Recent findings indicate that the emotional role of dreams is not universal, as evidenced by comparing dream experiences between forager societies in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo and those from Europe and North America. These variations in dream experiences underscore the influence of cultural and social contexts on dreaming, with the study suggesting that dreams are a reflection of societal norms and personal socio-cultural experiences.
The investigation by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Toronto uncovers the fluctuating emotional significance of dreams.
Dreams, which are deeply rooted in the neurophysiological workings of the brain, present as complex, often emotionally intense experiences that sometimes mirror real-life situations to varying degrees. Yet, the exact purpose of dreams remains a mystery. In recent research, conducted in partnership by UNIGE, the University of Toronto, and the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), the dreams of forager groups from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo were assessed against those from individuals in Western societies, such as Europe and North America.
This comparison revealed that the forager communities experienced more frequent dreams with themes of threat, catharsis, and social interaction compared to their Western counterparts. These findings, published in Scientific Reports, highlight the significant connection between the socio-cultural setting and the functional role of dreams.
Dreaming is a universal hallucinatory state during sleep, typically occurring in the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, though it can happen at any sleep stage.
Researchers aim to understand whether dreams serve physiological, emotional, or cultural functions. Could they regulate emotions or prepare us for confronting real-life situations? Some theories propose that during a ‘functional’ dream, individuals engage with more menacing or social scenarios, potentially offering evolutionary benefits by fostering adaptive behaviors.
The significance of dreams varies based on the studied environment and population
To explore these ideas, UNIGE and University of Toronto researchers compared the dream content of the BaYaka from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Hadza from Tanzania—two societies living similarly to our hunter-gatherer forebears—with that of people from Western societies including Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada, and even those with psychiatric conditions.
Anthropologists from the University of Toronto collected dream narratives from the BaYaka and Hadza over two months in their natural settings. The Western group’s dream data was gathered from earlier studies spanning from 2014 to 2022.
“We found the BaYaka and Hadza’s dreams to be quite dynamic, starting with perilous situations but often leading to a resolution of these threats, unlike Western groups. However, in clinical populations, such as those with nightmare disorders or social anxiety, dreams are intense but lack cathartic resolution, pointing to a potential deficiency in the adaptive function of their dreams,” explains Lampros Perogamvros, a senior lecturer in Psychiatry and Basic Neurosciences at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and a physician at the HUG Center for Sleep Medicine, who led the research.
A reflection of societal structure
The study noted that indigenous individuals frequently resolved threats in their dreams through social support. For instance, one might dream of being saved from a buffalo attack by a community member or being helped out of a well by a friend. These dreams provide their own emotional resolution.
“Among the BaYaka and Hadza, the necessity of strong social bonds is evident. Their day-to-day life, in contrast to the more individualistic Western societies, tends to be more egalitarian. The study suggests that their social connections, which are integral to their community reliance, are the tools they use to emotionally navigate through the threats faced in their dreams,” says David Samson, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, and the study’s lead author. The researchers infer a direct link between the function of dreams and each society’s unique norms and values.
“Yet, establishing a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the dreams and daily functioning from this study is challenging. It’s also not correct to assert that Western individuals’ dreams lack emotional function,” adds Lampros Perogamvros. A prior study in 2019 by the same team showed that ‘bad dreams’ in the Western context, defined as negative yet non-nightmarish dreams, often act as simulations of our fears, potentially preparing us for waking confrontations. “It appears that various types of ‘functional’ dreams exist, with this study highlighting the profound connection between our socio-cultural existence and the role of dreams,” concludes the researcher.
Reference: “Evidence for an emotional adaptive function of dreams: a cross-cultural study” by David R. Samson, et al., published on 2 October 2023, in Scientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43319-z
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about cross-cultural dream research
What does recent research suggest about the emotional function of dreams across different cultures?
The recent study indicates that the emotional role of dreams varies significantly across different cultures. Dreams of forager communities in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo tend to have more threatening yet cathartic themes with strong social orientations, in contrast to those from Western societies. The findings suggest that dreams are shaped by and reflect the societal norms and values of an individual’s socio-cultural life.
How were the dreams of forager communities compared to those of Western societies?
Researchers compared the dream content of the BaYaka and Hadza forager communities with that of individuals in Western societies, including healthy participants and those with psychiatric disorders. The forager communities’ dreams were more dynamic, often depicting a threatening situation followed by a resolution involving social support, unlike the Western dreams which showed less of these themes.
What potential evolutionary advantage might ‘functional’ dreams provide?
‘Functional’ dreams, which involve simulations of threatening and social scenarios, may offer an evolutionary advantage by promoting behavior that is well-adapted to real-life situations. This suggests that dreams could play a role in emotional regulation and preparation for dealing with specific situations in waking life.
Can the study’s findings be applied to understand daily functioning?
While the study provides insights into the emotional function of dreams, it is difficult to deduce any direct causal links between the dreams and daily functioning from the study. The researchers caution against concluding that dreams in Western individuals lack emotional function or are not connected to day-to-day life.
What are the implications of this research on the understanding of dreams?
The research highlights the diversity of dreams’ emotional functions and emphasizes the strong connection between an individual’s socio-cultural environment and the nature of their dreams. This could mean that dreams are not only a product of the individual’s mind but also a reflection of the broader social and cultural context in which they live.
More about cross-cultural dream research
- Understanding the Emotional Function of Dreams
- Cross-Cultural Dream Research
- Socio-Cultural Influences on Dreaming
- Evolutionary Perspectives on Dreaming
- The Role of Dreams in Emotional Processing
- Comparative Study of Dreams in Forager and Western Societies
5 comments
okay so dreams might help us deal with real life, but the study says it’s hard to link them to our day-to-day, seems like we still got a lot to learn about how our brain ticks at night. And there’s me thinking that my dream about showing up to work without pants was just random…
i found this research pretty intriguing, it’s amazing how our dreams can be so deeply influenced by the culture we live in, didnt think the difference between individualistic and communal societies would be that stark in the subconscious too
was reading this article and it struck me, the dreams of the BaYaka and Hadza are like survival manuals for their lives, thats something isn’t it? But I wonder, how do we even begin to interpret dreams from such a lens in the modern world? feels like we’ve lost touch with our roots
just a thought but if dreams are a window into our cultural psyche, then maybe western dreams being less about community says something about us that we might not want to hear, or maybe i’m reading too much into it, what do you all think
interesting study but i gotta say, I’m skeptical, how can we be sure what someone’s dream really means, its not like we can see them for ourselves. Could it be that we’re just imposing our own interpretations on these dream stories?