Dream Recall Frequency, Lucid Dream Frequency, and Personality During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Michael Schredl, Anellka Remedios, Silvia Marin-Dragu, Sana Sheikh, Alyssa Forbes, Ravishankar Subramani Iyer, Matt Orr, Sandra Meier
Imagination, Cognition and Personality December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1177/02762366221104214 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,537 |
| Population | Adults (mean age 35.1 years) who completed an online survey |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Keywords | Covid-19 pandemic Dream recall frequency Lucid dream frequency |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Openness to experience was positively associated with dream recall frequency, while neuroticism was negatively associated with lucid dream frequency; lucid dream frequency, but not dream recall frequency, was related to COVID-19-related worries. |
Abstract
Dream recall frequency and lucid dream frequency showed large inter-individual differences that are partly related to personality dimensions. However, as dream research is a small field, independent studies are necessary to build a solid empirical foundation. The present online survey included 1,537 participants (1150 women, 387 men) with a mean age of 35.1 ± 15.8 years. Whereas the relationship between openness to experience and dream recall frequency was in line with previous research - supporting the life-style hypothesis of dream recall, the associations between the Big Five personality factors and lucid dream frequency are less homogenous; for example, the negative relationship between neuroticism and lucid dream frequency. Even though the effect sizes of these associations are small, the findings can help in identifying links between waking and dreaming. Moreover, it was found that lucid dream frequency was related to Covid-19-related worries, whereas dream recall frequency was not.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams | 2014 | Online survey | n = 684 |
| Frequency of Lucid Dreaming in a Representative German Sample Representative sample of German adults | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 919 |
| Lucid dreaming: an age‐dependent brain dissociation Students aged 6-19 years | 2012 | Survey | |
| Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences Adults aged 18–82 years | 2016 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,928 |
| Increased Lucid Dreaming Frequency in Narcolepsy Patients diagnosed with narcolepsy and healthy control subjects | 2015 | Cross-sectional study | n = 979 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The clinical neuroscience of lucid dreaming. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews January 14, 2025
- The Impact of Preoperative Positive Suggestions on Dreaming With Intravenous Sedation: A Randomized Controlled, Blinded Trial Anesthesia & Analgesia November 24, 2025
- Lucid dreaming practice as a sport performance enhancement and self-developmental tool in adolescents Queensland University of Technology 2023
- Lucid Dreaming: Not Just Awareness, but Agency. Journal of Sleep Research April 1, 2026
- Prevalence Rates of Frequent Dream Recall and Nightmares by Age, Gender and Sleep Duration in 16 Countries. Journal of Sleep Research February 1, 2026
Cites 31
- Questionnaires and diaries as research instruments in dream research: Methodological issues. Dreaming March 1, 2002
- Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Journal of Sleep Research May 12, 2003
- Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey The American Journal of Psychology April 21, 2014
- Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research Consciousness and Cognition June 20, 2016
and 26 more in the library