Researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca have found that dreams are structured by individual traits and real-world events, rather than being random. Analyzing over 3,700 dream reports from 287 participants, the team used AI tools to reveal how the brain reshapes daily experiences into imaginative scenarios. The study highlights influences like mind-wandering tendencies and the COVID-19 pandemic on dream content.
A new study published in Communications Psychology examined dream reports and waking experiences collected over two weeks from 287 people aged 18 to 70. Participants provided details on their sleep habits, cognitive skills, personality traits, and psychological profiles. Researchers applied natural language processing tools to uncover patterns, showing that dreams blend personal characteristics with external influences rather than simply replaying daily life. Valentina Elce, lead author and researcher at the IMT School, said: “Our findings show that dreams are not just a reflection of past experiences, but a dynamic process shaped by who we are and what we live through.” People prone to mind-wandering described more fragmented and shifting dreams, while those who value dreams reported richer, more immersive ones. Familiar settings from waking life, such as workplaces or schools, appeared reimagined with combined elements and shifting perspectives. The research also incorporated data from the COVID-19 lockdown period, collected by Sapienza University of Rome researchers. Dreams during that time were more emotionally intense and featured themes of restriction, which faded as people adapted. The work, conducted in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Camerino, was supported by grants from the BIAL Foundation and the TweakDreams ERC Starting Grant.
