The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Lucid Dreaming: A Systematic Review

The relationship between mindfulness and the frequency with which one experiences lucid dreams is conceptually strong and can be grounded in the continuity hypothesis and in neuroscientific investigations. However, only few studies have been performed regarding this relationship, and comparisons between studies are difficult to make because of methodological issues and discrepancies in results. This study aims to investigate the degree to which this relationship exists and determine the potential factors accounting for the expected discrepancies to guide further research. For that aim, a systematic literature review was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. A total of 555 unique studies were screened, of which three studies (consisting of a total of six substudies) were included that matched the inclusion criteria. The studies were analyzed through a narrative synthesis. The findings reveal an inconclusive association between mindfulness and LDF. Factors identified as potentially accounting for the inconsistencies among the results were meditation experience, lucid dreaming experience, dream recall, gender, and age. This review underlines the importance of pursuing future research that takes these factors into account to enhance our understanding of the relationship between mindfulness and lucid dreaming.