
pmid: 22196966
The influential threat simulation theory (TST) asserts that dreaming yields adaptive advantage by providing a virtual environment in which threat-avoidance may be safely rehearsed. We have previously found the incidence of biologically threatening dreams to be around 20%, with successful threat avoidance occurring in approximately one-fifth of such dreams. TST asserts that threat avoidance is over-represented relative to other possible dream contents. To begin assessing this issue, we contrasted the incidence of 'avoidance' dreams with that of their opposite: 'approach' dreams. Because TST states that the threat-avoidance function is only fully activated in ecologically valid (biologically threatening) contexts, we also performed this contrast for populations living in both high- and low-threat environments. We find that 'approach' dreams are significantly more prevalent across both contexts. We suggest these results are more consistent with the view that dreaming is generated by reward-seeking systems than by fear-conditioning systems, although reward-seeking is clearly not the only factor determining the content of dreams.
Adult, Male, Wales, Adolescent, Dopamine, Amygdala, Dreams, South Africa, Reward, Escape Reaction, Avoidance Learning, Exploratory Behavior, Humans, Female, Psychological Theory
Adult, Male, Wales, Adolescent, Dopamine, Amygdala, Dreams, South Africa, Reward, Escape Reaction, Avoidance Learning, Exploratory Behavior, Humans, Female, Psychological Theory
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