Mindfulness and Lucid Dream Frequency Predicts the Ability to Control Lucid Dreams
Tadas Stumbrys, Daniel Erlacher
Imagination, Cognition and Personality December 20, 2016 DOI: 10.1177/0276236616683388 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 528 |
| Population | Online survey respondents, 386 with lucid dream experience |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming Meditation |
| Citations | 28 |
| Key findings | Full control over the dream body is possible in about two thirds of lucid dreams, while control of the dream environment and maintaining dream awareness are possible in less than half, with higher lucid dream frequency, dispositional mindfulness, and younger age as main predictors. |
Abstract
In lucid dreams, the dreamer is aware that one is dreaming; however, this does not necessary imply that the dreamer has complete control over the ongoing dream narrative. The present study explored the extent to which the lucid dreamers are able to control their dreams, as well as underlying factors. An online survey was completed by 528 respondents, of whom 386 had lucid dream experience. According to their reports, full control over the dream body is possible in about two thirds of cases, while control of the dream environment and the ability to maintain dream awareness are possible in less than half of cases. The main predictors of lucid dream control were higher lucid dream frequency and dispositional mindfulness in wakefulness, as well as younger age. The findings suggest that by cultivating mindfulness lucid dreamers might be able to develop greater dream control; however, further longitudinal research is needed.
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 22
- Combining presleep cognitive training and REM-sleep stimulation in a laboratory morning nap for lucid dream induction. Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice April 13, 2020
- Lucid Dreaming, Nightmares, and Sleep Paralysis: Associations With Reality Testing Deficits and Paranormal Experience/Belief. Frontiers in Psychology 2020
- A beautiful loop: An active inference theory of consciousness. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2025
- Out-of-body experiences in relation to lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis: A theoretical review and conceptual model. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2024
- The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress. Scientific Reports September 21, 2022
and 17 more in the library
Cites 20
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
and 15 more in the library