In a lucid dream (LD), the dreamer realizes that they are dreaming and can sometimes control the scenario and the space of the dream. Previously, researchers studying the biological and psychological propensity for LD noted that anxiety and depression reduce the intensity of LDs, and neuroticism makes them less frequent. At the same time, the frequency of LDs does not depend on extraversion. Another, more recent study, however, found that neither neuroticism nor extraversion are associated with lucid dreams.
A group of researchers from the UK led by Andrew R. du Rocher recruited 279 participants in an experiment designed to understand how psychological qualities affect the intensity of dreams. The authors studied four aspects of the dream experience:
1. Number of dreams—this part included questions about the ease of remembering dreams, as well as the frequency of nightmares and awakenings
2. Dream vividness—the perception of colors, sounds, emotions, smells, and tastes in a dream
3. Dream distortion—merging of several people from the real world into one dream character, distortion of real people in a dream, symbolic objects, humanization of objects or animals, deja-vu, and dream reality confusion
4. Lucidity—dictating dream scenarios, including the ability to return to a desired dream
As we can see, the authors studied dreams as a whole, with lucidity being only one component of the questionnaire. in their conclusions, however, the researchers noted the need to check whether impulsivity is associated with a tendency to experience LDs and the ability to create one’s own dream scenario.
Do you have any psychological traits that help you in your LD practice or, on the contrary, hold you back?
The article was published in November 2022 in the International Journal of Dream Research.
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