When Language Falters, Dreams Speak: Search for Meaning in the Aftermath of Collective Trauma

This study explores the role of dreams as existential arenas for processing trauma and reconstructing meaning in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 terror attacks in Israel. Utilizing a qualitative-phenomenological analysis of 203 dream narratives, the findings illustrate how dreams function as symbolic spaces through which individuals engage with core existential concerns heightened by collective trauma. Four central themes were identified: confrontation with death and affirmation of life; guilt, responsibility, and the struggle for agency; isolation and the yearning for connection; and the movement from chaos toward meaning-making. These themes reflect dynamic psychological and existential tensions, as individuals seek to restore coherence and reclaim agency in the wake of shattered assumptions regarding safety, morality, and belonging. The study further elucidates the mediating role of dreams between personal suffering and broader cultural frameworks, highlighting their potential contribution to processes of existential repair and meaning reconstruction. Clinically, the findings underscore the relevance of incorporating dream material within psychotherapeutic contexts to support individuals exposed to collective trauma grappling with moral injury, disrupted worldviews, and existential distress.