Nightmares, Mindfulness And Lucid Dreaming
Sofia Tzioridou, Martin Dresler, Kristian Sandberg, Erik M Mueller
Research Square February 25, 2022 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1303397/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (two survey studies) |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 525 |
| Population | Study 1: 338 participants, mostly infrequent lucid dreamers; Study 2: 187 participants, primarily frequent lucid dreamers who used lucid dream induction training techniques and meditation |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindful acceptance showed a more robust association with nightmare-related variables than mindful presence. Meditation expertise was inversely related to nightmare frequency, and lucid dream induction practice was inversely related to nightmare frequency and distress. In Study 2, lucid dreaming frequency positively correlated with mindfulness. The authors argue these findings suggest wakeful mindfulness is associated with dream quality and that the two mindfulness facets play distinct roles, pending experimental manipulation. |
Abstract
A theoretical and empirical association between lucid dreaming and mindfulness, as well as lucid dreaming and nightmares has previously been observed; however, the relationship between nightmares and mindfulness has received surprisingly little attention. Here, we present the findings of two studies exploring the relation of nightmare frequency and distress with two components of mindfulness, termed presence and acceptance, as well as lucid dreaming. Study 1 (N=338) consisted of a low percentage of frequent lucid dreamers whereas Study 2 (N=187) consisted primarily of frequent lucid dreamers that used lucid dream induction training techniques and meditation. Mindful acceptance showed a more robust association with nightmare-related variables in comparison to mindful presence. Meditation expertise inversely related to nightmare frequency and the practice of lucid dreaming induction techniques inversely related to nightmare frequency and distress. Finally, in Study 2 a positive correlation between lucid dreaming frequency and mindfulness was apparent. The present findings support the notion that wakeful mindfulness is associated with the quality of dreams and extend previous research by suggesting a disentangled role of the two facets of mindfulness in dream variation. This association remains open for experimental manipulation, the result of which could have clinical implications.
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 |