Effects of Locus of Control and Dream Recall Training on Dreaming
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by Crystal Logan
wo properties have been identified in all dreams: the presence of the dreamer as a contributor to the dream or simply as a spectator, and the presence of the dreamscape or dream world (Staunton & O'Rourke, 2012). Even the congenitally blind dream of a physical dream world although they experience it with the senses of touch, smell, taste, and hearing rather than sight; these findings are in direct contrast with those concerning dreams in people with sight who dream primarily of a visual dreamscape (Staunton & O'Rourke, 2012). Other research has shown that the proportions of gender and race, themes of conflict and aggression, and levels of emotional intensity in dreams are mirrored in the dreamers waking life, and it has generally been accepted that dreams reflect our real life experiences (Hoekstra, Stos, Swendson, & Hoekstra, 2012). People recently exposed to traumatic events have been shown to experience stronger negative emotions and more imagery that reflects literal and associative aspects of the event in their dreams as compared to others, so prominent waking experiences appear to be featured in dreams rather than mundane daily occurrences (Davidson & Lynch, 2012).The storylines of dreams may merely portray the dreamer’s preoccupations of the waking world (Staunton & O'Rourke, 2012). While research conducted on the thematic content of dreams has been cast in a negative light in the last couple of decades, studies regarding dream recall have flourished (Paulsson & Parker, 2006). Dream recall studies have traditionally been executed in sleep laboratories or in the subjects’ natural home environments, but for large sample sizes the home environment is more frequently utilized due to the extra time and costs associated with using a sleep laboratory (Paulsson & Parker, 2006). In natural home environment dream studies, researchers depend on the subject to accurately remember dreams and to
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