Dream lucidity, the awareness of consciousness in dreams, is linked to functions that support reality monitoring in differentiating between internally and externally generated memories. However, lucid dreams have been argued to result from thin reality-fantasy boundaries that lead to reality monitoring errors. To examine the relationship between dream lucidity and reality monitoring, we recruited 31 college students to rate their dream lucidity for 7 days and then complete a reality monitoring test in Experiment 1, observing a positive correlation between dream lucidity and reality monitoring. In Experiment 2, 109 participants rated dream lucidity and the memory characteristics of perceived and imagined events. Dream lucidity was negatively correlated with differences in sensory details between the memories of perceived and imagined events. The findings indicate that individuals with high dream lucidity have a superior ability to discriminate between externally and internally generated events that are susceptible to reality monitoring errors.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2022.103414 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The clinical neuroscience of lucid dreaming.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev
January 2025
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address:
During most dreams, the dreamer does not realize that they are in a dream. In contrast, lucid dreaming allows to become aware of the current state of mind, often accompanied by considerable control over the ongoing dream episode. Lucid dreams can happen spontaneously or be induced through diverse behavioural, cognitive or technological strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe association between dream activity and alexithymia during pregnancy: A cross-sectional study in a sample of pregnant women.
J Sleep Res
December 2024
Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explores how pregnancy-related factors, emotional awareness (alexithymia), and depression impact dream experiences in women during their first trimester, suggesting that dreaming helps with emotional regulation during this sensitive period.
- - 118 pregnant women participated in various questionnaires measuring their dream characteristics, emotional awareness, and depression, revealing that older age, prior pregnancies, and depressive symptoms influenced dream recall and nightmares.
- - Findings indicate that higher alexithymia and depressive symptoms are linked to more frequent and distressing nightmares, suggesting a need for targeted support to improve emotional coping strategies in pregnant women; future studies should look into the content of these nightmares for better understanding.
The Effects of Lucid Dreaming and Nightmares on Sleep Quality and Mental Health Outcomes.
Behav Sleep Med
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate relationships between lucid dreaming and sleep and mental health outcomes within a representative sample of the general population. We also sought to examine how nightmares interact with the relationship between lucid dreaming, sleep, and mental health outcomes.
Methods: Participants ( = 1332) completed measures of lucid dream frequency, nightmare frequency, anxiety and depressive symptoms, stress, and sleep quality.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!