Anxiety Dreams 

Last month we printed a short item about a Harvard alumnus who has been vic­timized by a recurring dream: he is back at Harvard and faces an examination for which he is totally unprepared. We won­dered if this dream might be more wide­spread and asked for communications from our readers “who are likewise af­flicted.” Since then we have received more than 50 letters describing similar recurring “exam anxiety” dreams, many of which are astonishingly alike in the details. A selection of the dream letters follows here. We’ll print more letters next week, along with some learned psycho­logical analysis. —ED. 

DEAR SIR: 

I used to dream that it was the last se­mester of my senior year and that I had not attended any lectures or done any reading in two of my courses. Like the Harvard man, I had a sense of panic, which was relieved only when I awoke.

JAMES S. WOLF ’10
Lemon Grove, Calif. 

DEAR SIR: 

I can testify that I have been having this dream for over 30 years. Indeed, some­times the matter arises in my mind even while walking down the street. 

In discussing this phenomenon with friends, I have found that more than 50 percent of them experience the same dream. 

HUBERT A. SCHNEIDER ’30
Washington, D.C.