Prophetic Dreams: Influence of Dreams on Perceived Probabilities
University
Shawnee State University
Major
Psychology
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Presentation Types
Oral Presentation (Live)
Keywords:
Dreams, probability judgements
Abstract
Can dreams forecast the future? Dreams are central to human experience. Additionally, dreams have long been seen as sources of guidance. We investigated whether dreams influence expectations and emotions about future goals. Student participants read three relatable goal vignettes (exam, romance, road trip), each involving uncertainty and lack of control. Vignettes were randomly assigned to include a positive, negative, or unrelated dream regarding the goal. Participants then used information in the stories to judge the likelihood of positive/negative event outcomes and emotions. Notably, we found that goal-relevant dreams influenced optimism and pessimism. Comparatively, positive dreams fostered more hope and negative dreams increasing doubt—despite the events being characterized as no longer controllable. This is consistent with a belief (implicit or explicit) in prophetic dreams and/or supernatural influence. Results could also be explained by the availability heuristic, in which easily imagined events are judged more likely.
Human and Animal Subjects
yes
IRB or IACUC Approval
yes
Faculty Mentor Name
Brian J Richards
Faculty Mentor Title
Professor
Faculty Mentor Department
Social Sciences
Recommended Citation
Whitt, Haley Ms. and Richards, Brian, "Prophetic Dreams: Influence of Dreams on Perceived Probabilities" (2025). Celebration of Scholarship. 1.
https://digitalcommons.shawnee.edu/cos/2025/trustees/1
Location
LIB 204
Prophetic Dreams: Influence of Dreams on Perceived Probabilities
LIB 204
Can dreams forecast the future? Dreams are central to human experience. Additionally, dreams have long been seen as sources of guidance. We investigated whether dreams influence expectations and emotions about future goals. Student participants read three relatable goal vignettes (exam, romance, road trip), each involving uncertainty and lack of control. Vignettes were randomly assigned to include a positive, negative, or unrelated dream regarding the goal. Participants then used information in the stories to judge the likelihood of positive/negative event outcomes and emotions. Notably, we found that goal-relevant dreams influenced optimism and pessimism. Comparatively, positive dreams fostered more hope and negative dreams increasing doubt—despite the events being characterized as no longer controllable. This is consistent with a belief (implicit or explicit) in prophetic dreams and/or supernatural influence. Results could also be explained by the availability heuristic, in which easily imagined events are judged more likely.
