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A Study on the Personality Characteristics of Dreamers Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2015 A Study on the Personality Characteristics of Dreamers Joshua Lambert Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Lambert, Joshua, "A Study on the Personality Characteristics of Dreamers" (2015). Masters Theses. 1964. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1964 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Graduate School~ E/6JERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY­ Thesis Maintenance and Reproduction Certificate FOR: Graduate Candidates Completing Theses in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree Graduate Faculty Advisors Directing the Theses RE: Preservation, Reproduction, and Distribution of Thesis Research Preserving, reproducing, and distributing thesis research is an important part of Booth Library's responsibility to provide access to scholarship. In order to further this goal, Booth Library makes all graduate theses completed as part of a degree program at Eastern Illinois University available for personal study, research, and other not-for-profit educational purposes. Under 17 U.S.C. § 108, the library may reproduce and distribute a copy without infringing on copyright; however, professional courtesy dictates that permission be requested from the author before doing so. 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C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) with respect to the contents of the thesis and with respect to information concerning authorship of the thesis, including name and status as a student at Eastern Illinois University. I have conferred with my graduate faculty advisor. My signature below indicates that I have read and agree with the above statements, and hereby give my permission to allow Booth Library to reproduce and distribute my thesis. My adviser's signature indicates concurrence to reproduce and distribute the thesis. Please submi.t in duplicate. A Study on the Personality Characteristics of Dreamers BY Joshua Lambert THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2015 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE DATE DATE -1-1\ DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE Running Head: PERSONALITY AND DREAMERS 1 Personality Characteristics of Dreamers Graduate Thesis in Clinical Psychology, M.A. Program Joshua Lambert Eastern Illinois University PERSONALITY AND DREAMERS 2 Abstract Nightmares are frightening dreams that cause the dreamer to wake, with the events that occur within the nightmare well remembered after awakening. There are those who experience nightmares frequently (at least one nightmare a week). While studying nightmares, Hartmann (1989, 1991) theorized a distinct personality trait he referred to as boundaries of the mind, and conceptualized a boundary continuum ranging from thin boundaries to thick boundaries. Those with thin boundaries were hypothesized to express permeability between cognitive processes, whereas those with thick boundaries are thought to better separate cognitive processes. Those who experience frequent nightmares are typically shown to report thinner boundaries than those who do not experience frequent nightmares. Those who frequently lucid dream - which has been defined as the ability for a dreamer to recognize that he or she is asleep while in a dream and then manipulate the content of the dream, or observe the dream passively - have also been reported to have thin boundaries. Among other things, people may engage in lucid dreaming in order to cope with nightmares. The current study sought to explore shared personality traits of those who experience frequent nightmares and frequent lucid dreams. Results and potential benefits of the research findings are discussed. PERSONALITY AND DREAMERS 3 Table of Contents Title Page ............................................................................................................................ 1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ 3 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgement .............................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 7 • Boundary Structure ..................................................................................... 7 o Types of Boundaries ....................................................................... 8 o Thin and Thick Boundaries ........................................................... 11 o Qualities of Thin Boundaries ........................................................ 12 • The Continuity Hypothesis ....................................................................... 14 o Contradictory Hypotheses ............................................................. 15 o Factors Affecting Continuity ........................................................ 16 • Nightmares ................................................................................................ 16 • Lucid Dreruning ........................................................................................ 19 o Lucid Dreruning Frequency .......................................................... 21 o Differences attributing to Lucid Dreruning Frequency ................. 22 o Utility of Lucid Dreaming............................................................. 27 • Research Goal ........................................................................................... 27 Methods ............................................................................................................................. 29 PERSONALITY AND DREAMERS 4 • Participants ................................................................................................ 29 • Procedure .................................................................................................. 3 0 • Measures ................................................................................................... 31 o Big Five Inventory ........................................................................ 31 o Short Boundary Questionnaire ...................................................... 32 o Dreaming Styles Questionnaire .................................................... 32 Results ............................................................................................................................... 33 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 40 o Limitations .................................................................................... 45 o Conclusion .................................................................................... 48 References ......................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 67 Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 70 Appendix C ....................................................................................................................... 73 PERSONALITY AND DREAMERS 5 List of Tables Table 1: Frequency of Lucid Dreams ............................................................................... 62 Table 2: Frequency of Nightmares ...................................................................................
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