Lucid dreaming and resilience in the face of exposure to terrorism.
Nirit Soffer-Dudek, Reut Wertheim, Golan Shahar
Journal of Traumatic Stress February 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1002/jts.20601 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAmong 79 Israeli young adults, having lucid dreams—being aware of dreaming—appeared to buffer the psychological impact of terrorism exposure. For those with few lucid dreams, indirect exposure via media and perceived stress predicted increased distress over three years. This protective effect was not seen in frequent lucid dreamers. The findings suggest that lucid dreaming may help regulate emotional responses to trauma.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 79 |
| Population | Israeli young adults |
| Duration | 3-year interval with follow-up 1 week after exposure |
| Key finding | Indirect exposure to terrorism through media and perceived stress predicted increased psychological distress over three years only among participants with low levels of lucid dreams. |
Abstract
The relationship between resilience and lucid dreams, which involves awareness of the experience of dreaming, was examined in 79 Israeli young adults. Psychological distress and lucid dreams 3 years prior to exposure to terrorism, and exposure levels and psychological distress 1 week following exposure, were assessed. Both indirect exposure through media and perceived stress predicted an increase in distress during the 3-year interval under low, but not high, levels of lucid dreams. Possible mechanisms are discussed.