reposted from TImes

CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus pandemic dreams ‘helping us learn’

Tom Whipple, Science Editor

Thursday October 01 2020, 12.01am BST, The Times

In an analysis of 800 people’s dreams, researchers discovered that many of the nightmares shared a pandemic-related theme

ALAMY

The coronavirus has not just infected our bodies, it has also infected our dreams.

Researchers have found that the metaphorical nightmare that is the pandemic has, for many of us, also become a literal one. In an analysis of 800 people’s dreams, they discovered that many of the nightmares shared a pandemic-related theme.

Instead of experiencing bad dreams such as about falling or being naked at work, people reported more modern faux pas, such as dreaming about hugging someone not in their household.

The study was carried out in Finland in the sixth week of lockdown and was part of a general analysis of how sleep had been affected by the pandemic.

Of the 4,000 people in total who were questioned, about a third reported