Oneirataxia: A Proposed Term for Difficulty Distinguishing Daydreamed Events From Waking Reality
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This conceptual literature review proposes a more specific psychological use of oneirataxia, a previously documented term describing difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. Here, oneirataxia refers specifically to uncertainty or misattribution concerning whether a remembered event or detail originated in a waking daydream or occurred in waking life. Drawing on research into maladaptive daydreaming, fantasy proneness, memory confabulation, and source monitoring, the paper examines existing evidence of daydream–reality confusion and distinguishes the proposed phenomenon from related psychological experiences. It considers the conceptual value and limitations of this terminology without proposing a new diagnosis or cognitive mechanism. The review presents oneirataxia as a provisional, diagnosis-independent descriptive concept whose prevalence, mechanisms, and distinctiveness remain unestablished.
Author: Sheha, Hanan
Language: English
Topic: Mind wandering and attention
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225462055