The associations between paranormal beliefs and sleep variables.
Journal of sleep research August 1, 2023 Betul Rauf, Rotem Perach, Juan J Madrid-Valero et al. 8 citations
Poor sleep quality significantly correlates with stronger beliefs in paranormal phenomena. In a survey of 8,853 participants, those experiencing insomnia, longer sleep latency, and shorter sleep duration were more likely to believe in concepts like ghosts (62%), the soul living on after death (58%), and alien encounters (45%). Additionally, episodes of exploding head syndrome and isolated sleep paralysis were linked to beliefs in aliens visiting Earth. These findings highlight the complex relationship between sleep disturbances and anomalistic experiences, suggesting avenues for enhanced psychoeducation on sleep health.