Dream Recall, Dream Emotions, and Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

Research in dreams has primarily focused on the experience of negative dreams and nightmares. This study aimed to interpret the possible connections of positive dream emotions and dream recall to subjective well-being and mental boundaries. Participants consisted of 101 adults who completed several online surveys. In this study, frequent dream recall was tied with increased meaning in life, while low dream recall was tied to current lack of positive affect and perceived lack of meaning in life. Additional findings included associations between gender, boundary thinness, and increased capacity for fantasy in participants who frequently remembered their dreams. Thinness of mental boundaries was negatively associated with subjective well-being. Further research is needed to determine whether these findings generalize to other populations.