Dreaming, Lucid Dreaming and Personality
Evelyn Doll, Georg Gittler, Brigitte Holzinger
heiDOK (Heidelberg University) 2009 DOI: 10.11588/ijodr.2009.2.142 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 89 |
| Population | Subjects categorized as frequent, rare, or non-lucid dreamers |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming Dreaming |
| Keywords | Personality Autonomy Mental health Psychoanalysis Developmental psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 27 |
| Key findings | Frequent lucid dreamers scored higher on mental health, freedom from complaints, expansivity, autonomy, and self-esteem than rare or non-lucid dreamers, with no differences in behavioral control, decision behavior, or spatial abilities. |
Abstract
The term "lucid dream" describes a dream during which the dreamer is aware of being in a dream while the dream is ongoing. Our investigation focused on the frequency of the lucid dream experience and its relationship to mental health, behavioural control (TPF; Becker, 1989), decision behaviour (EQS; Wolfram, 1982), and spatial abilities (3DW; Gittler, 1990). Data analysis of 89 subjects suggested that frequent lucid dreamers (n=27) differ from rare (n=33) and non-lucid dreamers (n=29) by higher scores in the scales of mental health, freedom from complaints, expansivity, autonomy and self-esteem. With regard to behavioural control, decision behaviour and spatial abilities, there were no significant differences between the three lucidity groups.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... | 2009 | Observational study | n = 6 |
| Neural Correlates of Dream Lucidity Obtained from Contrasting Lucid versus Non-Lucid REM Sleep: A Combined EEG/fMRI Case Study Experienced lucid dreamers | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 4 |
| Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Individuals during REM sleep, including frequent lucid dreamers, a novice, and a... | 2021 | Observational study | n = 36 |
| Lucid Dreaming in Narcolepsy Consecutive patients with narcolepsy and healthy controls | 2015 | Case-control study | n = 106 |
| Metacognitive Mechanisms Underlying Lucid Dreaming Human participants split into high- and low-lucidity groups based on reported dream... | 2015 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 20
- Neurobiology and clinical implications of lucid dreaming Medical Hypotheses July 6, 2013
- Are Lucid Dreams Good for Us? Are We Asking the Right Question? A Call for Caution in Lucid Dream Research Frontiers in Neuroscience January 24, 2020
- Lucid Dreaming: Intensity, But Not Frequency, Is Inversely Related to Psychopathology Frontiers in Psychology March 22, 2018
- Frequency of Lucid Dreams and Lucid Dream Practice in German Athletes Imagination, Cognition and Personality February 21, 2012
- Dream lucidity is associated with positive waking mood. Consciousness and Cognition August 1, 2020
and 15 more in the library
Cites 5
- Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2006
- Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- Psychophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming. Dreaming June 1, 2006
- The multiplicity of dreams: cognitive-affective correlates of lucid, archetypal, and nightmare dreaming. Perceptual and Motor Skills October 1, 1990
- Dream Recall and Attitude toward Dreams Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1984