Life has become more stressful and uneasy due to the coronavirus pandemic, amid which the phenomenon of coronavirus pandemic dreams has emerged. Why do people have nightmares? Are there ways to overcome them? Toyo University Prof. Eiko Matsuda, a psychologist who has conducted research on the study of dreams for years, spoke with Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Keiko Chino in a recent interview. The following are excerpts from the interview.
Mind weather forecast
The Yomiuri Shimbun: National Geographic, a world-famous U.S. scientific magazine, called the phenomenon of having nightmares during the new coronavirus outbreak "coronavirus pandemic dreams." Is a similar phenomenon emerging in Japan, too?
Eiko Matsuda: It is well known in large-scale surveys of mental health both at home and abroad that people have nightmares in the aftermath of such disasters as a great earthquake. As the new coronavirus cannot be seen, there is a fear that we could unknowingly become infected at any time. It is natural for people to experience nightmares or bizarre dreams. But in comparison with the United States and Europe, the number of people infected with or dying from the virus has remained at relatively low levels in Japan. As many people within the United States and Europe have nightmares due to high stress levels, research in this field is much more advanced in these countries, I think.
Q: What causes nightmares?
A: We subconsciously take in information about everything we see and hear during the day and store it in our brains. While we sleep, that information is drawn out and replayed in our minds -- this is how we dream. It is something like a documentary or film that can only be seen by an individual.
Sleep is a cycle that can be divided into two periods. One is the non-REM (rapid eye movement) period in which your brain and body rest and the other is the REM period in which parts of your brain remain active. Non-REM and REM sleep alternate in roughly 90-minute cycles. It is during REM sleep that you have vivid dreams. Usually, a person can have three to five dreams while asleep, although most of them are forgotten. But in the case of dreams containing extremely stressful content or information, they cannot be properly processed in your brain, causing you to awaken mid-dream and leaving them to remain in your memory. These dreams are typically accompanied by strong emotions, such as irritation, anxiety and terror, thus turning them into nightmares.
Q: Is this an indication of our concerns?
A: Yes. I believe that dreams are weather forecasts of our minds. They tell us that we have worries that remain unresolved.
Consult family, friends
Q: Do you have any examples of new coronavirus-related nightmares in Japan?
A: There was a case of a woman in her 60s, who described the new coronavirus infection appearing in her dream as something without a distinct shape but with both a smell and a sound. In her dream, she was in a room of an old house. As she opened the door of an adjoining room, she found it to be dimly lit, and damp with a musty odor. Many similar-looking old musical instruments were placed in the room and she could hear faint voices. She trembled alone in fear. It is presumed that she attributed the image of the invisible new virus to the musty smell and associated the coffins used for mass burials of virus victims with the old musical instruments.
Q: Isn't it difficult to judge what exactly is being implicated in such a dream?
A: Exactly. That's why I recommend that you first talk about any nightmare you have to your family and friends. This will help you to recognize what you are worried about through the perspective of a third person.
Q: Are there any standards by which dreams could be determined as ominous?
A: Not in particular. Even dreams related to death aren't necessarily ominous. Rather, you should take note if you frequently experience a dream that interrupts your sleep by waking you suddenly. You should also be a little careful if you frequently see the same scene or if you wake up at the same point in the dream. These dreams could indicate that you have something on your mind.
Q: What should you do when you have such a dream?
A: You can seek the support of experts, including a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. In the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's guidelines, imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) is recommended for the treatment of nightmares. The IRT also suggests rewriting the plot of the nightmare. If you don't think such a consultation is necessary, you could come up with a rewritten scenario with a positive ending in consultation with your family or friends. This will calm your mind for a moment, and then you may get clues as to how to solve the source of your stress.
Info may trigger nightmares
Q: Under the current voluntarily restraint over leaving our homes, are we more likely to experience nightmares?
A: I believe so. Unaccustomed teleworking, online classroom lessons and suspension of planned projects can be the cause of stress that is reflected in dreams. Those experiencing unrest tend to access various information through the internet and other social media. Stimulated by the obtained information, they are likely to experience nightmares.
Q: Given the prospect of a continuation of the period of self-restraint, what should we keep in mind?
A: First and foremost is to maintain a healthy sleep rhythm. Humans are also animals and our sleep is controlled by our biological clocks. It is essential to set a time to get up in the morning and get a bit of sunshine outside, even if it's just on a balcony. It's also best to not dwell on anything negative before going to sleep because doing so could trigger a nightmare.
-- Matsuda is a certified public psychologist and clinical psychologist. Her specialties are clinical psychology, personality psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy. Following stints of serving as a professor at Edogawa University and a guest professor at the Open University of Japan, she has been in her current profession since 2015.
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