We tend to think of our waking and dream lives as separate. But it is striking how deeply they are linked.
Considering dreaming and mind wandering together suggests the fluctuations in spontaneous experience, the natural ebb and flow of attention and somewhat erratic trajectory of thoughts continue throughout waking and sleep.
However, attention to our inner lives may be amplified at a time when control over our everyday lives is elusive.
Changes in Spontaneous Thought—for Better or Worse
If you have been sleeping more under lockdown, you are probably experiencing more early morning REM sleep. Because REM sleep is typically associated with the most vivid and complex dreams, this might lead to an increase in actual dreaming.If you have also ditched your alarm clock, you are probably awakening directly from REM sleep, which further increases dream recall.
Similarly, dreams have the tendency to weave disparate waking experiences and concerns into new and sometimes bizarre narratives. You might encounter a dream character who is a mixture of different people you have been close to at different times in your life.
Or your initially pleasant dream of visiting friends in a faraway city might morph into a nightmare about getting infected, putting your family at risk, and being pursued by the police because you are breaching lockdown.
Spontaneous thoughts in waking and sleep might help us process memories and guide future planning and decision making, for example by enabling us to imagine alternative courses of action. They can also be a source of insight and creativity.
A Great Escape
Being in the here and now is often lauded as a virtue we should aim to cultivate through mindfulness. But sometimes, distraction can be useful: Mind wandering can provide a welcome break from boring tasks, allowing us to return with refreshed attention.Given the monotony, restrictions, and social isolation many of us are experiencing, the unruliness and unboundedness of our minds might sometimes be a great escape.