Relationship Between Dream Meaning Attribution and Sleep Paralysis Experiences

Abstract

The study, titled “Relationship Between Dream Meaning Attribution and Sleep Paralysis Experiences,” investigates how people interpret their dreams—symbolically, spiritually, or psychologically—and how these interpretations impact their experiences with sleep paralysis. It explores the complex relationships between dream contents, emotional experience, as well as cultural or personal belief systems, with a focus on the critical function such interpretations play in influencing psychological well-being. Filling an important omission in the literature, particularly in the Indian cultural tradition, the study follows a cross-sectional quantitative design with a total of 270 participants with a broad demographic profile, with near equivalence in male-to-female distribution. Data were gathered with a structured questionnaire filled with Likert-scale items designed for assessing the frequency as well as severity of sleep paralysis, recall for dreams, attribution for symbolic as well as spiritual interpretation, in addition to emotional impact. Statistical procedures like regression analysis were done for identifying significant predictors in addition to testing relationships among different variables. Results revealed that sleep paralysis experiences were significantly determined based on mental health, emotional experiences, cultural, as well as religious beliefs, in addition to patterns for habitual thinking. Spiritual beliefs as well as educational achievement significantly determined contents in the dreams in addition to meaning attribution, while emotional consequences were specifically related with the type of interpretations made on the dreams. Positive interpretation as well as psychological support were identified in association with positive psychological well-being, yet negative interpretation as well as poor strategies for dealing with problems were identified in association with increased psychological distress. In a broad sense, the study indicates the merit in culturally informed psychoeducation in addition to psychological interventions, considering the consideration that personal belief systems concerning dreams play a critical function in psychological experiences in relation to sleep as well as dreams.