The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress.

Nightmares are less frequent and less distressing for people who practice mindful acceptance—the ability to experience thoughts and feelings without judgment—rather than merely mindful presence, or paying attention to the present moment. Two studies, one with 338 participants and another with 187 frequent lucid dreamers who used meditation and lucid dream induction techniques, found that acceptance was more strongly linked to fewer nightmares and less nightmare distress than presence. People with high meditation expertise and practice of lucid dreaming techniques reported the lowest nightmare frequency. Among frequent lucid dreamers, more lucid dreaming was associated with higher mindfulness. The findings suggest that the two facets of mindfulness play distinct roles in dream quality, with potential clinical applications.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A theoretical and empirical association between lucid dreaming and mindfulness, as well as lucid dreaming and nightmares has previously been observed; however, the relationship between nightmares and mindfulness has received surprisingly little attention. Here, we present the findings of two studies exploring the relation of nightmare frequency and distress with two components of mindfulness, termed presence and acceptance, as well as lucid dreaming. Study 1 (N = 338) consisted of a low percentage of frequent lucid dreamers whereas Study 2 (N = 187) consisted primarily of frequent lucid dreamers that used lucid dream induction training techniques and meditation. Across studies, nightmare-related variables showed a more robust association with mindful acceptance as opposed to mindful presence. Moreover, individuals with high levels of meditation expertise and practice of lucid dreaming induction techniques reported lower nightmare frequency. Finally, in Study 2, which consisted of frequent lucid dreamers, a positive correlation between lucid dreaming frequency and mindfulness was apparent. The present findings support the notion that wakeful mindfulness is associated with the quality of dreams and extend previous research by suggesting a disentangled role of the two facets of mindfulness in dream variation. This association remains open for experimental manipulation, the result of which could have clinical implications.