Metaphysics & Psychology
Adverts are now finding their way into your dreams, new survey finds
By
T.K. RandallJanuary 18, 2025 ·
8 comments
Have you ever had adverts infiltrate your dreams ? Image Credit: Pixabay / LeandroDeCarvalho
A disturbing new trend has seen an increasing number of companies experiment with 'dream advertising'.
You would think that being asleep would enable you to escape from the grasp of commercial advertising, but according to astonishing new research, even your dreams are being infiltrated by advertisements and this is only likely to get worse as time goes on.
The survey, which was aimed at young Americans, found that as many as 54% between the ages of 18-35 have experienced advertisements in their dreams, with 61% experiencing them within the last year and 38% experiencing them on a regular basis - sometimes even every night.
What's more, these findings are backed up by another recent study indicating that 77% of companies surveyed expressed an intention to experiment with so-called 'dream advertising' - a form of advertising designed to influence what you dream about after being exposed to the ad.
If you dream about a product, you are more likely to buy it - or at least that's the theory.
The same survey indicated that at least 33% of consumers made a purchase based on something they'd dreamt about.
Many of those who did experience advertising in their dreams noted that it was mostly centered around major brands such as Coca-Cola, Apple and McDonald's.
Some experts believe that this is because frequent exposure to such brands during our daily lives - from TV and radio to billboards and Internet ads - can cause memory 'reactivation' during sleep.
Some of the people surveyed - around 41% - even suggested that they would be open to seeing adverts in their dreams if it meant receiving a discount upon purchase.
Others, meanwhile, were less enthusiastic, with some suggesting that some sort of dream 'ad blocker' might become an important concept in the coming years.
This may come in the form of mental exercises designed to help you become aware of the issue, or perhaps even a form of lucid dreaming designed to control what you dream about.
Exactly how much of a problem this is actually likely to become, however, remains to be seen.
Source:
Study Finds |
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