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The Final ICMDR Newsletter: Passing the Torch to the ISMD

  • Writer: Oren Herscu
    Oren Herscu
  • Dec 16, 2025
  • 14 min read

Dear Colleagues and Friends of the ICMDR,


With this twenty-ninth issue, we mark both an ending and a beginning. The ICMDR newsletter has served for years as a central forum for sharing emerging scholarship, strengthening collaborations and documenting the steady maturation of maladaptive daydreaming (MD) research. As the International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research now joins the International Society for Maladaptive Daydreaming (ISMD), future newsletters will be issued under the auspices of the ISMD. This transition reflects the field’s growth and the need for a unified, sustainable organizational home for its scientific and clinical advancement.


This final ICMDR newsletter showcases how far the field has come and signals the direction it is headed. One of the most notable developments is the increasing number of peer-reviewed publications from countries such as India, Pakistan and Iran. This expansion is not incidental. It demonstrates both widening global recognition of MD and the emergence of local research communities producing culturally grounded empirical work. Studies highlighted in this issue examine developmental trauma, emotional processing, attachment, self-concept clarity, impulsivity, coping, narcissism, gaming behaviour and digital-age phenomena such as YouTube engagement. Several papers introduce new assessment tools or offer culturally specific validation efforts. Others present case analyses or therapeutic processes that enrich the clinical understanding of MD. Together, these contributions illustrate the remarkable breadth of inquiry in a field that continues to deepen its conceptual, diagnostic and applied foundations.


As we pass the torch to the ISMD, this final issue stands as evidence of a research landscape that is broader, more diverse and more methodologically ambitious than ever before. The next era will build on these achievements, and we look forward to watching the field continue to evolve through the unified efforts of a global scientific community.


Warmly,

The ICMDR Editorial Team



Published research papers


Öğüt, Ç., Okumuş, B., Tosun Dilci, D.G., Tatlısu, Ö., & Güçlü Çelme, G. (2025). Maladaptive and immersive daydreaming: Associations with impulsivity and coping strategies. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Advance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-025-10416-4

 

Layperson’s Abstract

This study looked at different kinds of daydreaming to understand why some people struggle with it more than others. While daydreaming can be enjoyable and even helpful, for some people it becomes overwhelming, hard to control and harmful to daily life. This is when it becomes maladaptive daydreaming (MD). The researchers compared three groups: people with MD, people who daydream a lot but without problems (immersive daydreamers) and people who do not daydream excessively. They found that people with MD and immersive daydreamers daydreamed equally often and about similar things. However, those with MD experienced much more distress, loss of control and interference with school, work or relationships. People with MD were more reliant on avoidant coping strategies, such as mentally checking out or distracting themselves, rather than actively dealing with stress. They also tended to be more impulsive. Interestingly, they were also more likely to use humour to cope. These results show that MD is different from immersive daydreaming and is linked to specific psychological challenges. Treatment should focus on improving self-control, reducing impulsivity and helping people manage emotions in healthier ways.




Layperson’s Abstract

Celebrities have a substantial impact on people’s everyday lives. Many fans admire and emotionally connect with their favourite public figures. Researchers call this ‘celebrity worship’. However, when this attachment becomes too intense, it can turn into celebrity worship syndrome, which may harm a person’s mental health. This study looked at whether maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is linked to how strongly people worship celebrities. The researchers surveyed 184 young adults in Indonesia (ages 18-33) who considered themselves fans of at least one celebrity. Participants completed an online questionnaire shared through social media. Analysis revealed that MD was a significant predictor of celebrity worship levels, explaining about 24% of the variation in how intensely people worship celebrities. This suggests that getting lost in fantasy worlds may play an important role in fan behaviour. The findings also highlight the need for more research on MD within Indonesian culture.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study explored how childhood emotional mistreatment and maladaptive daydreaming (MD) are connected to the way adolescents handle their emotions. The researchers surveyed 200 teenagers (100 boys and 100 girls) between the ages of 13 and 18 who had experienced emotional mistreatment as children, recruiting them from schools and colleges in the Swabi district of Pakistan. The researchers used three questionnaires to measure childhood emotional mistreatment, MD and how well the teens processed their emotions. The results showed that teens who experienced more emotional mistreatment in childhood were more likely to engage in MD and had more difficulties processing their emotions. Childhood emotional mistreatment directly contributes to MD, and problems with emotional processing partly explain the connection. These findings suggest that parents need to pay attention to their children’s emotional needs to prevent mental-health problems. The results could help mental-health professionals create prevention programmes for emotionally mistreated children, focusing on teaching parents how to support their children’s emotional development and encouraging healthier, more constructive forms of daydreaming.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study explored whether being emotionally hurt or neglected as a child is linked to excessive immersive daydreaming in teenagers. Two hundred teens aged 13-18 took part. They completed questionnaires about their childhood experiences, daydreaming habits and how mindful or aware they are of their thoughts and feelings. The teens who experienced more emotional maltreatment in childhood tended to daydream in a way that interfered with daily life. However, those same teens also had lower levels of mindfulness. Importantly, mindfulness helped explain part of the connection between childhood emotional maltreatment and maladaptive daydreaming: teens with higher mindfulness seemed less affected. The study found no meaningful differences between boys and girls, younger and older teens or those from different family types. Overall, the findings highlight how essential it is to meet children’s emotional needs, as early emotional neglect can have lasting effects on mental well-being.




Layperson’s Abstract

Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a condition in which people spend so much time in detailed fantasy worlds that it gets in the way of their everyday life. More and more people are using YouTube to share their personal experiences with mental-health issues. This study set out to examine how YouTube videos about MD changed between 2020 and 2025. The researchers collected information about YouTube videos that mentioned MD using YouTube’s data tools and a computer programme. After removing duplicates and incomplete entries, they analysed 525 videos, looking at how much people interacted with these videos and how many views they got each year. The number of videos about MD grew dramatically over five years, from just 35 videos in 2020 to 224 in 2025. Almost half of the videos did not show where they came from, but of those that did, most were from the United States (16.4%), the United Kingdom (9.3%) and India (6.9%). Both viewer engagement and viewing rates increased significantly over time, with the highest levels in 2024 and 2025. The increase in both the number of MD videos and how much people are watching and engaging with them shows that more people are becoming aware of MD and talking about it online. Future studies should look more closely at what these videos say and the emotional messages they convey to better understand how online platforms are shaping conversations about mental health.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study examined whether excessive daydreaming and an unclear sense of self might lead to video-game addiction, and whether gaming motives such as seeking fantasy or escaping reality play a role. The researchers surveyed 300 teenage and young adult gamers. They found that excessive daydreamers who game to experience fantasy worlds are more likely to develop serious gaming problems. When the researchers used strict criteria focusing on loss of control, continued gaming despite harm, and life impairment, they found that the desire for fantasy was the key link between excessive daydreaming and problematic gaming. This suggests that the gamers who develop the most serious problems may be those who use games to escape their real identity and immerse themselves in fantasy worlds, rather than those who are avoiding real-life problems.



 

Layperson’s Abstract

This study uses an established framework for understanding how thoughts work to explore maladaptive daydreaming and how it differs from ordinary daydreaming and creative thinking. By reviewing the literature and reading posts from people who identify as maladaptive daydreamers in online forums, the researchers examined how these fantasy episodes typically occur and why people often feel they can't control them. They found that fantasy episodes are usually triggered by automatic mental processes, such as strong emotions or ingrained habits. Once a fantasy begins, these automatic processes remain active throughout, while conscious control comes and goes as people try to direct or manage their fantasies. The findings suggest that "compulsive fantasy" is a more accurate term than "maladaptive daydreaming" because these experiences are quite different from daydreams - they are more rigid and are driven by automatic mental patterns. Importantly, the researchers emphasize that neither fantasizing nor daydreaming is inherently problematic; they only become harmful when automatic mental processes become too strong and persistent, making it difficult for people to shift their attention back to everyday life.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study compared psychological traits in people who experience maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and in those who have more typical daydreaming habits. The researchers surveyed 428 Iranian adults, separating them into two groups: one with MD and the other with normal daydreaming. They found that those with MD were more likely to avoid uncomfortable feelings, showed more perfectionistic tendencies that focused on others' expectations, and had lower levels of self-compassion. Specifically, people with MD were more likely to judge themselves harshly, feel isolated and over-identify with their emotions, while showing less mindfulness or awareness. The results suggest that MD is linked to certain psychological struggles, and that addressing these issues, for example by promoting self-compassion and managing perfectionism, could help to treat it.




Layperson’s Abstract

This case report describes a 15-year-old girl who spent much of her time daydreaming, which led to poor grades, social isolation and emotional struggles. She had no previous mental-health issues. Using specialized interviews and questionnaires, clinicians found that her daydreaming helped her escape from feelings of loneliness and unmet emotional needs for love and control. Her fantasies often centred on idealized relationships and a perfect version of herself. A six-month Schema Therapy plan was created to address the emotional triggers behind her daydreaming, teach her healthier coping strategies, and reduce her dependence on fantasy. This case shows that maladaptive daydreaming (MD) can be a way that young people cope with deep emotional pain. Recognizing MD as a real clinical problem is important so that professionals can identify it early and offer effective treatments such as Schema Therapy, which helps to resolve the underlying emotional issues rather than just targeting the symptoms.




Layperson’s Abstract

Most people have strange thoughts or daydreams about unlikely things happening, such as suddenly swerving their car off the road, throwing their phone into a river, or yelling in a quiet public place. These odd mental scenarios happen both when people are awake and when they are dreaming. This study examined how often people experience these improbable thoughts and whether they are connected to feelings of control and comfort with uncertainty. The researchers asked 100 people how often they had these unusual mental simulations and whether the thoughts were positive or negative. They looked at three types of scenarios: personal events, social situations and nature-related events, and they asked about both waking thoughts and dreams. People reported experiencing these improbable mental simulations more often while awake than in dreams. However, the types of scenarios and whether they felt positive or negative were similar in both waking and dreaming states. In both cases, people were most likely to imagine personal events happening to themselves, and social scenarios tended to be the most positive. When people were awake, those who had more difficulty dealing with uncertainty, which is a common trait in anxiety disorders, also had more of these improbable thoughts across all categories. In dreams, this connection only appeared for personal scenarios. Interestingly, how much control people felt they had over their thoughts didn't affect these improbable simulations in either waking or dreaming states.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study examined how different experiences and traits interact to influence maladaptive daydreaming (MD). The researchers surveyed just over 400 adults in Iran, most of them women, and asked them about their daydreaming, attachment styles, traumatic experiences, difficulties with emotions and feelings of shame. The results showed that people with anxious attachment styles and difficulties regulating their emotions were more likely to struggle with MD. Emotion-regulation difficulties also explained part of the link between anxious attachment and daydreaming, suggesting that trouble handling emotions may lead people to escape into fantasy. In contrast, avoidant attachment and shame did not play major roles. Traumatic experiences were directly linked to MD, but this was not explained by shame or emotion-regulation difficulties. Both attachment style and trauma can increase the risk of MD, mainly through difficulties in managing emotions. Therapy should therefore focus on helping people to improve their emotional coping skills.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study looked at how maladaptive daydreaming (MD) relates to emotional distress and narcissism in teenagers. Researchers surveyed 271 adolescents aged 13-17 from schools in Chennai, India. The teens filled out questionnaires measuring how much they daydream, how distressed they feel, and how self-focused or narcissistic they are. Teens who daydreamed excessively tended to feel more psychological distress and showed higher levels of narcissism than those who did not. Both distress and narcissism predicted stronger tendencies toward MD. The findings suggest that MD might be a way for some teens to cope with emotional difficulties. However, it can also increase distress and self-focus, highlighting the need to address these issues in mental-health support for adolescents.



Anonymous (2025). Stereotypy in a daydream misunderstood. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Epub ahead of print: 13 October 2025. DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2025-329208.


Layperson’s Abstract

A parent recounts years of their child’s repetitive movements being misdiagnosed as autism-related stimming before a paediatric neurology centre identified them as intense imagery movements linked to immersive daydreaming. This report highlights psychoeducation, trigger identification and “privatizing” strategies, and urges greater clinical awareness to prevent impairment.




Layperson’s Abstract

This study created a new psychological test called the Dysfunctional Daydreaming Scale to measure unhealthy daydreaming patterns. The researchers developed this test in three steps. First, they interviewed mental-health professionals and people who experience excessive daydreaming to understand the problem better. Then they created 67 questions and had psychology experts review them, narrowing the list down to 45 questions. Finally, they tested these questions with 40 people of different ages from two Pakistani cities. The results showed that the test works well and measures two main aspects of problematic daydreaming: using daydreams to escape from reality and the emotional distress that comes with excessive daydreaming. The test proved to be reliable and accurate when compared to other similar tests. This new scale can help identify people whose daydreaming habits might put them at risk for developing mental-health problems. Having a locally developed test is important because it better fits the cultural context of the population it serves.



Agupusi, C.M., Onwuama, O.P., Omaliko, J.C., Amadi, G.E., Nkemnele, C.C., Odoh, O.M. & Odoh, C.C. (2025). Impact of maladaptive daydreaming on students’ mental health in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. International Journal of Studies in Education.


Layperson’s Abstract

This study looked at how maladaptive daydreaming (MD) affects the mental health and academic performance of students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. A total of 200 students from different faculties and departments filled out questionnaires. The results showed that many students experience MD, and it has a clear negative impact on both their studies and their emotional well-being. The researchers recommend raising awareness of MD, offering early support, and providing regular counselling services to help students recognize and manage MD more effectively.



Maladaptive daydreaming on the internet


The Psychologist is the official publication of The British Psychological Society, serving as a forum for communication, discussion and debate on a range of psychological topics. It is read by more than 50,000 Society members in print, and many non-members view its open access offerings online and in an app. It recently featured a story about limerence, maladaptive daydreaming and addiction called ‘I learnt to retreat inwards, and frolic through the dreamcaves of my mind’.



Psyche is a credible digital magazine devoted to exploring the human condition: psychology, mental health, personal growth, philosophy, arts and lived experience. It recently featured a story called ‘Reality shifting opens portals to the weirdness of our world’. Reality shifting is a unique form of immersive daydreaming first described in 2021 by Eli Somer and co-authors.



Yahoo! Life offers unbiased, thoroughly researched service journalism. On 26 September 2025, they published an article called ‘You've probably never heard of maladaptive daydreaming but I’ve lived with it for decades’.



Founded in 2010, Scot Scoop News is a journalism website by the students of Carlmont High School’s journalism class. It aims to be a safe, reliable and well-known news source for Carlmont High School. On 17October 2025, Scot Scoop News published an article called ‘Breaking the ice: living with my head in the clouds’.



The Kathmandu Post is a major English-language daily newspaper in Nepal. It covers national politics, business, culture and international affairs, and is known for its commitment to independent reporting. With a significant print circulation and a large online presence, it serves both domestic English-speaking readers and international audiences interested in Nepal. It recently featured a report titled: ‘Takpa Gallery to unveil multidisciplinary exhibition’. The report explains that Takpa Gallery is opening a new exhibition called Birdsong for the Confined by emerging Nepali artist Shailee Bajracharya. The exhibition brings together paintings, ceramics, poetry, photographs and video works, exploring themes of introspection, emotional confinement and the search for liberation. The artist draws on her own experience of maladaptive daydreaming, describing it as a movement from disengagement from the present toward creativity and clarity. The exhibition frames vulnerability as a path to self-acceptance and resilience.



Music


Far Out Magazine is a British online culture publication based in London. Founded in 2010, it focuses on music, film, TV, art, photography and pop culture. It publishes news, reviews, interviews, features and curated playlists for an international audience. On 29 September 2025, Far Out Magazine published an article called ‘A soundtrack for daydreaming: Emma Bradley’s maladaptive playlist’. The article introduces Bradley’s new song This Is What Dreams Are Made Of as both an ode to and a reflection on maladaptive daydreaming. Written while she was ill and confined indoors, the song emerged from her restless immersion in elaborate inner worlds, replaying lost relationships, imagined futures and alternate versions of herself. Bradley treats these mental wanderings not as pathology but as creative, emotionally charged escapes that many people can recognize in themselves. The article describes how her track’s hazy, immersive sound mirrors the experience of slipping from reality into fantasy, and it introduces her accompanying playlist of songs by artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift and Bon Iver - music that evokes nostalgia, yearning and introspection. Through this project, Bradley captures the bittersweet allure of living partly in one’s imagination, transforming a private habit of reverie into a shared artistic space.


Afterword


As we close this final issue of the ICMDR Newsletter, we thank our readers for their steady engagement and support across twenty-nine editions. Your interest has helped cultivate a dynamic international community and has contributed to the recognition of maladaptive daydreaming (MD) as an important and evolving field of inquiry.


With the transition to the International Society for Maladaptive Daydreaming (ISMD), we warmly encourage you to continue with us into the next chapter. Joining the ISMD will help the Society grow, expand its scientific and educational mission, and strengthen the global foundation of MD research and clinical awareness. We hope you will participate actively and add your voice to the community shaping the future of the field.


We also invite you to visit the ICMDR publications list, where you can see the remarkable breadth of work produced this year. A total of sixty-five publications appeared in 2025, reflecting the field’s accelerating momentum and the dedication of researchers across the world.


Thank you for being part of this era.

Wishing you peaceful holidays and a very healthy and fulfilling 2026.

Eli Somer and the ICMDR Newsletter team

The International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research (ICMDR)

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The ICMDR is a platform for scientific cooperation and a depository of information on immersive and dysfunctional forms of daydreaming. Established in 2017, comprises researchers at various stages of their careers, from different parts of the world.

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