Aggression In Dreams: Who Has Aggressive Dreams and Why

 / 

,
aggression in dreams

Do you often dream about hitting? Fighting? Killing? What leads to aggression in a dream? What do they reflect? Who is more prone to aggressive nightmares? Read on to know.

KEY POINTS
1. Aggression appears to be a normal feature of human dream content, across different cultures.
2. Men seem to have more physical aggression in their dreams, although some women have high levels, too.
3. Dream of physical aggression can accurately reflect actual aggressions in waking life, so a sudden rise can be therapeutically significant.

Hitting, fighting, chasing, shooting, killingโ€”these are not only common themes in the news each day, but they are also recurrent features of our dreams at night.

Few studies have focused specifically on aggression in dreaming, even though Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, claimed that โ€œthe inclination to aggression is an original, self-subsisting instinctual disposition in manโ€ (Civilization and its Discontents, 1930). A combination of old and new methods of research can shed light on how this primal instinct plays out in our dream.

Your Dreams Are Mirrors.

Who Has Aggressive Dreams?

The Hall and Van de Castle system (1966) of dream content analysis have codes for three kinds of social interactions: friendly, sexual, and aggressive. Research using the HVDC system has suggested a few basic patterns in the frequency of aggression in dream:

1. Men have more aggression, especially physical aggression, in their dreams than do women.

2. Women are more likely to be victims than initiators of aggression in dreams.

3. Children have more dream aggression than do adults, especially involving attacks by animals.

4. Older people have less dream aggression than do younger people.

Hundreds of studies have used the HVDC method over the past several decades, and their findings support the basic idea that aggression is an innate feature of human dreaming.

Read 11 Of The Most Common Nightmares And The Science Behind Them

Why Do We Have Aggression In Dreaming?

An additional perspective comes from using word search technologies to identify significant patterns of meaning in dream content. The Sleep and Dream Database (SDDb) has a template with a category for physical aggression, and a large collection of dreams to study for a specific theme like this.

The SDDb Baseline dreams are a good place to startโ€”a set of 5,321 dreams (3,227 females, 2,094 males) that represent a composite portrait of dreaming in general (the reports were given in response to a question about โ€œyour most recent dreamโ€). Although limited in many ways, Baseline dreams offer an empirical basis for making comparisons across different sets of dreams. This can help in identifying trends and patterns that would be difficult to see otherwise.

Applying the word search category for physical aggression to the female Baselines, we find that 15.1% of the dreams include at least one word relating to physical aggression. Applying the same word search category to the male Baselines yields a result of 21.5% of the dreams with at least one reference to physical aggression. (The combined Baselines figure is 17.6%.)

Read 10 Nightmares And What They Are Trying To Tell You

So this analysis confirms the finding of the HVDC system that menโ€™s dreams, on average, seem to involve more physical aggression than do womenโ€™s dreams. The top ten words used in these dreams were the following: Hit, kill, fight, chasing, killed, shot, fighting, chased, war, shooting.

Turning to individuals who have kept track of their nightmares for a lengthy period of time, a great deal of variation appears in the frequency of physical aggression. For example, โ€œTanya,โ€ a young woman, has a relatively high proportion of physical aggression in her dreams (25.4%, in 563 reports), about the same as โ€œLawrence,โ€ an older man (25.7%, in 206 reports. Another young woman, โ€œJasmine,โ€ has low physical aggression in her dreams (10.5%, in 800 reports), just like โ€œRB,โ€ an older man (11.8%, in 51 reports).

There is clear evidence that experiences with physical aggression in waking life can increase the frequency of its appearance in dreaming. The best examples are โ€œMike,โ€ who served as a medic during the Vietnam War and whose collection of nightmares includes a very high proportion of physical aggression (76.3%, in 97 reports).

In the four sets of dreams from โ€œBeverleyโ€ from 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016, the first set has much more physical aggression (11.9%, in 253 reports) than in the other three (5.7%, in 687 reports), which accurately reflected her involvement in that earlier time period with a violent religious cult.

Read The 7 Types of Rest Your Soul and Body Needs, besides Sleeping

To help shed light on the role of culture in dream of physical aggression, the SDDb also includes sets of dreams from non-Western people, which can be analyzed in the same way. For the Mehinaku people of the Amazonian rain forest, a collection of 383 dreams had 22.5% with at least one reference to physical aggression.

For a group of Nepalese college students, their dreams (535) had 18.1% with a reference to physical aggression. Three groups of African church members reported dreams (142) with a 19% frequency of physical aggressions. These findings are close enough to the SDDb baselines overall figure of 17.6% to suggest that culture is not a decisive factor in this aspect of dream content.

Concluding Insights

Aggression appears to be a normal feature of human dream content, across different cultures.
Men seem to have more physical aggression in their nightmares, although some women have high levels, too.

Dream of physical aggression can accurately reflect actual aggressions in waking life, so an unusually high level of dream aggression, or a sudden change in dreams to a higher level of aggression, might be a therapeutically valuable sign.

Many dreams of physical aggression do not, however, reflect actual experiences of aggression.
These dreams may use violence as a metaphor (e.g., a nightmare of physical attack as a metaphor of feeling emotionally vulnerable).
They may reflect instances of fictional aggression (e.g., seen in a movie). They may be anticipations of violence that may happen at some point in the future (e.g. a threat simulation).

Aggression in dreaming can be viewed as an internal form of play-fightingโ€”the most common form of play in the animal kingdom, and very frequent among humans, too. Play-fighting functions as a way of preparing for future challenges, and also for diminishing and defusing emotional tensions that can lead to actual violence. The same psychological dynamics of play-fighting seem to be operative in dreaming, too.

Please share this article with anyone who you may think will find it valuable and helpful.


Written by: Kelly Bulkeley
Originally appeared on: Psychology Today
Republished with permission
aggression in dreams pin

— Share —

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply



Up Next

9 Lessons From Samantha Jones’ Quotes Every Single Woman Should Read

Best Samantha Jones Quotes That Teaches Us Life Lessons

As an adult, rewatching Sex and the City feels like opening a treasure chest of wisdom. Especially when it comes to Samantha Jones quotes, sheโ€™s the epitome of fearless confidence. And who doesn’t love a good truth bomb?

One of her most iconic lines is: “I donโ€™t care what you think.โ€ It’s so powerful because it reminds us all to embrace our unique selves and let whatever people say just slide off.

If you haven’t revisited the series in a while, I highly recommend watching it again. Youโ€™ll be surprised at how much more sense Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall will make this time around.

And if you donโ€™t have time fo



Up Next

10 Socially Conscious And Most Popular Fandoms In The World

Top Most Popular Fandoms That Create Social Impact

In a world full of countless stories and characters, popular fandoms are massive. They’re not just groups of people who like the same movie or TV show – they’re communities that are deeply immersed in their favorite fictional worlds.

Fans make every little detail their own, feelings as if it happened to them and experience every emotion on a personal level.

They can be Potterheads or they might be stans of Marvel, DC or anything else. It doesnโ€™t matter what story they love, the only thing that is certain is that they feel everything at a much deeper level than most people.

From a victory to a tragic death, from a plot twist to the end of the storyline; tears, laughter and celebration are shared as if it were their own,



Up Next

Meaningful Coincidences: The Science Of Synchronicity and Its Mysterious Impact on Your Life

The Science of Synchronicity And Meaningful Coincidences

Have you ever experienced a series of events that seemed too remarkable to be mere chance? Moments when the universe seemed to align, and the boundaries between the inner and outer world blurred? These instances, known as synchronicity, are captivating meaningful coincidences that leave us in awe of the mysteries that surround our lives. 

Let us embark on an exploration of meaningful coincidences, unravel the science of synchronicity, and understand the profound role of synchronicity in your life.

What is Synchronicity?

Synchronicity refers to the simultaneous occurrence of events that hold a significant meaning to the individual experiencing them but have no apparent causal connection. 



Up Next

The Profound Spiritual Meaning Of Tornadoes In Dreams: 4 Hidden Messages

The Profound Spiritual Meaning Of Tornadoes In Dreams

Ever had a dream about the chaotic fury of a tornado? Dreams can be overwhelming at times, but dreams are often subtle messages from your subconscious. So are there any hidden spiritual meaning of tornadoes in dreams?

Dreams can often be mysterious, captivating, and laden with symbolism. While some dreams may seem abstract or random, others carry deeper significance, offering us insights into our subconscious mind and spiritual journey. 

While we may forget most of our dreams when we wake up in the morning, there may be a deeper reason why you are dreaming about tornadoes. Such dreams signify that your mind is utilizing the imagery of tornadoes to express and indicate something deeper inside you.

When you reflect on your tornado dreams, you can tap into your subconsc



Up Next

8 Mesmerizing Slow Burn Romance Movies And TV Shows To Wander Into Love

Best Slow Burn Romance Movies And TV Shows

In a world where relationships are often rushed through, slow burn romances are probably what we all need.

Slow-burn love is gentle and patient, it allows two people to truly know each other before they dive into the thick of it. These kind of slow burn romance movies and TV shows tell us vivid stories about love that grows like a flickering flame until itโ€™s a warm hearth fire.

They steal glances, have heartfelt conversations, each moment growing more and more eager for their next interaction. And thereโ€™s something special about that anticipation.

It creates depth between characters when you see them grow closer episode by episode or scene by scene.

It doesnโ€™t matter if itโ€™s in the busiest city or quietest village, these stories always resonate



Up Next

13 Steamy Romance Novels That Will Leave You Wanting More

Steamy Romance Novels And Best Adult Books To Read

Do you want add some spice to your reading list? We have a collection of steamy romance novels that will keep you hooked from beginning to end!

Forget the clichรฉs of Fifty Shades of Grey because we’ve curated a list of 12 best adult books to read that will leave you breathless and wanting more.

They’re not just average sexy romance novels with a weak plot but these consist of stories about desire, love, passion, and all the complexities in between โ€” and they’re articulated with sophistication and style.

So, are you ready to pick your favorite cozy spot, and let these best smut books sweep you away for hours on end? Whether you like contemporary romance, historical settings, or paranormal allure, there’s a story here for everyone.



Up Next

Embodied Cognition: How Your Body Shapes Your Mind And Emotional Experiences

Embodied Cognition and Its Impact on Your Mind and Emotions

Have you ever wondered how your body and mind are interconnected? How the physical sensations you experience can shape your thoughts and emotions? It turns out that our bodies play a crucial role in shaping our cognitive processes and emotional experiences. This fascinating phenomenon is known as embodied cognition. 

Today, we will explore the concept of embodied cognition, the profound mind and body connection, and how the body affects the mind and emotions. 

So, let’s dive into the captivating world of embodied cognition and uncover the secrets of how your body shapes your mind and emotional experiences.

Embodied Cognition: Understanding the Concept