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‘No Man is an Island’: Effects of social seclusion on social dream content and REM sleep
Author(s) -
Tuominen Jarno,
Olkoniemi Henri,
Revonsuo Antti,
Valli Katja
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/bjop.12515
Subject(s) - dream , psychology , seclusion , content (measure theory) , sleep (system call) , social psychology , psychoanalysis , psychiatry , psychotherapist , mathematical analysis , mathematics , computer science , operating system
Based on the Social Simulation Theory of dreaming (SST), we studied the effects of voluntary social seclusion on dream content and sleep structure. Specifically, we studied the Compensation Hypothesis , which predicts social dream contents to increase during social seclusion, the Sociality Bias – a ratio between dream and wake interactions – and the Strengthening Hypothesis , which predicts an increase in familiar dream characters during seclusion. Additionally, we assessed changes in the proportion of REM sleep. Sleep data and dream reports from 18 participants were collected preceding ( n = 94), during ( n = 90) and after ( n = 119) a seclusion retreat. Data were analysed using linear mixed‐effects models. We failed to support the Compensation Hypothesis, with dreams evidencing fewer social interactions during seclusion. The Strengthening Hypothesis was supported, with more familiar characters present in seclusion dreams. Dream social interactions maintained the Sociality Bias even under seclusion. Additionally, REM sleep increased during seclusion, coinciding with previous literature and tentatively supporting the proposed attachment function for social REM sleep.