Lost Inside My Head – An Exploratory Study on The Effect of Daydreaming on Emotion Regulation and Fantasy Proneness

Background and Aim: Dreams and daydreams are crucial in shaping our understanding of reality and self, influencing behavior, emotions, creativity, and attention. However, excessive daydreaming/maladaptive daydreaming can impair daily functioning and well-being. Maladaptive daydreaming is closely associated with fantasy proneness as a coping mechanism. Understanding its impact on emotional regulation can help identify strategies to promote well-being. This study compares fantasy proneness levels and difficulties in emotion regulation between daydreamers and maladaptive daydreamers. Methodology: The sample comprises undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 to 25 from India. A total of 168 responses were collected. Participants were screened using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and were further assessed using the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16), Creative Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-36). Results: In this study, 59 samples were excluded for not meeting the criteria, resulting in a final dataset of 109 responses (M_age = 20.66, SD_age = 2). Among these, 57 participants scored 40 or above on the MDS-16 questionnaire, categorizing them as maladaptive daydreamers, while 52 participants scored below 40, categorizing them as normal daydreamers. Analysis revealed significant differences in emotion regulation and fantasy proneness between the two groups. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that maladaptive daydreamers exhibit significant deficits in emotion regulation and an increased propensity to immerse themselves in an imaginary world to escape reality. Although maladaptive daydreaming is not currently classified as a mental health disorder, it represents a genuine condition with profound implications for an individual’s self-perception and worldview.