Efficacy of Guided Dreaming in Stress Reduction and Problem Solving: A Mixed-Method Study of Eleven Waking Dreams
For my Master's thesis in Applied Psychology in 2024 at Adler University, I created an online survey on Qualtrics with 15 questions, including three quantitative, five phenomenological, and seven demographic questions. I invited adult participants to complete the survey voluntarily after a single Guided Dreaming for Stress Reduction and Problem-Solving workshop. Eleven self-selected individuals completed the survey and provided their subjective experiences, including changes in stress and mental outlook and waking dreams with self-determined meanings, insights, and solutions. They also provided demographical data, including gender, ethnicity, religion, relationship status, education, and mindfulness experiences.
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Highlights:
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All subjects reported vivid waking dreams featuring unique dream contents, embodied cognition, and positive emotions, despite diverse backgrounds and varied experiences with mindfulness practice
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91% reported feeling safe, less stressed, and attaining problem-solving insights
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On average, the subjects' self-assessed mental outlook improved by 36% (from 57.8±17.7 to 78.9±23; p=.00067; Cohen's d effect size = 1.03).
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I presented the research findings in October 2024 at the International Association of Analytical Psychology/Catholic University Freiburg joint Conference – The Process of Transformation. Please see the case studies with full survey responses below the figures.
#1 Cliff
Subject #1 is a middle-aged, non-religious, married white woman with a college education. She is having conflicts with her manager. During Guided Dreaming, she dreamt of a huge underwater cliff that made her feel overwhelmed, her late father, who smiled at her, and a red octopus that hugged her. The dream made her feel supported and gave her the courage to confront her work issues. Her mental outlook improved from 44 to 82.
#2 Endless Possibilities
Subject #2 is a young white female who is married and spiritual, has a master's level education, and frequently practices mindfulness. She is unsure what type of jobs she should look for. She was in a warm and cozy black space in her waking dream and felt relaxed and refreshed. She interpreted her dream as telling her to look for opportunities that give her the feeling of freedom, comfort and happiness. Her self-assessed mental outlook before Guided Dreaming is 70, and 96 after the session. The subject associated the comfortable black space with endless possibilities – important factors for her future jobs.
#3 Jellyfish
Subject #3 is a middle-aged white woman recently diagnosed with diverticulitis. She has a master's level education, is separated or divorced, and frequently practices mindfulness. During her waking dream, she saw opalized jellyfish with defibrillator-like tentacles, which she interpreted as releasing her emotions. Her self-assessed mental outlook improved from 41 to 60 after a Guided Dreaming session. The experience led her to confront her unresolved emotions no matter how uncomfortable they may be.
#4 Open Intuition
Subject #4 is a white Christian middle-aged woman who is married, has a professional education, and frequently practices mindfulness. She is having issues staying awake during meditation. She dreamt of seeing many bright colours and feeling like a baby in utero in the ocean, which she interpreted as starting a new endeavor in her spiritual life. She thinks the dream is helping her open her intuition, and to overcome her problem, she plans to practice meditation early in the day to avoid falling asleep. Her self-assessed mental outlook before Guided Dreaming is 80 and 90 after the session.
#5 Running
Subject #5, an Asian middle-aged married woman, identifies as spiritual, holds a college degree, and occasionally practices meditation. Her primary issue is bodily pain. In her dream, she experiences joyful, pain-free running. Despite the positive nature of the dream, she interpreted it as a painful reminder that her life does not align with her desires and offered no insights or solutions. Her self-assessed mental outlook decreased from 30 before Guided Dreaming to 15 after the session, the lowest among all participants. Active movements like running can foster a healthy body and mind, yet subject #5 dismissed her dream as a solution due to her negative mindset, likely stemming from adverse past experiences. This case underscores the link between a negative mindset and a poor mental outlook, emphasizing the importance of interpreting dream experiences from an unbiased perspective.
#6 Swimming Pool
Subject #6 is a white, middle-aged female professional who identifies as spiritual, is separated or divorced, and frequently practices mindfulness. She is having issues at work with unsupportive coworkers and challenging deadlines. In her dream, she is back in the childhood community swimming pool. A huge mauve-coloured octopus swam with her underwater. They hugged lovingly and danced in coloured lights, making her feel happy and calm. She interpreted this dream as an encouragement to live with confidence and strength and planned to be more in touch with her inner child to strengthen her adult self. Her self-assessed mental outlook before Guided Dreaming is 75 and 85 after the session. The subject associated the community swimming pool with childhood feelings of abandonment and the huge mauve octopus as a source of love and support, which gave her the courage and strength to face her unsupportive colleagues at work.
#7 Turtle Guide
Subject #7 is a black middle-aged female who is married, identifies as spiritual, has a college degree, and frequently practices mindfulness. Her problem is obstacles within her business. She dreamt of a large, friendly turtle that appeared when she felt afraid of diving deeper. A purple, yellow, and orange octopus with black cartoon eyes danced with her and morphed into a cocoon-like space where she retreated and connected to the divine source. Her interpretation of the dream is that she is always supported and should not be afraid to play. She thinks the solution to overcome obstacles in her business is creating better systems and foundations and trying new things. She finds Guided Dreaming just as relevant as sleep dreaming but more useful because she can remember the details better. Her self-assessed mental outlook before Guided Dreaming is 65 and 85 after the session. The subject associated the large friendly turtle as a source of support and the playful octopus as an invitation to try new things and have fun. Her emotions shifted from feeling afraid initially to being confident and open to new experiences.
#8 Waterfall Cave
Subject #8 is a middle-aged white female who identifies as spiritual, is separated or divorced, has a high school education, and frequently practices mindfulness. Her problem is releasing negative emotions from trauma, abuse, and loss. In her dream, she swam through a cave under a waterfall pool to the ocean with her lost cat, dolphins, and whales. She cuddled and played with a large rose-coloured octopus, and her emotions released like rainbow-coloured oil. She interprets the experience as God lovingly guiding her and that she is moving in the right direction of her healing journey. She plans to practice Guided Dreaming more often to continue purging. Her self-assessed mental outlook before Guided Dreaming is 70 and 90 after the session. The subject associated the cave with a process of transformation and felt love and support from all the dream animals. Furthermore, she experienced the cognitive embodiment of emotional release from seeing and sensing the rainbow-coloured oil leaving her body.
#9 Wife
Subject #9 is a middle-aged married Muslim man who is black and holds a master's degree. He practices mindfulness occasionally. His issue revolves around feeling disconnected from his wife due to work and life stress. He dreamt of relaxing on a beach in Abu Dhabi and swimming with his wife to the bottom of the sea, where they encountered a light blue octopus. They merged with the octopus and felt at one with it, enjoying the serene underwater scenery. He interpreted this dream as a reminder of the deep bond between him and his wife, emphasizing the importance of shared experiences, mutual support, and tranquil settings. He plans to prioritize spending more quality time with his wife and engaging in activities that strengthen their connection. His self-assessed mental outlook before the Guided Dreaming session was 60, which improved to 85 after the session. The subject associated the merging with his wife as a representation of their spiritual unity, which deepened his appreciation for their relationship and sharing relaxing experiences together.
#10 World Tree
Subject #10 is a single, mixed-ethnicity, middle-aged female with a college degree. She identifies as spiritual and frequently practices mindfulness. Her problem is feeling unsure about her own knowing and embodying her own power and authority. In her dream, she encountered a deficient power animal, which symbolizes a part of her soul. A dolphin guided her to an underwater ruin, where she stood on a big moonstone. The appearance of a city in the light made her feel small and overwhelmed. Then, a giant octopus with changing colours like a supernova danced with her. Looking into the octopus' eyes, she saw a world tree with many fun and busy realms. She believes the moonstone revealed old mindsets that belittle her, and the dream is telling her to let them go regardless of societal expectations. She plans to cultivate authentic, positive mindsets that serve her. Her self-assessed mental outlook before Guided Dreaming is 68 and 98 after the session. The subject associated the world tree she saw in the octopus's eyes with many systems of beliefs that may or may not serve her, which gave her the perspective to believe in her own knowing and cultivate positive mindsets.
#11 Water Flow
Subject #11 is a single, white, non-binary, middle-aged person who sometimes practices mindfulness and whose religion is Secular Humanism. Their problem is feeling stuck and powerless. In their waking dream, they felt water flowing through rather than against them and directed the flow of water to move freely and finding ease in the environment. They interpreted this dream as pointing to a new way of life free of struggles and plans to recreate the feeling of ease in personal and professional life. Their self-assessed mental outlook improved from 31 to 76 after the Guided Dreaming session.