Objective: Some authors have suggested that the personality characteristic 'fantasy proneness' may mediate the correlation between reported potentially traumatizing events and dissociative symptoms. Other authors question the reported magnitude of this correlation in non-clinical samples because these are usually derived from student samples and may therefore suffer from a restriction of range. The primary aim of this study is to assess the relationship between a self-report measure of traumatisation and psychoform dissociation as well as somatoform dissociation in a non-clinical population, while accounting for the influence of fantasy proneness. Method: Two random non-clinical samples, i.e., a student and an adult non-student sample, completed a range of relevant self report questionnaires. Absorption was used as an index of fantasy proneness. Results: The range of reported potentially traumatising events was restricted in students, compared to non-students. In both samples a significant correlation was found between reported potentially traumatizing events and dissociation. After partialling out absorption, the relationship between reported potential traumatisation and psychoform dissociation diminished substantially in both samples. The magnitude of the correlation with somatoform dissociation decreased to a lesser degree, so that it remained significant in both samples. Conclusions: The correlation between somatoform dissociation and reported traumatisation, after partialling out absorption, gives a reliable estimate of the magnitude of the relationships between potentially traumatising events and dissociation. Findings regarding traumatisation and dissociation in students should be generalised to the general population cautiously.