High Dream Recall Frequency is Associated with Increased Creativity and Default Mode Network Connectivity.
Raphael Vallat, Başak Türker, Alain Nicolas, Perrine Ruby
Nature and Science of Sleep 2022 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s342137 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | High dream recallers (HR) and low dream recallers (LR) |
| Topics | Default mode network Dreaming |
| Keywords | Creativity Functional connectivity Resting state |
| Key findings | High dream recallers showed greater DMN connectivity and higher creativity scores than low dream recallers, but no significant correlation between creativity and DMN connectivity was found. |
Abstract
Several results suggest that the frequency of dream recall is positively correlated with personality traits such as creativity and openness to experience. In addition, neuroimaging results have evidenced different neurophysiological profiles in high dream recallers (HR) and low dream recallers (LR) during both sleep and wakefulness, specifically within regions of the default mode network (DMN). These findings are consistent with the emerging view that dreaming and mind wandering pertain to the same family of spontaneous mental processes, subserved by the DMN. To further test this hypothesis, we measured the DMN functional connectivity during resting wakefulness, together with personality and cognitive abilities (including creativity) in 28 HR and 27 LR. As expected, HR demonstrated a greater DMN connectivity than LR, higher scores of creativity, and no significant difference in memory abilities. However, there was no significant correlation between creativity scores and DMN connectivity. These results further demonstrate that there are trait neurophysiological and psychological differences between individuals who frequently recall their dreams and those who do not. They support the forebrain and the DMN hypotheses of dreaming and leave open the possibility that increased activity in the DMN promotes creative-thinking during both wakefulness and sleep. Further work is needed to test whether activity in the DMN is causally associated with creative-thinking.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Enhancing and advancing the understanding and study of dreaming and memory consolidation: Reflections, challenges, theoretical clarity, and methodological considerations Consciousness and Cognition June 27, 2024
- Dream Recall Frequency, Lucid Dream Frequency, and Personality During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Imagination, Cognition and Personality December 1, 2022
- The transformational power of psychedelics: catalysts for creativity, consciousness, and mental health. Molecular Psychiatry September 30, 2025
- Poor dream recall associates with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers and dementia risk Alzheimer S and Dementia Diagnosis Assessment and Disease Monitoring March 30, 2026
- They Only Come Out at Night Cambridge University Press eBooks March 1, 2026
and 8 more in the library
Cites 14
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- Questionnaires and diaries as research instruments in dream research: Methodological issues. Dreaming March 1, 2002
- Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Journal of Sleep Research May 12, 2003
- Experimental Research on Dreaming: State of the Art and Neuropsychoanalytic Perspectives Frontiers in Psychology 2011
- Dream recall frequency, attitude towards dreams and openness to experience. Dreaming September 1, 2003
and 9 more in the library