American researchers Price, Haque, Garza, and Westerberg hypothesized that lucid dreams are more connected to reality and reflect waking life experiences due to the individual’s ability to control the narrative. Therefore, they are likely to contain less bizarre content than ordinary dreams.
To test this hypothesis, the authors recruited 416 volunteers, 78 of whom were familiar with the phenomenon of lucid dreaming in practice, and had them complete a comprehensive survey about their personality traits and the bizarreness of their ordinary and lucid dreams.
Ultimately, the scientists’ hypothesis was not confirmed: lucid dreams turned out to be more bizarre than ordinary ones. “Absurdities” in the dream plot arise when a person is not worried about losing control and the associated dangers. Low neuroticism and high conscientiousness can also increase the “strangeness” of dream plots.
Which of your dreams are more bizarre: ordinary or lucid ones?
The article is scheduled for publication in the May 2024 issue of Sleep.
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