Myth
The theory that never was
The "Senoi dream theory" made dream control famous in the 1950s. It was largely invented.
In the 1950s a story spread that the Senoi people of Malaysia trained their children to face and defeat dream enemies, and that this made them unusually peaceful. Later anthropologists who visited found no evidence for the practice as described. The good news: changing a dream on purpose does have real evidence today, through imagery rehearsal. It just did not come from where the story said.
How we check a myth
We look for studies that test a claim, not only surveys of what people believe. When a claim is popular but untested, we label it exploratory and say so plainly.
Sources
- Domhoff, The Mystique of Dreams, University of California Press, 1985
Evidence label: Strong evidence. What the labels mean.
Read more in Insights
Keep reading
All of the Atlas
MythDoes cheese give you nightmares?
Dairy tops the list of foods people blame for strange dreams. Whether it causes them is unproven.
Old wisdomA prayer for a quiet night
Compline asks for protection and a quiet night before sleep.
LessonA simple breath with a long exhale
In a month-long study, a double inhale and a long, slow exhale lifted mood and lowered breathing rate more than mindfulness meditation.