The role of personality and spirituality in the relationships between daydreaming styles and meaning in life

This quantitative study explored relationships between styles of daydreaming measured by the Short Imaginal Processes Inventory (SIPI) and the experience of meaning in life measured by the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ); personality styles measured by the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) were explored as possible moderators and mediators. Spiritual factors measured by the Spiritual Orientation Inventory (SOI) were explored as possible moderators. Presence of Meaning had a weak direct relationship with Positive-Constructive Daydreaming (PCD), a weak inverse relationship with Guilty/Fear-of-Failure Daydreaming (GFFD), and a weak inverse relationship with Poor Attentional Control Daydreaming (PACD). Search for Meaning had a moderate direct relationship with GFFD and a weak direct relationship with PACD. Daydreaming style predicted Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning. PCD predicted Presence of Meaning significantly for highly extraverted individuals but not for others. PCD predicted Search for Meaning significantly for people low in Agreeableness but not for others. The magnitude of association between GFFD and Search for Meaning was significantly greater for people with lower levels of spirituality dimensions of Total SOI, Transcendent dimension, Meaning and Purpose, and Material Values than those high in spirituality. People with high levels of spirituality had higher levels of Search for Meaning at all levels of GFFD. Neuroticism mediated: (a) GFFD and Presence of Meaning, (b) PACD and Presence of Meaning, (c) GFFD and Search for Meaning, and (d) PACD and Search for Meaning. Agreeableness mediated relationships between GFFD and Presence of Meaning and PACD and Presence of Meaning. Conscientiousness mediated relationships between GFFD and Presence of Meaning and PACD and Presence of Meaning. These results suggest that daydreaming style is related to Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning, which can have profound existential, psychological, and spiritual implications for individuals.