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Psychology, 5/e Wortman, Loftus & Weaver | |||||
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Psychology, 5/e Wortman, Loftus & Weaver | |||||
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During a typical night of sleep, a normal person displays four or five extended periods of REM sleep during which dreams are believed to occur. Yet some people report that they very seldom, if ever, dream; and most people recall only a few dreams, certainly many fewer than they probably have.
Several explanations exist for why most dreams are not remembered. Perhaps most are mundane and uninteresting, and therefore are easily forgotten. Perhaps we simply do not remember dreams unless we awaken during them and think about them in our normal waking state. Perhaps you have experienced being awakened while dreaming, recalling the dream vividly at that time, falling back asleep, and upon awakening for the day, being unable to remember anything about the dream which was so explicit only an hour or two earlier. The exercise below is intended to help you better understand your own pattern of dreaming.
Step 2 Just before you go to bed, fill out the bottom half of the Data Sheet, noting any particular worries or problems you are experiencing, and commenting generally on how you feel. You might note in particular if you are tired or anxious, or if some unusual event has occurred during the day.
Step 3 Go to sleep each night for a period of two weeks in the same way you would if you were not involved in this exercise. Make no special effort to do anything unusual or alter the routine you follow as you get ready for bed.
Step 4 Whenever you awaken while having a dream, turn to the materials on your nightstand and write down as much information about your dream as you can remember. Use the categories of information suggested on the Data Sheet to help you recall more detail about your dream. Make a separate record for each dream you have.
If you do not have a dream which awakens you for several nights, you might try to increase your chances of waking while dreaming by setting an alarm for about 90 minutes before you normally get up. Remember that sleep cycles normally last about 90 minutes, and you may be able to catch yourself in the last REM period of the night by using this approach.
Step 5 Continue this procedure each night for about two weeks, or as long as you wish to collect data about your dreams.
Since the purpose of this exercise is to give you some additional insight about your own dreams, your analysis of the results will likely be rather informal. Read through the things you have written about the dreams you have had. Are there common themes or images in your dreams, or does each seem unique in character and different from the rest? Is there a particular time of the night at which you are more likely to awaken in a dream? Do the events of the day seem to influence whether or what kind of dream you have? Do your dreams relate clearly to events or ideas in your conscious experience, or do they seem mysterious and detached from reality?
Hopefully, this exercise will help you better recall your dreams and will kindle your curiosity about the function and interpretation of dreams. In addition, you may wish to do further reading on the subject, or talk to other people about their dreams as well.
Recall the content of the dream you have just experienced:
What emotions do you associate with the dream?
Were you in the dream? Who or what else was there? Were you an observer or were you actively involved?
Do you remember any colors in the dream?
How much time went by in the dream?
Questions to be answered before going to bed:
Did anything unusual or upsetting happen to you today?
How do you feel now, as you are going to bed? (anxious, relaxed, happy, tired, worried, etc.)
What were your major activities today?
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