The dreams of people high and low in materialism

Dreams were analyzed to examine some of the intrapsychic dynamics that past research has suggested relate to materialistic tendencies [J. Personality Social Psychol. 63 (1993) 410; Personality Social Psychol. Bull, 22 (1996) 280]. The "most meaningful or impactful" dreams of people high in materiali sm showed more insecurity themes (e.g., falling, death), conflictual interp ersonal relationships (with family and lovers), and concerns with self-este em. In contrast, people low in materialism felt able to overcome danger and typically moved toward greater intimacy in their dreams. Findings support the idea that people who focus on the pursuit of money and goods may suffer from an underlying feeling of insecurity, have poor interpersonal relation ships, and have a low or contingent sense of self-esteem. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.