Bial Foundation May 14 2026 A study that analyzed, over four years, thousands of reports of dreams and waking experiences reports that what we dream is shaped by stable individual traits, such as attitudes toward dreaming, the tendency for mind-wandering, and subjective sleep quality. Dreams are both universal and personal experiences, closely linked to waking life, although often distinct from it. During sleep, the brain generates dynamic narratives shaped by prior experiences, beliefs,