Flying dreams and lucidity: An empirical study of their relationship.
Dreaming June 1, 1991 DOI: 10.1037/h0094325 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractFlying dreams are more common among people who also report lucid dreams, pre-lucid dreams, dreams of sleep, or false awakenings. Analysis of 1910 dreams from 191 subjects showed that when flying and lucidity occur together, lucidity comes first, not the other way around. The relationship may stem from shared psychological and physiological features.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 191 |
| Population | Subjects who reported dreams |
| Keywords | Psychoanalysis Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 40 |
| Key finding | Flying dreams are associated with lucid dreaming and related dream categories, and lucidity precedes flight when both occur. |
Abstract
Flying dreams have anecdotally been suggested to be related to lucid dreams, either by general proximity of occurrence or by flying directly triggering lucidity. The present study of 1910 dreams from 191 subjects found flying dreams were likelier to be reported by subjects reporting lucid dreams or any of three related categories: pre-lucid dreams, dreams of sleep, or false awakenings. When flying and lucidity occurred in the same dream, lucidity preceded flight rather than being triggered by it. Possible bases for this relationship of lucid and flying dreams are discussed in terms of their psychological and physiological commonalities.