Dreams and Politics: How Dreams May Influence Political Decisions

Abstract

Throughout history dreaming has influenced leaders of religion, culture and politics, in both overt and subtle ways, although written dream reports relevant to politics are not easy to find. Dreams can provide creative inspiration in all fields of human endeavour; capture one's subliminal impressions of other people; preserve memories of trauma; and express deep feelings about social as well as personal and spiritual issues. This article highlights the relevance of dreams to politics; briefly reviews historical examples of dreams from several cultures; summarises some recent research on political attitudes in the USA; and draws attention to environmental dreams as a rising political concern.