Dreaming and mind wandering: Spontaneous thought across the sleep-wake cycle. Editorial introduction
Jennifer Windt, Manuela Kirberg, Tomas Andrillon
Philosophy and the Mind Sciences January 5, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.33735/phimisci.2025.12554 via OpenAlex
Summary
The special issue discusses the connection between dreaming and waking mind wandering, highlighting that both phenomena share phenomenological and neurophysiological similarities. It emphasizes the importance of understanding these spontaneous mental experiences and their implications for theories related to attention, action, and consciousness. The research underscores how these two areas, although traditionally viewed separately, may be more interconnected than previously thought.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Dreaming and waking mind wandering are closely connected phenomena that raise significant questions about spontaneous mental experiences and their relationship to wakefulness and sleep. |
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Abstract
This special issue unites original theoretical and empirical research on two topics that are gaining traction in cognitive neuroscience and psychology, but so far have small philosophical footprints: dreaming and waking mind wandering. While the fields of dream and mind wandering research are largely separate, phenomenological and neurophysiological similarities between waking mind wandering and sleep-related experiences suggest that these phenomena are intimately connected. Together, they raise important questions about the nature and functions of spontaneous mental phenomena and their relation to wakefulness and sleep, as well as for theories of attention, action, and consciousness.