Some potential benefits are listed below. Because lucid dreaming allows the dreamer to invent or create anything within the dream, it could be an exciting way to explore creatively and safely within the confines of a dream. Because the dreamer has some degree of control over the characters, scenery, and events of the dream, it could be a way to experience and explore things that a person might not be able to do in everyday life.
People who tend to lucid dream more also tend to rank higher on measures of creativity, but people also report feeling more creative and inspired by the experience itself. Some researchers believe that lucid dreaming might have some therapeutic effects, particularly for addressing nightmares. Bad dreams can interrupt sleep and can play a role in reducing the quantity and quality of sleep.
Lucid dreaming could allow people to take control of their dreams and either prevent nightmares from happening or redirect the events of the dream toward something more pleasant or relaxing.
Some suggest that lucid dreams might be useful for reducing symptoms of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD. Such findings suggest that lucid dreaming may have a number of different uses. Further research is needed to explore whether people can learn to lucid dream and the possible effects that the dream state may actually have.
Lucid dreaming can be difficult to study. Because it is uncommon, it is difficult to find participants who are able to experience this type of dreaming in a lab setting. How exactly do researchers study lucid dreaming? During REM sleep, people who are experiencing a lucid dream maintain the same brain activity and muscle paralysis that are hallmarks of REM sleep.
However, they are able to communicate their experience of lucid dreaming through predetermined eye movements that can be detected and monitored. Research has shown, however, some ways that lucid dreaming may be unique from normal dreaming. One study found that people who are experiencing a lucid dream exhibit brain activity that seems to be a hybrid of both REM sleep and wakefulness. Other studies have found that certain areas of the prefrontal cortex appear to exhibit increased activity during lucid dreaming compared to standard REM sleep.
The research shows that the anterior prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain associated with higher levels of self-reflection, is larger in people who report having frequent lucid dreams. The researchers suggest that people who are more likely to engage in such self-reflection during normal waking life are also more readily able to take control of their dreams.
There are a few things that you can do to help increase your chances of experiencing a lucid dream. Some strategies that can help include:. There are a number of factors that can play a role in whether or not you experience lucid dreaming. While lucid dreaming may have some mental health benefits, there is some evidence to suggest that it may also have some downside.
Some things to remember:. So while there are things that you can do that may help make it more likely that you will spontaneously experience a lucid dream, it is impossible to guarantee that you will be able to induce the experience. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Lucid dreaming verified by volitional communication during REM sleep.
Percept Mot Skills. LaBerge S. Lucid dreaming in Western literature. In: Gackenbach J. Springer, Boston, MA. Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50years of research. Conscious Cogn.
Vallat R, Ruby PM. Is it a good idea to cultivate lucid dreaming? Front Psychol. Schredl M, Erlacher D. Frequency of lucid dreaming in a representative German sample. This has been attributed in part to lower levels of cortical activity.
Lucid dreams are different because sleepers are aware they are dreaming and, in some cases, can exert control over their surroundings. Some studies have linked these characteristics to elevated cortical activity. In sleepers who have been observed during lucid dream studies, prefrontal cortex activity levels while they are engaged in lucid dreaming are comparable to levels when they are awake.
While normal dreams can occur during different stages of the sleep cycle , studies have shown most lucid dreaming takes place during rapid eye movement REM sleep. REM sleep constitutes the fourth and final stage of a normal sleep cycle; the first three stages consist of non-rapid eye movement NREM sleep. The general consensus among researchers today is that lucid dreams originate from non-lucid dreams during the REM sleep stage.
In this sense, lucidity is an aspect of dreams that can be triggered using different means. Spontaneous lucid dreams are rare and difficult to foresee. To study these phenomena, researchers typically induce lucid dreams using different methods. Some of the most common techniques include the following:. Additionally, some studies have involved inducing lucid dreams using certain types of drugs and supplements. For some studies, subjects are asked to make specific eye movements while sleeping to signal they are having a lucid dream.
EOGs are particularly helpful for detecting these movements. The popularity of self-induced lucid dreams has grown in recent years.
The most common reasons for inducing lucid dreams include wish fulfillment, overcoming fears, and healing. Some studies have also shown a link between inducing lucid dreams and overcoming the fear and distress associated with nightmares. Lucid dream therapy has shown to be largely ineffective for some groups, such as people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some researchers have introduced another problem with lucid dreams: they are potentially disruptive to sleep. Since lucid dreams are associated with higher levels of brain activity, it has been suggested these dreams can decrease sleep quality and have a negative effect on sleep hygiene. Additionally, people with narcolepsy — a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and irresistible sleep attacks — are more likely to experience frequent lucid dreams.
The study of lucid dreams is fairly new and largely incomplete. More research is needed to better understand these types of dreams and pinpoint why some people are predisposed to more frequent and intense lucid dreams. Triggering lucid dreams can be fairly easy with the right methods. Those who are inexperienced with these phenomena may be able to induce a lucid dream for themselves through the following means:.
Other techniques may be used to induce lucid dreams. These include transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS , which painlessly applies electrical currents to different areas of the brain, and certain types of medications. There is little scientific research to demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods.
These techniques are also only conducted in controlled clinical laboratory settings and should never be attempted by an individual unless under the supervision of a doctor or another credentialed medical or psychological professional. Danielle writes in-depth articles about sleep solutions and holds a psychology degree from the University of British Columbia. Rehman, M. A nighttime cough is the cold symptom most likely to interfere with sleep.
Learn how to sleep with a cough…. Learn more about the causes and underlying mechanisms of REM rebound, a phenomenon in which a person temporarily experiences more….
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies.
It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Sleep Foundation editorial team is dedicated to providing content that meets the highest standards for accuracy and objectivity. Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias.
The phenomenon appears to be more common among children and young adults. Lucid dreams often happen spontaneously, but some people have claimed they have learned to control their dreams, and can choose to become lucid. Recently, researchers were able to induce lucid dreaming in sleeping study participants by zapping their brains with a small electrical charge.
Findings from previous studies suggest that people with more strength in certain cognitive abilities may be more likely to have lucid dreams. For example, studies have shown that lucid dreamers are better at extracting information from the context. For example, they perform better in psychological tasks that require finding a simple shape inside a more complex figure. Similarly, studies have found some evidence that lucid dreamers perform better on psychological tests that simulate real-life decision making and require complex processing of information.
0コメント