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Metaphoric threat is more real than real threat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2001

Jordan B. Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3 peterson@psych.utoronto.ca www.psych.utoronto.ca/~peterson/welcome.htm
Colin G. DeYoung
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3 peterson@psych.utoronto.ca www.psych.utoronto.ca/~peterson/welcome.htm

Abstract

Dreams represent threat, but appear to do so metaphorically more often than realistically. The metaphoric representation of threat allows it to be conceptualized in a manner that is constant across situations (as what is common to all threats begins to be understood and portrayed). This also means that response to threat can come to be represented in some way that works across situations. Conscious access to dream imagery, and subsequent social communication of that imagery, can facilitate this generalized adaptive process, by allowing the communicative dreamer access to the problem solving resources of the community.

[Revonsuo; Solms]

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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