Dissociative experiences and self-reported interoceptive traits in maladaptive daydreamers: a network analysis
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience June 23, 2026 Ilaria Bufalari, Lilya Abergel, Andrea Zagaria et al.
People with Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD)—compulsive, immersive daydreaming that disrupts daily life—report higher levels of dissociation and altered body awareness compared to those without MD. In a survey of 137 Italian-speaking adults, those with MD scored higher on dissociation, especially absorption and depersonalization, and lower on three aspects of interoception: attention regulation, body listening, and trusting bodily sensations. Network analyses placed maladaptive daydreaming as a central link between dissociation and interoception. The findings suggest that MD may involve using daydreaming to escape uncomfortable bodily states, and that improving interoception through interventions like mindfulness could help address MD and its dissociative features.