By Dr Ian Dunican, Melius Consulting

The world of sleep has captivated my interest for over 15 years, shaping my research and professional journey. Among its many facets, dreaming stands out as a particularly enigmatic and compelling phenomenon. Yet, over the past few decades, the scientific study of dreams has gradually drifted from the core disciplines of sleep science, sleep medicine, and chronobiology. In an aim to bridge this gap and look at relationships of sleep, dreams, anxiety, death anxiety and more, we assembled a research team that included Dr Hailey Meaklim, Dr David Cunnington, Dr Rachel Menzies, Dr Mitchell Turner and Malisa Burge. Before I begin this blog series, it is worth noting and thanking all of my co-researchers who received no funding, no monetary compensation, and, along with me, conducted this work out of genuine curiosity and interest in advancing the scientific field. In this brief series of three scientific blogs, I will discuss and break down a recent paper that we published in the scientific journal “Dreaming”.

“Dunican, IC, M Turner, H Meaklim, D Cunnington, M Burge, and RE Menzies. 2025. ‘Dreaming of Death: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Nightmare Severity in Australian Adults’. Dreaming. https://doi.org/10.1037/drm0000315.”

Why Has Dream Research Drifted?

Dreams are notoriously challenging to measure. Unlike sleep stages—such as light sleep (N1/N2), deep sleep (N3), REM, and wakefulness—which can be identified through polysomnography, dreams themselves remain elusive. Polysomnography typically involves three key types of physiological monitoring:

• EEG (Electroencephalography): Measures electrical activity in the brain to determine sleep stages and detect abnormalities.
• EOG (Electrooculography): Tracks eye movements, which are especially useful for identifying REM sleep.
• EMG (Electromyography): Records muscle activity, particularly in the chin and jaw, to help distinguish between sleep stages and detect arousals or disturbances.

These tools can detect brain activity, eye movements, and muscle tone, but they cannot capture the imagery, emotion, or meaning embedded in a dream.

Figure 1: An example of sleep stages across the night. Referred to as a hypnogram.

This limitation has led to the perception of dream research as esoteric or unscientific by some. The challenge lies in the fact that dreams are a phenomenological experience or subjective, felt experience that is deeply personal. As such, researchers rely on self-reporting methods, such as sleep diaries and structured questionnaires. Two commonly used tools are:

• MADRE (Multidimensional Assessment of Dream Experience)—an anagram of “dream” [1].
• Typical Dream Questionnaire (TDQ)—used to assess recurring themes and emotional tone.

Who Studies Dreams Today?

Due to these challenges, dream research has evolved into a distinct field, often led by scholars in psychology, philosophy, mental health, and occasionally by medical professionals. The discipline intersects with art, literature, and music, reflecting its rich and multifaceted nature.

Nightmares and Death Anxiety

One area that continues to intrigue both researchers and the public is the phenomenon of nightmares. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, a nightmare is defined as an intensely disturbing dream that awakens the sleeper into full consciousness, typically occurring in the latter half of the sleep period [2].

The causes of nightmares remain unclear. For some, they are a childhood occurrence that fades with age. For others, they are linked to trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychiatric conditions. Daily anxiety and, more specifically, death anxiety may play a role. My co-researcher, Dr Rachel Menzies, has identified death anxiety as a transdiagnostic risk factor across various mental health conditions [3].

Despite the historical fascination with death and dreaming, explored by thinkers such as Freud, James, Jung, and Steiner, modern research in this area remains sparse. Only a handful of studies over the past 50 years have examined this relationship.

Our Study in Australia

Here in Australia, we, the research team at the introduction of this blog, conducted a study to:

1. Assess the prevalence and severity of nightmares concerning death anxiety and explore differences across sex and age groups.
2. Analyse typical dream content for death-related themes.

As we continue to explore this field, I believe it’s crucial to bridge the gap between subjective experience and scientific inquiry. Dreams may be elusive, but they offer a window into the human psyche that is both profound and deeply personal. Stay tuned for Part Two of this series, where I’ll share how we measured these experiences and what we discovered.

If you are interested in sleep, dreams, sleep problems and disorders, we conduct sleep health education sessions face-to-face or online for groups and teams. Or check out our online courses and book for individuals at https://meliusconsulting.com.au/education/

Contact us today at info@meliusconsulting.com.au

References

[1] Schredl, M., et al. (2014). The MADRE: A new questionnaire for multidimensional dream experience.

[2] Sateia, M. J. (2014). International Classification of Sleep Disorders.

[3] Menzies, R. E., et al. (2018). Death anxiety as a tran