Dream Content Analysis of Koreans in Their Twenties Using Hall/Van de Castle System

Chang, Sok Ha; Lee, Heon Jeong; Kim, Leen

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
In the past, latent dreams were emphasized in the psychiatric field, but these days the interest in manifest dreams is increasing as ego psychology develops. Hall and Nordby proposed that there are similarities between manifest dreams and real life. The Hall/Van de Castle System is a method of dream content analysis, which considers both the quantitive and qualitive analytic aspects of manifest dreams. METHODS: The dreams of 232 males and females (M: F=127: 105; mean age=21.02.7) were collected through the Most Recent Dream Method. Collected data were analyzed using the Hall/Van de Castle System. RESULTS: Female subjects tended to be more detailed and meticulous in reporting their dreams. The dreams of male subjects showed a higher percentage in self-negativity (2=6.64, df=1, p=0.004), and the dreams of female subjects showed a higher percentage in group character (2=6.64, df=1, p=0.0099), dreamer-involved success (2=3.12, df=1, p=0.048), and good fortune (2=4.52, df=1, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: This study suggests the norm of dream content of Korean college students, and it presents the differences between Korean males and females, and between Korean college students and American college students. This study may contribute to further studies on dream content analysis.