Dreaming Numbers - How I have been religiously writing down my dreams for the last 17 years

Dreaming numbersDamien Catani

Let me tell you about these 7,459 dreams I have been religiously logging and writing down for the last 17 years

2

A disruptive teenage crisis Why

Need for reconstruction Why

4

Dreams as a key to the self What (do)

Dreams played a central role in the reconstruction process.I started to write them down - all those I could remember – to explore my subconscious

and go through some kind of self psychoanalysis/therapy.

5

My dream tracking process How

1. Dream 2. Memorize

No tools

6

My dream tracking process How

3. Crystallize 4. Register

Tools

7

Why crystallize first then register? How

DreamMemorize

Crystallize Register

The rationale for the intermediate crystallization is that it’s difficult to memorize more than 2 to 3 dreams. By making a quick note which will be enough to remember the full

dream you empty your mind and are ready for a refill

8

‘Crystallize’ tools: back to basics How

Sophistication

Time

9

‘Register’ tools: tech’ing up How

Sophistication

Time

10

Key dream stats What (learn)

Dream tracking period 17.55 years

Total number of dreams logged 7,459

Average number of dreams / night 1.21

Highest number of dreams / night 14 (Aug. 28, 1998)

Longest >=1 dream streak 58 days (May 30, 2015)

Longest 0 dream streak 21 days (Oct. 3, 2005)

11

Where does the number come from? What (learn)

Jun-05

Oct-05

Feb-06

Jun-06

Oct-06

Feb-07Jul-0

7

Nov-07

Mar-08Jul-0

8

Nov-08

Mar-09Jul-0

9

Nov-09

Apr-10

Aug-10

Dec-10

Apr-11

Aug-11

Dec-11

Apr-12

Sep-12

Jan-13

May-13

Sep-13

Jan-14

May-14

Sep-14

Feb-15

Jun-150

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Dreams per day over the past 10 years

Can we explain or even influence the number of dreams we have per night?It’s difficult at first sight to identify patterns

12

Where does the number come from? What (learn)

Dreams per day over the past 10 years (50-day moving average)

Jul-05

Jan-06Jul-0

6

Jan-07Jul-0

7

Jan-08Jul-0

8

Jan-09Jul-0

9

Jan-10Jul-1

0

Jan-11Jul-1

1

Jan-12Jul-1

2

Jan-13Jul-1

3

Jan-14Jul-1

4

Jan-150

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

If we look instead at moving averages to get rid of the daily volatility, the overall trend is clearer. But we still have to explain it

13

Where does the number come from? What (learn)

- Cyclicality: week and year Is there a variability of the number of dreams through the year or the week?

- CorrelationsIs it correlated with other activities?

- Momentum and inertiaIs there any momentum or inertia?

- Goal-settingCan I consciously influence my subconscious through goal-setting?

14

Weekly cyclicality What (learn)

16.7%15.5%

13.3% 13.7%

10.8%

13.0%

17.1%

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Dreams per day of the week (as percentage of total dreams)

Days of the week are not created equal when it comes to dreaming

15

1 9 17 25 33 41 49 57 65 73 81 89 97 105

113

121

129

137

145

153

161

169

177

185

193

201

209

217

225

233

241

249

257

265

273

281

289

297

305

313

321

329

337

345

353

361

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

Yearly cyclicality What (learn)

Number of dreams per day of the year (30-day moving average, last 10 years)

Similar pattern within the year: the lows are around the summer and the Xmas breaks which are the weekends of the year (traveling, disruptions to lifestyle habits)

16

Correlations What (learn)

alcohol sport sex12.3%

-1.8% -2.0%

There is a positive correlation between remembering dreams and drinking alcohol…

17

The more I sleep, the more I dream What (learn)

0h-7h

7h-8h

8h-9h

9h-10h

10h-12h

-23%

-4%

2%

5%

34%

Number of dreams per sleep hour brackets (variance to the mean)

18

Beware inertia What (learn)

22% more chance to have 0 dream at night if I had 0 dream the night before

19

Surf the momentum What (learn)

56% more chance to have 3 dreams at night or more if I had 3 dreams or more the night before

20

Surf the momentum What (learn)

Running streaks (>=1 dream nights) and number of dreams (50-day moving average)

Jun-05

Dec-05

Jun-06

Dec-06

Jun-07

Dec-07

Jun-08

Dec-08

Jun-09

Dec-09

Jun-10

Dec-10

Jun-11

Dec-11

Jun-12

Dec-12

Jun-13

Dec-13

Jun-14

Dec-14

Jun-150

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

21

Adding goal-setting into the mix How

Can I consciously influence my subconscious through goal-setting?

22

Until April 13th, 2013:

First, qualitative goal How

“Write down all the dreams I can remember each night”

23

From September 10th, 2012:

Then, quantitative How

“Remember (and write down) at least 1 dream per night on average”

24

Wow, setting goals work! What (learn)

Jul-05

Jan-06

Jul-06

Jan-07

Jul-07

Jan-08

Jul-08

Jan-09

Jul-09

Jan-10

Jul-10

Jan-11

Jul-11

Jan-12

Jul-12

Jan-13

Jul-13

Jan-14

Jul-14

Jan-15

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Introduction of a quantified goal

2.040.73

Looks like I internalized subconsciously the targets I fixed consciously…

25

Aim high and forget safety nets What (learn)

Jul-05

Jan-06

Jul-06

Jan-07

Jul-07

Jan-08

Jul-08

Jan-09

Jul-09

Jan-10

Jul-10

Jan-11

Jul-11

Jan-12

Jul-12

Jan-13

Jul-13

Jan-14

Jul-14

Jan-15

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Quantified goal only

Qualitative goal-setting Quantitative goal-setting

0.73 1.78 2.11

26

Make your goal public What (learn)

Jul-05

Jan-06

Jul-06

Jan-07

Jul-07

Jan-08

Jul-08

Jan-09

Jul-09

Jan-10

Jul-10

Jan-11

Jul-11

Jan-12

Jul-12

Jan-13

Jul-13

Jan-14

Jul-14

Jan-15

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Signed up to talk about dreams at the QS15

conference

Qualitative goal-setting Quantitative goal-setting

0.73 1.78 1.84 2.64

Dreaming numbersDamien Catani

@DamienCatani on Twitterwww.goalmap.com