Oneiric bizarreness and continuity between waking and dreaming

Abstract

Based on real examples of oneiric bizarrenesses whose link with waking life of the previous day was established on the basis of the presence of similarities between the oneiric and waking-life feelings, the author presents observations that support the continuity hypothesis.

This continuity is robust and concerns barely mentalized, intra-subjective processes. The form of the elements that populate the dreams (animals, characters…) seem to reflect a vision that is governed by one’s mind-set at that time and the oneiric elaboration presents itself as the fruit of a very precise process of creation that exploits a linguistic-like competence. The oneiric expression is better described as symbolic and regulated than metaphoric and fantastical.