Factors affecting the frequency of music dreams: An online study
Michael Schredl, Sabrina Berres, Anna Klingauf, Sabine Schellhaas, Anja S. Göritz
OPUS 2015 DOI: 10.11588/ijodr.2015.2.23473 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,929 |
| Population | Online survey respondents |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | About 6% of dreams include some element of music. Music dream frequency was negatively related to age and positively correlated with dream recall frequency, overall emotional tone of dreams, and attitude towards dreams. |
Abstract
Despite numerous anecdotal accounts of music dreams, empirical research in this area is scarce. The present online study (N = 2929) found a prevalence of about 6% of all dreams include some element of music. Age was negatively related to the frequency of music dreams, whereas dream recall frequency, the overall emotional tone of the dreams, and the attitude towards dreams showed positive correlations. Future studies are needed to investigate factors that might affect the frequency of music dreams like time spent during the day with music (e.g., music students, musicians) and/or the involvement in music (e.g., listening to background music vs. performing in front of a huge crowd). It would also be interesting to study the effect of music dreams on the mood and creativity of the next day as they tend to be positively toned and stimulating.