Kgamy. Camille Joubert’s column is broadcast daily on “C Game” hosted by Jimmy Gormaud Monday through Friday at 5 pm in France 5.
You have this strange feeling that you actually dreamed of a situation… So, the massive dream, the supernatural phenomenon or the cerebral delusion?
Three cognitive biases at work
According to science, the answer lies in our brains. He must make quick decisions every day when faced with complex situations. To get out of this, there is only one solution: you need automatic thinking. These mental shortcuts are called cognitive biases. In the case of putative anticipatory dreams, three cognitive biases are actually at work. The first is selection bias, which is choosing only information that works for us. So, if you dream that you are going to the ice rink in a polka dot skirt, and after a month you are already going to skate but in pants, then you probably have a sudden dream. However, the scene is not exactly the same!
The second cognitive bias is the confirmation bias: our brain tends to prefer information that confirms what it is already thinking. If you are willing to believe that some of your dreams have lapsed, as soon as an event in your day matches one of your dreams, you will likely conclude that you have predicted the future! Finally, there is a recovery bias. You don’t remember all the dreams you have every night, but you are more likely to remember them if there is a similar time in your day that reminds you of them.
How many unfulfilled dreams!
But let’s not forget that every night we also have dozens of dreams that never come true… Because I have dreams, it only makes sense that one of them would end up like a piece of reality. It’s just a coincidence!