ID No. : 1999HZ67001
NAME OF THE STUDENT : Meenakshi Parab
DISSERTATION TITLE : Dream Phenomenology and Physical Health Status: A Case Study
ABSTRACT :
The belief that dreams reflect the psychosocial characteristics of the dreamer is well entrenched. But, the idea that dreams might reflect the physical health status of the dreamer is yet to be established. The pilot study aims to explore whether dream phenomenology, besides reflecting the psychosocial characteristics, also reflects the dreamer’s physical health status. Contemporary studies in mind-body medicine, psychoneuroimmunology, personality study, all point to the intricate interaction between the psyche and bodily processes. Seeing this intricate relation between the psyche and the bodily processes, it would not be unreasonable to propose that it is quite likely that the physical health status of the dreamer might be reflected in the dream phenomenology. The working hypothesis of the study, which has been developed based on the intricate mind-body interactions; indeed, upholds that dreams ought to reflect the physical health status of the dreamer.
Based on the working hypothesis, which draws from various fields such as sleep research, mind-body medicine, psychoneuroimmunology, and personality study, an attempt has been made in the pilot study to verify a statistically significant relation between affective dream contents and physical health status. Accordingly, a two tier experimental strategy has been designed to show 1) a direct statistical association between affective dream contents and physical health status and 2) an indirect statistical association between affective dream contents and physical health status with personality traits as an intervening variable. Using this two tier experimental strategy, two separate case studies (each using different personality traits) were conducted in the pilot study, so as to firmly ground the statistical findings of the pilot study. The statistical findings of the pilot study lend support to the working hypothesis of the study. The results of both the case studies reveal the presence of a significant direct as well as an indirect (with the intermediate personality trait variable) statistical association between affective dream contents and physical health status, thus encouraging us to review the popular notion that dreams only reflect the psychosocial characteristics of the dreamer. To be precise, the statistical findings, in fact, lend support to the possibility that dream phenomenology might reflect the physical health status in addition to the dreamer’s psychosocial characteristics.
