Similarities and differences between dreaming and waking cognition: an exploratory study.
Tracey L. Kahan, Stephen LaBerge, Lynne Levitan, Philip G. Zimbardo
Consciousness and Cognition March 1997 DOI: 10.1006/ccog.1996.0274 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Questionnaire study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | 38 practiced dreamers (Study 1) and 50 novice dreamers (Study 2) |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key points | The authors suggest that dreaming cognition resembles waking cognition more than previously assumed, with differences that are more quantitative than qualitative. High-order cognition during dreaming was not limited to practiced dreamers. Dreaming and waking experiences were similar in attentional processes, internal commentary, and public self-consciousness, but differed in choice, event-related self-reflection, and affect. |
Abstract
Thirty-eight "practiced" dreamers (Study 1) and 50 "novice" dreamers (Study 2) completed questionnaires assessing the cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional qualities of recent waking and dreaming experiences. The present findings suggest that dreaming cognition is more similar to waking cognition than previously assumed and that the differences between dreaming and waking cognition are more quantitative than qualitative. Results from the two studies were generally consistent, indicating that high-order cognition during dreaming is not restricted to individuals practiced in dream recall or self-observation. None of the measured features was absent or infrequent in reports of either dreaming or waking experiences. Recollections of dreaming and waking experiences were similar for some cognitive features (e.g., attentional processes, internal commentary, and public self-consciousness) and different for other features (e.g., choice, event-related self-reflection, and affect).
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Undergraduate students at a large, public university in the southeastern United States | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional survey | n = 583 |
| Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese adults from the community, mean age 40.9 years (SD 5.5,... | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey with subsequent clinical evaluation (two-phase design) | n = 8,558 |
| Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Adults (general population sample) | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling | n = 444 |
| 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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 33
- The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 14, 2019
- Assessing sleep consciousness within subjects using a serial awakening paradigm Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Varieties of Lucid Dreaming Experience Advances in Consciousness Research February 15, 2000
- The Phenomenal Contents and Neural Correlates of Spontaneous Thoughts across Wakefulness, NREM Sleep, and REM Sleep Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience May 31, 2017
- Frequent lucid dreaming associated with increased functional connectivity between frontopolar cortex and temporoparietal association areas Scientific Reports December 6, 2018
and 28 more in the library