Letting go of the ego: Dreams about ego-centered concerns as a function of adversity, Taoist orientation, and locus of control

Abstract

Themes involving ego-centered concerns—such as performing very badly or failing at something, being blamed or punished, and blaming something on someone—are common in dreams. This study examined the extent to which dream themes characteristic of ego-centered concerns could be accounted for by Taoist orientation, with consideration of self-perceived adversity and locus of control. The sample contained 242 participants, 111 university students and 131 nonstudent participants. Participants’ incidence of dreaming of ego-centered concerns, Taoist orientation, and locus of control was measured using the Dream Motif Scale; the Ego-Grasping Orientation Scale; and the Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scales, respectively. The results suggest that the incidence of dreaming of ego-centered concerns is associated positively with the experience of chronic adversity and negatively with Taoist orientation. In addition, people who have left school, as compared with students, are more Taoist-oriented and are more inclined toward an internal locus of control. It seems that cultivating a Taoist lifestyle may help mitigate psychological distress springing from the ego-dominated perspective.