Oneiric activity in schizophrenia: textual analysis of dream reports

Conscious Cogn. 2011 Jun;20(2):337-48. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2010.04.008. Epub 2010 May 15.

Abstract

This work evaluated the structure of dreams in people affected by schizophrenia. The verbal reports of 123 schizophrenic patients were compared with 123 dream reports from a control group. In accordance with the Jungian conceptualization of, dreams as texts, dream reports were assessed using textual analysis processing techniques. Significant differences were found in textual parameters, showing that the dreams reports of schizophrenic patients differ from those of the control group. It is thus possible that schizophrenia probably underlies changes in the oneiric production and dream reports. This work confirms the value of textual analysis in the study of oneiric material.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Dreams / psychology*
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Semantics
  • Sensation
  • Speech
  • Young Adult