The relationship between dreams and reality has been a long-studied topic in psychology, with impactful pieces such as interpretation of dreams by Sigmund Freud playing an important role in determining their function. Despite this, a consensus has not been reached on why people dream, their function, and significance. Some theories include the pruning of excess synaptic connections, emotional regulation & understanding, or symbolic representation of real events to act as a generator of future possibilities. Language plays a fundamental role in dreams, enabling communication, expression and symbolism within the dream world. Multilingualism, which refers to the development of multiple languages, may have an impact on the formation and functioning of memory in general.
There is no general agreement as to why bi or multilinguals switch between languages in their dreams. However, a study by Brittany DiShaun Burkes at the National Louis University concluded that multilinguals daily life languages, whether first or later learned, were mirrored in their dreams. Essentially, the language used in dreams was dependent on the context of their daily lives. Furthermore, it was also found that multilinguals adjust their language to the target audience in their dreams. For example, a multilingual relocates to a different country and uses a second language every day. They use this second language everyday for years, and consistently dream in that language. However, when they dream of symbolic or physical representations of their native country (people, locations, situations, etc.), they will be more likely to dream in their native language. This relationship reveals how real-life situations can affect your dreams.
References:
Burkes BD, The Language-Dream Relationship in Multilinguals (2022), National Louis University, https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1717&context=diss.
