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Exploring the link between synesthesia and lucid dreaming through perceptual presence
1Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 16, 2026
Summary
Synesthesia, particularly perceptual types, enhances lucid dreaming by increasing dream control and clarity. Conceptual synesthesia, however, may reduce lucid dreaming experiences, influenced by personality traits like openness.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Synesthesia involves experiencing sensory information through multiple senses.
- Lucid dreaming is characterized by conscious awareness and dream control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between synesthesia subtypes and lucid dreaming.
- To explore the role of perceptual presence and counterfactual richness in this association.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 616 adults using synesthesia self-report, the Lucidity and Consciousness in Dreams scale (LuCiD), and the Big-5 inventory (TIPI-J).
- Utilized cluster analysis to identify synesthesia subtypes and regression analyses to examine their effects on lucid dreaming.
Main Results:
- Perceptual synesthesia (Visualized sensation, Spatial Sequence) significantly promoted lucid dreaming facets, including control, insight, and positive emotion.
- Conceptual synesthesia (Language-Color, OLP) showed negative interactions with Openness and Extraversion, attenuating lucid dreaming.
- Lucid dreaming positively correlated with Openness and Extraversion, consistent with prior research.
Conclusions:
- Perceptual synesthesia may enhance lucid dreaming through increased perceptual presence and sensorimotor contingencies.
- Findings highlight qualitative differences in synesthetic experiences and their impact on dreaming.
- Suggests a cognitive link between synesthesia and lucid dreaming, offering new research avenues.
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