Does the lower lucid dream frequency in Japan compared to Germany reflect cultural differences?

Abstract

Lucid dreams are characterized by the knowledge that one is dreaming while dreaming, and skilled lucid dreamers can actively choose what to do, e.g., having fun or conquering fears. Several previous studies indicated that lucid dream frequency is lower in Japan, a country traditionally valuing social aspect like harmonious interdependence, compared to Western countries in which individuality is an important value. The present study compared two population-based samples (N = 282 Japanese-speaking participants and N = 2,929 German participants) regarding their lucid dream frequency. The findings confirmed previous results and, thus, implicate that frequency in lucid dreaming might reflect cultural differences. It would be very interesting to study whether lucid dreaming that included the possibility to control the dream action is directly related to the cultural background of the dreamer.