Sleep disturbances such as sleep paralysis, lucid dreams, nightmares, and hypnagogic hallucinations are positively associated with reports of paranormal experiences and beliefs, including those involving ghosts, spirits, and near-death experiences. A scoping review of 44 cross-sectional studies found consistent links between these sleep variables and ostensibly paranormal phenomena. The findings suggest that nighttime experiences many people interpret as supernatural may stem from common sleep disruptions. This has clinical implications, such as reducing misdiagnosis and guiding treatment for sleep-related experiences.
People who connect chance events and unchosen experiences into meaningful stories tend to hold paranormal beliefs, have mystical experiences, and be more absorbed in experiences. Those with an external locus of control, intrinsic religiosity, and higher well-being and life satisfaction also score higher on narrative emplotment. However, the effect of this meaning-making on psychological adjustment depends on individuals' coping strategies. Narrative emplotment mediates the link between religiosity and well-being, but it can negatively affect well-being through a chance locus of control. This type of meaning-making is important for understanding religious and spiritual beliefs and their impact on psychological adjustment.