Lucid Dreaming, Nightmares, and Sleep Paralysis: Associations With Reality Testing Deficits and Paranormal Experience/Belief

This study examined the degree to which within-individual variations in paranormal experience were related to belief in the paranormal, preferential thinking style, and delusion formation. A sample of 956 non-clinical adults completed measures assessing experience-based paranormal indices (i.e., paranormal experience, paranormal practitioner visiting, and paranormal ability), paranormal belief, belief in science, proneness to reality testing deficits, and emotion-based reasoning. Latent profile analysis (LPA) combined the experience-based indices to produce six underlying groups. Inter-class comparison via multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that both breadth and intensity of experiential factors were associated with higher belief in in the paranormal, increased proneness to reality testing deficits, and greater emotion-based reasoning. Belief in science, however, was less susceptible to experiential variations. Further analysis of reality testing subscales revealed that experiential profiles influenced levels of intrapsychic activity in subtle and intricate ways, especially those indexing Auditory and Visual Hallucinations and Delusional Thinking. Collectively, identification of profiles and inter-class comparisons provided a sophisticated understanding of the relative contribution of experiential factors to differences in paranormal belief, belief in science, proneness to reality testing deficits, and emotion-based reasoning.

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Is there a relation among REM sleep dissociated phenomena, like lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, and false awakening?

Medical Hypotheses ◽

10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110169 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 144 ◽

pp. 110169

Author(s):

Michael Raduga ◽

Oleg Kuyava ◽

Natalia Sevcenko

Keyword(s):

Rem Sleep ◽

Sleep Paralysis ◽

Lucid Dreaming ◽

Body Experiences

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

Journal of Sleep Research ◽

10.1111/jsr.12441 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 38-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Dan Denis ◽

Giulia L. Poerio

Keyword(s):

Life Experiences ◽

Sleep Paralysis ◽

Lucid Dreaming

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Increased creative thinking in narcolepsy

Brain ◽

10.1093/brain/awz137 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 142 (7) ◽

pp. 1988-1999 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Célia Lacaux ◽

Charlotte Izabelle ◽

Giulio Santantonio ◽

Laure De Villèle ◽

Johanna Frain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Eye Movement ◽

Creative Thinking ◽

Sleep Paralysis ◽

Rapid Eye Movement ◽

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep ◽

Behaviour Disorder ◽

Lucid Dreaming ◽

Sleep Behaviour ◽

Falling Asleep ◽

Hypnagogic Hallucinations

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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