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Dream/Cancer Survey Results: as of February 14 , 1998
There is a significant difference in the following responses. The most notable is that 69% of the respondents state that their Self-Image has Improved !
| Male: | 8% |
| Female: | 93% |
| 50+ years of age | 15% |
| 40-49 years of age | 23% |
| 30-39 years of age | 15% |
| 20-29 years of age | 38% |
| 13-19 years of age | 8% |
Occupations:
homemaker
management
management consultant
process mistress
R.N.
R.N. - Administrator
real estate agent
retired
secretary
student
teacher
Locations:
| 62% | - suburban |
| 15% | - urban |
| 23% | - rural |
62%...view dreams as the subconscious
23%...view dreams as ESP
23%...believe dreams foretell the future
93%...believe dreaming is a way of dealing with reality
15%...write down their dreams
77%...remember their dreams
77%...discuss their dreams with others
Kinds of cancer reported by survey takers:
69% breast cancer 8% cervical cancer 8% non-hodgkins lymphoma 8% Stage IV inoperable adenocarcinoma of lungs and lymph 8% bladder
Kinds of Treatment:
| Chemotherapy | 69% |
| Surgery | 69% |
| Radiation | 47% |
| Psychotherapy | 15% |
| Hypnotherapy | 8% |
| Counseling | 31% |
| Support Group | 47% |
| Religious Belief | 62% |
| Yourself | 69% |
| Other: | Herbal & Nutrition | 54% |
| My art | 8% | |
| candles, incense, touch | 8% | |
| Meditation | 15% | |
| Alternative | 15% |
54% use dreams and/or imaging as treatment to deal with cancer or stress:
Church and prayer
Think about water and nature
Dolphins, water, dogs
Warriors
Birds eating birdseed
Cartoon-like images of medications kicking cancerous cells."I see myself healthy, running in slow motion, muscular, strong."
I see myself "...accepting the Chemo drugs/radiation as a healer. Watching my cells fight and devour the cancer cells."
Types of Dreams:
| Pre-cancer dreams: | 47% |
| During cancer dreams: | 47% |
| Cancer treatment dreams: | 23% |
| Post/Survival dreams: | 38% |
| Stress Dreams: | 69% |
| While combating stress dreams: | 47% |
| Post stress dreams: | 47% |
| Other | 23 |
"I dream about my deceased husband."
Prediagnosis: "I asked my subconscious if I had cancer. My chest opened up and I was filled with maggots."
How Has Your Life Changed?:
| Improved | Worsened | No Change | |
| Career | 23% | 31% | 47% |
| Self-image | 69% | 31% | 0% |
| Relationships | 69% | 8% | 23% |
| Spirit | 77% | 15% | 8% |
| Your reactions | 85% | 15% | 0% |
| Spouse | 47% | 23% | 47% |
| Parent | 62% | 8% | 31% |
| Children | 69% | 15% | 15% |
| Siblings | 54% | 8% | 38% |
As a result of discussing, remembering and/or writing down your dreams:
| Are you better able to cope while dreaming? | 31% - yes |
| Are you more able to cope with stress and/or problems when awake? | 38% - yes |
| Do you feel more connected to those around you? | 47% - yes |
| Have you changed the way you react when awake? | 47% - yes |
How do you see yourself while you dream?
Actor 31% Observer 15% Director 0% Combination 54%
Describe your reoccurring dreams:
"Prior to diagnosis, various reoccurring dreams concentrated around being in school, getting ready to take a test and not being prepared. Typically my 'senior' year and failing will cause me not to graduate. Kind of fitting, don't you think."
"Lately I have been dreaming of praying to the holy father in my dreams, especially when something bad is happening."
I dream of "Demonic possession, floating, and strange dialects or languages. Sometimes I appear naked in my dreams."
I was "a football player running ball to goal line. During chemo treatment, I know very little about football, but I dreamt I was a runner carrying the football. I didn't have to win the game by myself, but I had a big role to play. That first game I ran for 1-2 yards at a time. . . the second game I ran better and I ran harder and faster and it felt so good."
"I've had 2 other surgeries that doctor thought was probably cancer, but wasn't. Both times I asked my subconscious before surgery if I had cancer. I was aware that I had stopped breathing in my sleep. Subconscious told me I did not have cancer and described tumors. I woke up and started breathing again. I told my doctor I wasn't afraid of cancer. . . He said I must have been doing some research because that was one of the possibilities he was hoping for."
"I dream about my mother (who passed away 16 years ago) finding me a parking space in a crowded lot."
Horrible nightmares of demonic possession.
I dream about my deceased husband.
Water, roads, flying.
Bodies of water, mostly ocean.
"I always have 'house' dreams. I call them that because there is often a house I am moving into, moving out of."
Violent running, screaming, being chased and attacked, blood, death, very black and dark, brutal, savage things attack.
Frightening black and orange colors.