Differences in Recumbent, Ecstatic Trance Postures in Terms of Dream Recall, Imagined Interactions, and Heart Rate

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the health benefits of a wide range of spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer, and similar nonspiritual practices like mindfulness. Shamanism is a spiritual practice that uses dream recall during ecstatic trances, and scientific research has shown health benefits of dream recall. Researchers have long realized the importance of intrapersonal communication occurring in daydreams, called imagined interactions (IIs), and recently extended the theory to include night dreams. IIs serve six functions: rehearsal, relational maintenance, catharsis, conflict-linkage, self-understanding, and compensation. This study investigates the health effects of ecstatic posture on dream recall in conjunction with the functions of IIs. Results indicate that ecstatic posture while recalling dreams is associated with both heart rate and heart rate variability. However, the II function determines whether the effect is positive or negative.