Chapter 8 - Dreams across the Human Lifespan

Summary

Most dreams are filled with social interactions between the dreamer and familiar people in the dreamer’s life. Dream content changes significantly according to the stage in life of the dreamer but social interactions remain a constant in dream content across the lifespan. Much of the social interactions that occur in dreams can be characterized as attachment interactions; that is, interactions that reflect and help shape daytime attachment orientations (e.g., romantic attachments or familial attachments, etc.) of the dreamer. In old age and in death dreams continue to simulate social interactions, but new unfamiliar characters enter the dreams of the old and dying.