Dreaming in the time of Covid-19: A quali-quantitative Italian study

Based on the continuity hypothesis of dreaming with waking life, we have studied the effects of isolation on the dreams of Italian persons, during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study included a sample of 796 subjects (73.2% women; ages 18–79 years,M 30.3, SD 12.8). Participants were asked to complete a dream questionnaire, as well as to report their most recent dream, by responding to specific questions related to the content of their dream (e.g., realism/bizarreness, positive vs. negative emotions, emotional intensity and tone). Results indicate the following: Female participants were higher recallers than men and reported higher emotional intensity and a predominantly negative emotional tone of their dreams, as well as higher negative emotions and sensory impressions in their most recent dreams; 159 dreams (20%) included explicit COVID-19 references; participants knowing people affected by or who have died of COVID-19 report higher emotional intensity and sensory impressions in their most recent dreams; and the most recent dreams have been set in external locations and have presented strong negative emotions, especially with respect to dangerous, violent, and frustrating situations. In sum, the findings of this study indicate that the method of quali-quantitative dream content analysis is a very informative approach for studying the effects of significant contextual and catastrophic events, such as COVID-19 pandemic, on people’s inner lives.