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ABSTRACT

The Threat Simulation Theory of Dreaming: Empirical Explorations

Katja Valli
Department of Philosophy
University of Turku
20014 FINLAND
e-mail: katval@utu.fi

Biographical Description

I have been working as a research assistant in a project on dream content analysis. I have a master's degree in psychology, my master's thesis was a content analysis study about threatening events in dreams. I am currently preparing my Ph. D. "Testing the Threat Simulation Theory of Dreaming - Empirical Approach" under the supervision of Dr. Antti Revonsuo.

Summary of Presentation

The latest theory on the function of dreaming, The Threat Simulation Theory, considers dreaming to be a biologically functional, evolutionarily ancient threat simulation mechanism. In this talk I will present the main hypotheses derived from the theory, the hypotheses we are currently empirically testing with various dream data and the selected results of our research thus far.

Learning objectives

A) 1. The main hypotheses of the Threat Simulation Theory
2. How hypotheses derived from TST can be empirically tested
3. How is TST linked to Consciousness studies

ABSTRACT

Several theories claim that dreaming is a random by-product of REM sleep physiology and does not serve any natural function. Revonsuo (2000) has put forward the hypothesis, The Threat Simulation Theory, that the biological function of dreaming is to simulate threatening events, and to rehearse threat perception and threat avoidance. To evaluate this
hypothesis, we need to consider the original evolutionary context of dreaming and the possible traces it has left in the dream content of the present human population.

The hypotheses of TST include that dream experience is specialized in the simulation of threatening events and that encountering real threats during waking has a powerful effect on subsequent dream content: real threats activate the threat simulation system in a qualitatively unique manner, dissimilar from the effects on dreaming of any other stimuli or experience. The available empirical evidence from normative dream content, children's dreams, recurrent dreams, nightmares, post-traumatic dreams and the dreams of hunter-gatherers indicates that our dream production mechanisms are in fact specialized in the simulation of threatening events, and thus provides support to the threat simulation
hypothesis of the function of dreaming.

We have recently started a project, whose purpose is to empirically test the hypotheses of TST with dream data collected from various sources. This dream data includes for example normal young adults dreams, normal and traumatized children's dreams, and frequent nightmare sufferer's dreams. Our aim is to explore whether threatening events are
more frequent in the dreams than in the waking life of our subjects and whether traumatizing experiences activate the threat simulation mechanism to a full degree. For example, our previous dream content analysis study shows a that threatening events are overrepresented in the dreams of normal young adults (Revonsuo & Valli, 2000) and we are
currently exploring the effect of traumatizing events on children's dreams. In this talk I will present an overwiew of our research project so far.

Articles

Revonsuo, A. & Valli, K. (2000) Dreaming and Consciousness - Testing the Threat Simulation Theory of the Function of Dreaming. Psyche, 6. <http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v6/psyche-6-08-revonsuo.html>

Valli, K. & Revonsuo, A. (2000) Uhkatilanteet unissa - Unissa esiintyvien uhkatilanteiden sisällönanalyysi. Psykologia. In
Finnish. (In Press)

Revonsuo, A. & Valli, K. (2000) Evoluutiopsykologinen teoria unien funktiosta. Psykologia. In Finnish. (In Press)

Abstracts

Valli, K. & Revonsuo, A: Self in Threatening Dream Events. Consciousness and Self:Neural, Cognitive, and Philosophical Issues, 1999, 45.

Valli, K. & Revonsuo, A: Threatening Events in Dreams - Evidence for an Evolutionary Function of Dreaming. Toward a Science of Consciousness, Tucson 2000, Consciousness Research Abstracts, 112-113.