Dreams That Connect Us
How Our Nightly Stories Reflect—and Protect—Our Social Life
Social connection has always been the beating heart of a healthy, fulfilling life. For millennia, philosophers, poets, and scientists have agreed: we thrive in relationship, and we suffer in isolation. Our dreams may have been whispering this truth to us all along.
New research is uncovering the fact that our dreams are profoundly social. Every night, as we slip into sleep, our minds stage encounters, conversations, reunions, and conflicts with people from our lives—sometimes weaving in strangers too. Far from being random nonsense, these nightly stories appear to serve a deeper purpose: keeping us connected, even in the absence of physical presence.
A recent study led by John Balch and colleagues (2025) brings this idea to life. Over two weeks, participants recorded their dreams, while researchers tracked their daily interaction…