dreams and one's mental health has been covered in previous research, noting the correlation between frequent dream recalling and a more optimistic, less troubled personality; dream recall frequency also provides one with positive attitudes toward dreams (p. 52). These factors add up to a relationship between those who dream well living well, as those who are lucid dreamers have been proven to be more certain with decision-making. Researchers posit that this connection comes from the ability to exhibit control in waking life; because individuals are able to maintain control when they are awake, they are more likely to have lucid dreams. Lucid dreaming is closely associated with strong mental and physical health (p. 56). The varying facets of lucid dreamers, whose dreaming activities are thought to be positive, that this phenomenon strongly correlates to including one's ability to love, to control one's behavior, to conduct long-term planning, to achieve order and organization in one's life, self-forgetting, and a strong sense of meaningfulness in their lives (p. 55). This all leads to a significant correlation between lucid dreaming and positive aspects of mental health.
Because of this evidence, theoretical frameworks have to be established to set up approaches for treatment of the conditions that come from having bad dreams and poor dreaming altogether. Theories of perception and imagination regarding dreaming have been collected and examined, including the activation-synthesis hypothesis, which posits that dreams are created from the effects of discharges of brain activity into the cortex, which translates those discharges into random thoughts and dreams. Furthermore, the metapsychological theory of dreaming states that dreams already come packed with their own imagery that contains meaning, which must then be deciphered through examination of one's dreams; here, dream imagery is no longer random, but a purposeful release or expression of anxieties and suppressed thoughts (Kopp et al. 2008, p. 37). There are also perspectives that state that dreams make manifest latent emotions and memories, according to neurophysiological evidence (p. 40). Taking these perspectives into a modern medical context, emotional regulation dysfunctions often lead to terrible dreams and recurring nightmares; this stems from problems adapting to one's environment, and anxieties occurring as a result.
These treatments for those who require adjustments for their dreaming are many, and they include therapeutic and psychological treatments in order to achieve a medical effect that improves their mental health. Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) typically have intense and frightening nightmares, which are also a direct correlate to their ability to fantasize; because they cannot fantasize as easily, BPD patients have nightmares to express these anxieties and stressors (Kopp et al., p. 40). This inability to regulate their emotions directly leads to the presence and prevalence of nightmares. With the help of these discoveries and theoretical perspectives, it is possible to find psychological treatments for these individuals.
There is significant evidence to support the assertion that BPD afflicted individuals have a greater chance of experiencing dream disturbances (Simor, Csoka and Bodizs, 2010). To that end, psychological and psychoanalytical approaches must be made to treat these conditions, as these nightmares contribute to additional anxiety and a diminished quality of life among bipolar patients . Fantasy has actually been suggested as a potential mitigating factor in the presence of dreams; by encouraging the use of roleplaying and fantasy in waking life, it is possible for bipolar patients to protect themselves from dysfunctional dreaming through fantasy. The act of fantasy itself, by allowing neuroticism and anxieties to be made manifest in a controlled environment by the patient, mitigates nightmares and acts as a protective factor against them (Simor, Csoka and Bodizs, 2010). Both the Simor, Csoka and Bodizs (2010) and Kopp et al. (2008) studies link BPD to excessive nightmares, and both reach similar conclusions regarding the importance of fantasy and imagination in the mitigation of these phenomena.
Other coping skills for nightmares and excessive bad dreaming include assertiveness, the ability to handle affect load and affect distress, and other methods of relieving stress and emotional dysfunction (Simor, Csoka and Bodizs, 2010). However, fantasy, due to its strong correlation between bipolar patients and bad dreaming, is thought to be the most effective protective factor currently known. This is due to the brain's role as an emotion regulator, which often triggers bad dreams in those who fantasize less (and therefore do not enact or exorcise their own subconscious feelings); nightmares are simply meant to be one way to elaborate stressful traumas into a safer, more complex setting it can reasonably handle. Image Rehearsal Therapy is one treatment in particular that is meant to facilitate fantasy to relieve nightmare-related stress; by conjuring up common images and rehearsing/repeating them, the mind has already dealt with the issue before going to sleep (Simor, Csoka and Bodizs, 2010). According to this theory, when the brain is not latently carrying such anxieties, there is nothing negative to give to the brain during REM sleep, and nightmares are thus reduced. This is but one way in which dream research and therapy is directly related to the health of these patients.
The existing literature related to dreaming and human health points to a significant correlation between the status of one's dreaming state and one's mental health. Dreams are theorized to come from many different places, whether they be random synapses from the brain or intentional expression of anxieties and concerns in the individual. Irregularities and excessive REM sleep, in particular, have been linked to personality disorders and added stress and anxieties. Bad dreams and nightmares have been found more often in bipolar patients than not, and this is tied directly with their lack of fantasy and imagination in waking life. By encouraging treatments like daydreaming and fantasy, mental health issues that lead to physical health issues can be somewhat mitigated. The strong correlation between dreams and mental health is an important one to follow and consider, as good mental health is covered under the blanket definition of 'health' that must be treated for problems.
References
Doll, E., Gittler, G., & Holzinger, B. (2009). Dreaming, lucid dreaming and
personality. International Journal of Dream Research, 2(2), 52-57.
KOPP, M. S. (2008). Dreaming and health promotion: A theoretical proposal and some
epidemiological establishments. European Journal of Mental Health, 3(1), 35-62.
Simor, P., Csóka, S., & Bódizs, R. (2010). Nightmares and bad dreams in patients with
borderline personality disorder: Fantasy as a coping skill?.The European Journal of
Psychiatry, 24(1), 28-37.
