Are women dreaming more of sex than they used to do 40 years back? Or is it just that they have overcome their inhibitions regarding sex and are now more comfortable with talking about it?
A research study conducted by the Universite De Montreal constructed a report based on the home dream reports of more than 3,500 men and women. The study concludes that both men and women have sexual dreams for about 8 % of the daily time. The dreams consist of sexual intercourse which is the most common dream. Other dreams are of sexual propositions, kissing, fantasies and masturbation.
The study also found that the percentage of women dreaming of sex have increased considerably when compared to the situation 40 years back. The researchers believe that women are either having more sexual dreams than before, or they are less inhibited in discussing them today, probably because of the significant changes in social roles and viewpoints over the years.
According to the report presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), the sexual dreams in men and women are of equal proportions. However, the nature of sexual dreams experienced often differ according to gender.
The report reveals both men and women admitting of sexual orgasms in around 4 % of their sexual dreams. Interestingly, around 4 % of the sexual dreams experienced by women consist of another imaginary character having an orgasm. In the case of men, this phenomenon is not existent.
Past lovers were identified by women in about 20 % of their sexual dreams. The statistics regarding this in men are comparatively lower. Past lovers appear in around 14 % of the sexual dreams experienced by men. It has also been noted that the instances of public figures appearing in women’s sexual dreams are twice as likely than in men’s sexual dreams. On the other hand, men dream twice as much of multiple sexual partners than women.
The author of this report, Antonio Zadra, PhD, of the Universite de Montreal, commented in a press release, – ‘Observed gender differences may be indicative of different waking needs, experiences, desires and attitudes with respect to sexuality‘.According to her, this is in consistency with the continuity hypothesis of dreaming, which requires the content of daily dreams to reflect the waking states and concerns of the dreamer.
The report in this context reflects some basic psychological dimensions, especially in women, which might point towards some very interesting theories.
Firstly, the reported increase of sexual dreams in women suggests either an actual increase or the increase in the comfort level in women to talk about it. In either cases, a decrease in the level of social and cultural inhibition regarding sex and its manifestations are to be noticed.
Secondly, the fact that women dream more about past lovers and public figures in the sexual context, and men dream more of sex with multiple partners points towards the fact that the psychological construction of sex in both men and women relate to certain social icons and images which differ according to gender. This might also suggest a difference in the criteria of sexual satisfaction in men and women, and in a broader sense, the factors of achievement and desires, which seem to vary a lot according to gender differences.
Via : Fox News
Image Credit : Daily Mail UK
