Which MBTI Personality Types Remember Their Dreams?

Researchers have long tried to answer the question:

"Why do some people remember their dreams and others don't?"

Historically, the content of the dream itself was considered the main factor in whether it could be remembered.

Sigmund Freud, in "The Interpretation of Dreams," pointed out several potential reasons for dreams being forgotten upon waking: the images or emotions in the dream are not vivid enough, the event occurred only once, and dreams are often incoherent and difficult to understand. Another possible reason is that some people simply don't care if they remember their dreams.

To investigate what personality traits might influence dream recall, the official 16Personalities website launched a survey to see if different personality traits affect our impression of dreams.

What Types Have a Strong Impression of Dreams?

When asked, "Do you remember most of your dreams?" the personality types most likely to agree were:

• No. 1: 71% of ENFJs (Protagonist)
• No. 2: 68% of INTJs (Architect)
• No. 3: 67% of INFJs (Advocate)
• No. 4: 66% of ENFPs (Campaigner)
• No. 5: 64% of ENTJs (Commander)
• No. 6: 62% of INFPs (Mediator)

According to the 16Personalities website survey, the ENFJ (Protagonist) personality type is the most likely of all types to agree that they remember their dreams, with 71% agreeing.

Data shows that NF types and NT types are more dominant in dream recall.

A total of 65% of intuitive (N) types agreed that they remember most of their dreams—the highest agreement rate among all individual traits—while only 50% of observant (S) types agreed.

The NF type combines intuitive and feeling traits, and dreams can evoke strong emotions in them (imagine the fear you feel when you fall in a dream).

Dreams can also be abstract and non-linear, making them difficult to understand logically.

In this sense, intuitive personality types have an advantage because they are passionate about ideas and possibilities. Observant (S) types, on the other hand, prefer rationality, facts, and observable things.

Feeling (F) people also have an advantage because they are more in touch with their own emotions.

When a dream has an emotional component, it is easier to remember—which makes the dream particularly vivid.

People with a Judging (J) trait prefer structure, which may provide them with the psychological resources to provide structure for their otherwise incomprehensible dreams.

The Types That Find It Hardest to Remember Dreams

In contrast, the personality types least likely to agree that they "remember most of their dreams" were:

• No. 1: 41% of ISTPs (Virtuoso)
• No. 2: 45% of ISFPs (Adventurer)
• No. 3: 46% of ESTPs (Entrepreneur)
• No. 4: 47% of ESFPs (Performer)
• No. 5: 50% of ISTJs (Logistician)
• No. 6: 51% of ISFJs (Defender)

The data shows that SP types are the least likely to remember dreams.

“The non-logical nature of dreams is less appealing to them. They prefer to focus on the world around them and live in the present, rather than in abstract and irrelevant dreams (in their opinion).”

 Among all personality types, ISTPs (Virtuoso) have the lowest rate of claiming to remember dreams (41%).

The dream world is unlikely to be appealing to an ISTP, as they cannot explore it in a practical way.

Unless a dream is particularly exciting, it is unlikely to have much value to them.

And SJ types, who are good observers, are more accustomed to concrete facts rather than abstractions and possibilities. 

Because most dreams are inherently illogical and abstract, SJ types may be less inclined to remember them. However, they have a trait of liking structure—so many people remember their dreams whether they want to or not. Herein lies a key component of the **mbti n vs s** distinction.

Related Reading: If Cats Had MBTI Personalities: An mbti n vs s Guide for N-Types

Conclusion

Although dreams are elusive and captivating to some, our data suggests that personality traits do play a role in the realm of **mbti dreams**.

It is clear that intuitive personality types have a stronger memory for dreams, likely because they are able to comprehend abstract things.

Intuitive personality types may be more interested in dreams and will try harder to remember and/or analyze them.

It is difficult to determine what makes some people able to recall their dreams while others cannot. It could be as simple as some people want to remember their dreams and others don't.

What is certain is that the world of dreams remains mysterious and unknown. Whether dreams are influenced by physiological, psychological, or metaphysical factors, they are fascinating and worth studying in more detail.

What about you? Do your dreams have a significant impact on your life? Tell us in the comments! **Which MBTI Cognitive Functions** are at play in your own dream life?

Related Reading: Which MBTI Cognitive Functions Are Most Linked to Truth Seeking

Stotski (INFJ-T)
I have very realistic dreams. In my dreams, I use my senses. I can feel, taste, smell, hear, and see as if I were awake. I also often have a sense of déjà vu. There are small fragments in my dreams that I can't understand, but when they appear in real life, I think: Hey, I've seen this before.

Demon (INTJ-T)
For many years, I have tried to achieve a state of "lucid dreaming." When I was in law school, I would think about a problem before going to bed at night and then solve it in my dream. I could clearly see myself solving the problem as if I were fully awake and conscious. Once I woke up, I would check if my answer was correct. The answer was always correct. This blew my mind because I apparently gained knowledge in my sleep that I didn't have when I was awake.