This newsletter demonstrates the present achievements and the future promise of this emerging clinical and research field. But first, let us begin with what is most important to us: the advancement of scientific evidence and the validation of MD.
So, help us advance the science of MD by participating in the following two studies.
Call for participants
1. MD and memory: On behalf of The International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research and Professor Eli Somer’s research team at the University of Haifa, I extend an invitation for individuals who are at least 18 years old to participate in groundbreaking research on maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and its correlation with memory. This study requires about 30 minutes of your time. Your invaluable insights and experiences will contribute significantly to understanding how life experiences intersect with MD and memory. To participate, please click the following link: https://forms.gle/1a6YWwyZcFfTSVHe8. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our principal investigators, Professor Eli Somer at somer@research.haifa.ac.il, Dr. Oren Herscu at oherscu@staff.haifa.ac.il, or myself at research.daydream@gmail.com.
2. A diary study of excessive daydreaming: A research team at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, is conducting a study on excessive daydreaming and stress. Many people daydream, and some more than others. Some people may daydream for long periods and feel this interferes with their daily lives. If this sounds like you, would you be willing to complete an online diary about your daily daydreaming and stress experiences for three days? Your participation would involve the following:
· A preliminary survey to establish your eligibility (between 7-10 minutes)
· A Zoom meeting with the researcher will be held to discuss how to complete the diary entries and answer any questions you may have (approximately 20 minutes).
· Recording an online diary of your daydreaming episodes and stress for three working days of the week.
· One final survey (approximately 5-10 minutes).
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please email Gemma at gd20aab@herts.ac.uk or call 07749064025. Prof. Lia Kvavilashvili is the supervisor for this study and can be reached at L.Kvavilashvili@herts.ac.uk
Published research
We are delighted to report the publication of seven new papers on MD.
The authors of the first paper write: Although daydream experiences can vary widely, we distinguish prototypical experiences of daydreaming from adjacent imaginative activity, including fleeting imagery and “focused daydreaming,” or crafted visualization. We consider our phenomenological analysis as preparatory work for conceptually distinguishing different spontaneous and imaginative states so that they can be investigated accordingly with questionnaires and qualitative methods. We argue that precision about the phenomenal character of daydreaming can guide neurophenomenological investigations, help delimit studies on individual variance in daydreaming features, and identify differences among daydreaming, mind-wandering, and nightdreaming conceptually and phenomenologically, and possibly eventually in terms of neural correlates. Here is the linked reference: Lawson, E. & Thompson, E. (2024). Daydreaming as spontaneous immersive imagination: A phenomenological analysis. Philosophy and the Mind Sciences, 5. https://doi.org/10.33735/phimisci.2024.9913
The second publication is the first MD paper published in the psychoanalytic literature. Often associated with profound shame experience, MD is like DID. This condition tends to be concealed and requires a clinician to know its nature before a diagnosis occurs, and effective treatment can be initiated. The authors introduce the concept, explore its clinical associations and manifestations, and provide several case vignettes to illustrate the breadth and depth of this potentially debilitating variation on daydreaming. To read more, click on the linked reference below.
Richard A. Chefetz, Nirit Soffer-Dudek & Eli Somer (2023) When daydreaming becomes maladaptive: phenomenological and psychoanalytic perspectives, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 37:4, 319-338, DOI: 10.1080/02668734.2023.2246058
Findings from the third study are from India, and they indicate that there was a positive correlation between fear of COVID-19 and maladaptive Daydreaming and between Fear of COVID-19 and anxiety.
Sharma, M. & Jain, V. (2023). Fear of COVID-19 in Relation to Social Connectedness, Maladaptive Daydreaming, Depression and Anxiety: A Correlation Study. Indian Journal of Health and Well-being, 14(4), 491-494. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o1uptent6suvhhj38yv4g/2023_Covid_MD_India.pdf?rlkey=kgkuwkuqqyt85f0p1yj8fzeya&dl=0
The fourth paper was published in a Ukranian academic journal. It demonstrates how maladaptive daydreaming relates to other concepts of imagination. Even though mind wandering and MD are distractions from reality and can be both voluntary and involuntary, maladaptive daydreaming, unlike wandering thoughts, is distinctly dissociative and addictive. It also highlights why maladaptive daydreaming can be considered a form of fantasy with its unique characteristics with a significantly negative connotation.
Balashevych, O.K., & Molotokas, A.A. (2024). Comparative Analysis of Maladaptive Daydreaming and Other Forms of Imagination. Habitus. https://doi.org/10.32782/2663-5208.2024.57.56 (In Ukrainian).
The fifth paper from India and presents a case study that explored the phenomenon of MDD and evaluated the clinical effectiveness of a single case intervention study of a 24-year-old male with MDD. The patient was assessed using the MDS-16. The data were collected at baseline and treatment termination. The intervention for the patient was conducted in four phases: building coping skills, behavior modification, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention. The data analysis showed a decrease in scores between baseline (66) and treatment termination (32), below the cut-off of 40, indicating a significant reduction in the symptoms.
Shanbhag, T., & Pothiyil, D.I. (2024). A Cognitive Approach to Maladaptive Daydreaming: A Case Report. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 0(0). doi:10.1177/02537176241236898
The sixth article presents a case series highlighting the connection between childhood intense imagery movements (IIM) and adult-reported maladaptive daydreaming (MD). Motor stereotypies occur in typically developing children and also with co-occurring neurodevelopmental differences. A subgroup with complex motor stereotypies reports accompanying intense imagery, often enhanced by the movements. This phenomenon can persist into adulthood and, in some cases, will need active management to prevent significant distress and impairment. The paper is illustrated by six adult cases self-reporting maladaptive daydreaming associated with stereotypies, which are presented to demonstrate the associations between IIM and MD.
Hedderly, T., Eccles, C., Malik, O., Abdulsatar, F., Mitchell, C., Owen, T., Soffer-Dudek, N., Grose, C., Fernandez, T.V., Robinson, S. & Somer, E. (2024), Intense Imagery Movements May Lead to Maladaptive Daydreaming: A Case Series and Literature Review. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.14011
Finally, Eli Somer’s new research paper describes an in-depth analysis of interviews with individuals experiencing elevated levels of MD. The evidence suggests that listening to specific music is critical in enabling, shaping, and modifying their pathological fantasy experiences. This study adds to MD's knowledge and identifies music's essential role in inducing and formatting MD. The participants’ accounts in this study suggest that music might be instrumental in facilitating the process of dissociative absorption. The data show that music plays a fourfold role in MD: it helps in distancing from the external reality, triggering complex visual storylines, deepening the absorption, and intensifying the vividness of the daydreamed plot by invoking an emotional response.
Somer, E. (2024). Calling the tune in maladaptive daydreaming: The impact of music on the experience of compulsive fantasizing. Psychology of Music, OnlineFirst, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356231222290
Lectures
A Canadian Jungian psychologist, Susan Meindl, has embarked on a series of lectures to educate the Psychoanalytic community and lay people about MD. Here is information about her activity.
Meindl S. April 12, 2024. Such stuff as Dreams are Made on: The role of Fantasy in Jungian Life - Lecture presented by the C G Jung Society of Montreal.
Meindl S. April 13, 2024. Parallel Lives: Disorders and Delights of Daydreaming - Workshop presented by the C G Jung Society of Montreal. For more information and registration links click here: sites.google.com/site/cgjungmontreal.
Student projects
Below are some exciting student theses from American, British, and Indian schools. This is the future of MD research. Well done!
Colvin, M. (2024). Maladaptive Daydreaming and its Effect on High Schoolers' Executive Functioning. Senior thesis presented to the Hudson Falls High School, Hudson Falls, NY, USA.
Clotworthy, G. (2024). Maladaptive Daydreaming; Exploring Individual Differences using the Behavioural Inhibition/Activation Systems. Master’s thesis presented to the Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, England.
Moment, L.D. (2024). Navigating the Daydreamscape: An In-Depth Exploration of Maladaptive Daydreaming, Coping Strategies, and Mental Well-Being. Preprint published on Research Square.https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3693926/v1
Nandi, S. & Singha Roy, A. (2023). Maladaptive Daydreaming Syndrome – Postmemory and the Re-expressing of the Past. Final paper, Department of English, Aligarh Muslim University, India.
Woolfork. T (2024). Stuck in My Mind: Absorption and Memory. Poster presented at the Spring Scholars Week 2024 Event, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA.
MD on the Internet
MD continues to capture the media's imagination and many writers on the Internet.
The BBC offered a most satisfying coverage. CrowdScience, the science program on BBC Radio, recently aired an episode titled: “Why do we daydream?”. The show included a report on maladaptive daydreaming. [You can also click here to download it from Dropbox.]
Healthnews is an online site that provides science-led, fact-based medical information covering the latest news on health, health policy, and medical science using the knowledge gained from clinical practice and the latest research. Healthnews featured recently a story titled “Daydreaming vs. Reality: When Does It Become Dangerous?”
Health.com's board-certified physicians and medical experts ensure content accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Medical experts confirm content thoroughness, factuality, and adherence to the latest research. Upon meeting standards, they sign off on it. Their recent story on MD, published in February 2024, was titled: What Is Maladaptive Daydreaming
A flurry of MD stories has been published in Italy lately. For example:
The University of Padova online magazine featured a report on MD in its Science and Research section titled “Maladaptive daydreaming, l'eccessivo fantasticare” (Maladaptive Daydreaming, excessive daydreaming)
Il Giornale is a major Italian daily newspaper/news website with a center-right editorial stance. Its association with Silvio Berlusconi has been influential in Italian politics and media. It recently published a story titled "Maladaptive daydreaming" ecco perché è pericoloso (“Maladaptive daydreaming” this is why it is dangerous)
Wired is a popular technology magazine that covers topics related to emerging technologies, electronics, computer hardware and software, science, and the effects of innovations in these areas on culture, the economy, politics, and society. It aims to be an insightful, stylish, forward-looking guide to the most important ideas and innovations reshaping our technology-driven world. The Italian edition, Wired Italia, recently published a story titled Cos'è il maladaptive daydreaming e perché può essere un problema (What is maladaptive daydreaming and why can it be a problem).
Spazio 50 is an Italian news website focused on political news and commentary from a center-right/conservative perspective. Their MD story was titled Sognare a occhi aperti può diventare un problema(Daydreaming can become a problem).
TAG24 is a German digital media company that operates news websites in several countries, primarily focused on delivering breaking news and entertainment content. It runs several localized websites including in Italy. Their current story on MD is titled: Cos’è il maladaptive daydreaming e quali possono essere le ripercussioni negative sulla vita quotidiana (What is maladaptive daydreaming and what can be its negative repercussions on daily life).
MD was also featured on Mexican and Czech outlets:
Ensoñación… fantasía o realidad? (Daydreaming: Fantasy or reality?) is an article on maladaptive daydreaming published recently in Diario de Ciapas, a Mexican daily newspaper published since 1912.
Flowee.cz is a Czech website primarily aimed at women in their 20s and 30s. It is geared towards women's health and lifestyle. It covers various topics, including Sexuality, Wellness, Personal Development, Culture, and society: Discussions on current events, psychology, and social issues. The website also features interviews with experts in various fields like sexology, medicine, and psychology. Flowee.cz recently featured a story titled: Snění jako droga: Fantazie, vzpomínky a dobrodružství v bdělém stavu vás odpoutají od života(Dreaming as a drug: Fantasy, memories and adventures in the waking state will distract you from life).
Last but not least, this newsletter reports the launch of the
International Society of Maladaptive Daydreaming (ISMD).
Here is a video presenting the ISMD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJQJx7SD47E
Visit the ISMD website and join this vital advocacy organization: https://maladaptivedaydreamingsociety.com and enjoy the many member benefits, including free attendance at such outstanding webinars as the one held on March 29th. Missed a webinar? Join the ISMD and get access to the recorded event.