To dream in different cultures : exploring perceptions and experiences of dreams across University students from different cultures

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the similarities and differences of dreams that lie in the experiences and perceptions of university students originating from different cultures. Seven participants volunteered to participate in a focus group and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. Fifteen major themes were identified; Perceptions of Dreams As:, Hide and Seek, A Serious of Unfortunate Events, Home Sweet Home, It Slipped My Mind, Conveying Emotive Language, The Dark Road to the Graveyard, Eye’s on the Ball, Figures, Been There Done That, Time Machine, Victims of the Mind, Flying and Fantasy, Messages From Above and The Devil’s Out To Get Me. The study provides evidence that more themes were common across cultures, while a small number of themes were different across cultures. The results imply that similarities are more common across the cultures studied, in the world of dreams.