Paper on benefits of sharing dreams, to be given at the 35th annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, Scottsdale, Arizona, 16th - 20th June 2018

A new theory of dream function: Telling dreams enhances empathy towards the dreamer
Mark Blagrove, Michelle Carr, Alex Jones, and Julia Lockheart 
Presentation summary: We propose that dreaming has been selected for during evolution so that the fictional emotional simulation can be told to others after waking. The benefits of the simulation to the dreamer occur not during sleep but due to enhanced interpersonal bonding and, in particular, enhanced empathy towards the dreamer.