Fantasy Styles, Hypnotic Dreaming and Fantasy Proneness

The MSCH Editorial Team
1 day ago
1 min read

Authors Steven Jay Lynn, Victor A. Neufeld

Affiliations

Ohio University

PMID: N/A (Source ID) DOI: N/A

Abstract

Background Much of our waking life is spent daydreaming, with content varying by factors such as personality and gender. Three distinct fantasy styles have been identified: Positive-Constructive (PC), Guilt-Fear-of-Failure (GFF), and Poor Attentional Control (PAC). This research was designed to bridge the literature on fantasy style and hypnosis by examining the effect of fantasy style on the content of hypnotic dreaming.

Methods Eighty-three subjects participated in a study of the relation between fantasy styles and hypnotic dreaming. Subjects completed the Short Imaginal Processes Inventory (SIPI) and other measures before undergoing hypnosis. They were administered a hypnotic dream suggestion ('Now sleep and dream...') and asked to record their dreams, which were rated for emotion and anxiety.

Results As hypothesized, subjects who reported that their daydreams revolved around fearful, guilt-ridden, and achievement-based (Guilt-Fear-of-Failure, GFF) fantasies were more likely to report negative emotion and anxiety in their dreams. However, positive-constructive (PC) fantasy and poor attentional control (PAC) fantasy styles were unrelated to affect expressed in subjects' hypnotic dreams. The study also found that fantasy proneness was correlated with both the PC and GFF fantasy styles.

Conclusions The results provide support for the hypothesis that a degree of continuity exists between waking fantasy style and hypnotic experience. Subjects with negative waking fantasies tend to manifest similar affect in hypnotic dreams. These findings suggest the need to consider pre-existing differences in personality style when understanding responses to hypnotic suggestions.

Keywords fantasy styles, hypnotic dreaming, fantasy proneness, daydreaming, SIPI.