Classification of typical dream themes and implications for dream interpretation

Abstract

How typical are typical dream themes? If they occur frequently, recognizing these motifs may constitute a skeleton key for an interpretation of dreams. This article aims to (1) provide a review of research findings concerning the incidence and frequency of typical dream themes, (2) discuss how the neurostructural model of dreaming can explain some typical dream themes, and (3) propose a neuroscientific and statistical-based framework for making a possible sense of dream content. The pervasive nature of numerous dream themes is highlighted, the neuro-functional substrate of dreaming is discussed, and some directions for dream interpretation are presented.