A preliminary study of the personality of the nightmare sufferer: relationship to schizophrenia and creativity?

Through psychiatric interviews and psychological tests the authors studied 38 adults who reported experiencing at least one nightmare per week. Nearly all of the subjects had a lifelong history of frequent nightmares. Four of the subjects met DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia, 9 met the criteria for borderline personality, and 6 met the criteria for schizotypal personality. The others had no specific diagnosis, and none of the subjects had a diagnosis of typical neurosis. Many had mentally ill relatives. Most had artistic interests and talents. These nightmare sufferers may be seen as unusually vulnerable, with a potential for mental illness--especially schizophrenia--as well as a potential for artistic achievement.