Crazy Lean Belly: Climate change is changing how we dream

Thursday, 27 July 2023

Climate change is changing how we dream

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Climate change is changing how we dream

By Kyla Mandel

Senior Editor

I remember once dreaming about being on a metal ship in a stormy Antarctic. It was a scientific expedition looking at the glaciers. When I woke up, I had no doubt it was about climate change. How many others had had similar dreams, I wondered? To answer this question, TIME commissioned a survey with The Harris Poll. The results reveal that more than a third of people in the U.S. have dreamed about climate change at least once in their lives.

According to the data, stress and fear were among the most common emotions in people's climate dreams, and natural disasters or extreme weather were the most common imagery. There's also a generational split: The majority (57%) of Gen Z and Millennials have dreamed about climate change, compared to 35% of Gen Xers, and just 14% of Boomers. Intriguingly, though, more than anyone else, Millennials had positive, hopeful dreams.

Studying dreams can help us understand how the world affects us emotionally. This is particularly true for things outside of an individual’s control. Part of navigating the climate crisis through dreams, says Martha Crawford, a licensed clinical social worker, is being “able to come to terms with the aspects of living, the world, and our habitable environment that we do not have control over.” Understanding our dreams can also help us find a deeper connection to others or nature, and motivate us to protect the world around us.

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