Sensational Dreams: The Prevalence of Sensory Experiences in Dreaming
A.C. van der Heijden, Jade Thevis, Jill Verhaegen, Lucia Talamini
Brain Sciences May 24, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060533 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3,476 |
| Population | Participants reporting dream diaries in a home-based setting |
| Duration | Multiple days |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming Dreaming |
| Keywords | Sensory system Perception Recall Clarity Cognitive psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Vision was the most common sensory dream experience, followed by audition and touch, with multisensory dreams far more prevalent than unisensory dreams. |
Abstract
Dreaming, a widely researched aspect of sleep, often mirrors waking-life experiences. Despite the prevalence of sensory perception during wakefulness, sensory experiences in dreams remain relatively unexplored. Free recall dream reports, where individuals describe their dreams freely, may not fully capture sensory dream experiences. In this study, we developed a dream diary with direct questions about sensory dream experiences. Participants reported sensory experiences in their dreams upon awakening, over multiple days, in a home-based setting (n = 3476 diaries). Our findings show that vision was the most common sensory dream experience, followed by audition and touch. Olfaction and gustation were reported at equally low rates. Multisensory dreams were far more prevalent than unisensory dreams. Additionally, the prevalence of sensory dream experiences varied across emotionally positive and negative dreams. A positive relationship was found between on the one hand sensory richness and, on the other emotional intensity of dreams and clarity of dream recall, for both positive and negative dreams. These results underscore the variety of dream experiences and suggest a link between sensory richness, emotional content and dream recall clarity. Systematic registration of sensory dream experiences offers valuable insights into dream manifestation, aiding the understanding of sleep-related memory consolidation and other aspects of sleep-related information processing.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on 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 |
| Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years | 2002 | Prospective observational study | n = 116 |
| Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... | 1987 | Case-control study | n = 11 |
| The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 147 |
| Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Multisensory integration in peripersonal space indexes consciousness states in sleep and disorders of consciousness. Cell Reports Medicine April 21, 2026
- "Illustration of the subconscious mind": Reinterpreting Dream Material as Artistic Creative Workflows Supported by Generative AI Creativity & Cognition July 13, 2026
- Synesthesia is associated with distinctive patterns in dream content. Consciousness and Cognition 2026
- Exploring the role of dreams: insights from recent studies. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine November 1, 2024
Cites 15
- Assessing sleep consciousness within subjects using a serial awakening paradigm Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Sleep and dreaming are for important matters Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Structural differences between REM and non-REM dream reports assessed by graph analysis PLoS One July 23, 2020
- Dreaming: a psychological view Schweizer Archiv Fur Neurologie Und Psychiatrie December 7, 2005
- Olfactory Dreams: Phenomenology, Relationship to Volitional Imagery and Odor Identification Imagination, Cognition and Personality September 1, 2004
and 10 more in the library