Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences

Abstract Some studies suggest a link between creativity and rapid eye movement sleep. Narcolepsy is characterized by falling asleep directly into rapid eye movement sleep, states of dissociated wakefulness and rapid eye movement sleep (cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, sleep paralysis, rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and lucid dreaming) and a high dream recall frequency. Lucid dreaming (the awareness of dreaming while dreaming) has been correlated with creativity. Given their life-long privileged access to rapid eye movement sleep and dreams, we hypothesized that subjects with narcolepsy may have developed high creative abilities. To test this assumption, 185 subjects with narcolepsy and 126 healthy controls were evaluated for their level of creativity with two questionnaires, the Test of Creative Profile and the Creativity Achievement Questionnaire. Creativity was also objectively tested in 30 controls and 30 subjects with narcolepsy using the Evaluation of Potential Creativity test battery, which measures divergent and convergent modes of creative thinking in the graphic and verbal domains, using concrete and abstract problems. Subjects with narcolepsy obtained higher scores than controls on the Test of Creative Profile (mean ± standard deviation: 58.9 ± 9.6 versus 55.1 ± 10, P = 0.001), in the three creative profiles (Innovative, Imaginative and Researcher) and on the Creative Achievement Questionnaire (10.4 ± 25.7 versus 6.4 ± 7.6, P = 0.047). They also performed better than controls on the objective test of creative performance (4.3 ± 1.5 versus 3.7 ± 1.4; P = 0.009). Most symptoms of narcolepsy (including sleepiness, hypnagogic hallucinations, sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, but not cataplexy) were associated with higher scores on the Test of Creative Profile. These results highlight a higher creative potential in subjects with narcolepsy and further support a role of rapid eye movement sleep in creativity.

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Relationship between Isolated Sleep Paralysis and Geomagnetic Influences: A Case Study

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1995.80.3c.1263 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 80 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1263-1273 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jorge Conesa

Keyword(s):

Geomagnetic Activity ◽

Sleep Paralysis ◽

Dream Recall ◽

Lucid Dreaming ◽

Dream Recall Frequency ◽

K Index ◽

The Subject ◽

The Relationship ◽

Isolated Sleep Paralysis

This preliminary report, of a longitudinal study, looks at the relationship between geomagnetic activity and the incidence of isolated sleep paralysis over a 23.5-mo. period. The author, who has frequently and for the last 24 years experienced isolated sleep paralysis was the subject. In addition, incidence of lucid dreaming, vivid dreams, and total dream frequency were looked at with respect to geomagnetic activity. The data were in the form of dream-recall frequency recorded in a diary. These frequency data were correlated with geomagnetic activity k-index values obtained from two observatories. A significant correlation was obtained between periods of local geomagnetic activity and the incidence of isolated sleep paralysis. Specifically, periods of relatively quiet geomagnetic activity were significantly associated with an increased incidence of episodes.

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Funktionen des autobiographischen Gedächtnisses bei jungen und älteren Erwachsenen

Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie ◽

10.1026/0049-8637/a000116 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 201-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tabea Wolf ◽

Daniel Zimprich

Keyword(s):

Life Experiences ◽

Ältere Erwachsene

In der neueren Forschung werden drei Funktionen des autobiographischen Gedächtnisses unterschieden: Autobiographische Erinnerungen können ein Gefühl von Selbst-Kontinuität unterstützen, aktuelles oder zukünftiges Handeln leiten (direktiv) und soziale Interaktionen erleichtern. Bislang gibt es kaum Untersuchungen, in denen die Nutzung dieser Funktionen über verschiedene Altersgruppen hinweg betrachtet wird. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden 227 junge und 185 ältere Erwachsene mit dem Thinking About Life Experiences Questionnaire (TALE) befragt, mit dem sich die drei Funktionen des autobiographischen Gedächtnisses situationsübergreifend erfassen lassen. Aus entwicklungstheoretischer Sicht ist anzunehmen, dass im jungen Erwachsenenalter die Selbst- und die direktive Funktion häufiger genutzt werden, da in dieser Lebensphase das eigene Selbstbild gefestigt und Pläne für die Zukunft gemacht werden. Für die soziale Funktion werden keine Unterschiede erwartet. In Übereinstimmung mit den theoretischen Annahmen und bisherigen Befunden gaben die jungen Erwachsenen an, die Selbst- und die direktive Funktion häufiger zu nutzen als ältere Teilnehmer das taten. Dasselbe Ergebnis zeigte sich aber auch für die soziale Funktion.

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