Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon that has been well documented over the past centuries. It’s a term that is used to describe the act of dreaming while being aware that you’re dreaming. In other words, dreams that feel real. In some instances the dreamer can even control the dream to some degree in order to determine its outcome or influence what takes place within the dream.
According to Edward Bixler of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, who is a professor of psychology specializing in electrophysiology of sleep and sleep disorders, lucid dreams are what happens “when a person recognizes he or she is dreaming while in a dreaming state and often manipulates the events within the dream.” This is far from remembering those oh-so-elusive details of dreams after you’ve awakened in the morning.
One detail about lucid dreaming that many researchers find fascinating is the fact that during the lucid dreaming part of the sleep cycle the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which normally remains dormant while dreaming, becomes active. The general consensus at this time among sleep scientists is that it has something to do with the self-awareness that is displayed during a lucid dreaming event.
Benefits of Lucid Dreaming
According to Scientific American Mind, “Approximately eight out of 10 people have had a lucid dream, in which they were conscious of their dreaming, at least once.” Based on that knowledge, more and more people are beginning to use lucid dreaming as part of their treatment plans for dealing with chronic nightmares. In some cases, it’s being used to treat anxiety too. Once people learn that they can take control of their dreams, the doors to all sorts of treatments and possibilities can be opened.
How do They Happen?
Lucid dreams generally happen in one of two different manners.
1) Dream-initiated lucid dreams (DILD)
2) Wake-initiated lucid dreams (WILD)
The DILD begins like any other dream and the dreamer realizes along the way that he or she is actually dreaming. With the WILD dream type, the dreamer goes from being awake into the dream state without any obvious changes in consciousness. Extensive research and documentation on this type of dream has been conducted so that it’s no longer a speculative area of science. Yet, much still remains unknown about why some people seem to experience dreams that feel real more frequently than others, what causes it, and how to use it for the greater good.
Researchers, scientists, and medical professionals are beginning to use lucid dreams in the treatment of certain types of night terrors, nightmares, and anxiety. As research is gathered and more is learned about the lucid dreaming cycle there is great hope that it can have wider success with the treatment of anxiety along with countless other sleep disorders that plague the population today.
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FAQs
Lucid dreams are when you know that you're dreaming while you're asleep. You're aware that the events flashing through your brain aren't really happening. But the dream feels vivid and real. You may even be able to control how the action unfolds, as if you're directing a movie in your sleep.
Why do my lucid dreams feel real? ›
During a lucid dream, you're aware of your consciousness. It's a form of metacognition, or awareness of your awareness. Often, lucid dreaming also lets you control what happens in your dream. Some people report that lucid dreams feel very vivid and real, while others say they feel a bit hazier.
Can I feel things in a lucid dream? ›
In a lucid dream your senses are heightened. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are all more extreme than what you would experience in real life. Emotional feelings may also be intensified. You'll feel a greater sense of happiness and pleasure from engaging in enjoyable activities.
Can you have a lucid dream inside of a dream? ›
In a study by Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett, 2,000 dreams from 200 subjects were examined and it was found that false awakenings and lucidity were significantly more likely to occur within the same dream or within different dreams of the same night.
Why am I having such lucid dreams? ›
What Causes Lucid Dreams. Though it may not be possible to understand exactly why lucid dreams occur, some research reveals that dreams of this type may be associated with times of stress and anxiety. Psychopathologies, such as depression and OCD, may also play a role.
What is it called when a dream feels real? ›
What Are Lucid Dreams? Lucid dreams are when you know that you're dreaming while you're asleep. You're aware that the events flashing through your brain aren't really happening. But the dream feels vivid and real. You may even be able to control how the action unfolds, as if you're directing a movie in your sleep.
What not to do in a lucid dream? ›
Let's get started;
- ##1 Don't think about your body while in a lucid dream. ...
- ##2 Do not dream of real-life memories. ...
- ##3 Don't look in mirrors in lucid dreams. ...
- ##4 Do not doubt yourself in lucid dreams. ...
- ##5 Don't get excited. ...
- ##6 Don't kill people in lucid dreams. ...
- ##7 Don't close your eyes. ...
- ##8 Don't second-guess yourself.
Generally, lucid dreaming is quite rare. Only one half of the general population know the phenomenon from personal experience, approximately 20% have lucid dreams on a monthly basis, and only a minority of approximately 1% have lucid dreams several times a week.
Can you get trapped inside a lucid dream? ›
Movies such as Inception or Nightmare on Elm Street have popularized wild notions of what can go wrong with lucid dreaming, but these scenarios are not backed by evidence. For example, it is a myth that a person can become permanently stuck in a lucid dream, or that a lucid dream can last the entire night.
Is it normal to physically feel things in dreams? ›
Is it normal to smell, taste and feel things in your dream? It's definitely normal, because the brain understands our senses when we are awake, so it can play it back to us when we dream, like a video but with all sensory things added.
Schenck and Mahowald33 proposed the term epic dreaming to refer to complaints of both excessive dreaming ("dreaming all night long") and daytime fatigue.
What is a nested dream? ›
A dream within a dream, often referred to as a nested dream, is a peculiar occurrence in which a dreamer experiences the sensation of dreaming while still being within a dream. In other words, it's as if they enter a secondary dream world while they are already dreaming.
What is double dreaming? ›
Like when someone has a terrible nightmare and they wake up from it thinking they're back in reality but it turns out they're not and it is in fact another dream/nightmare world.
What are the negative effects of lucid dreaming? ›
Being in a lucid state may cause the sleeper to get a lower quality of sleep. People who lucid dream are prone to nightmares, which may cause them to jolt awake. Inducing lucid sleep could cause fragmented sleep, which is repeated short sleep cycle interruptions.
Are lucid Dreamers smarter? ›
Are Lucid Dreamers Smarter than the Rest of Us? Well, yes and no. While there is no concrete evidence demonstrating differences in intelligence quotient (IQ) between lucid dreamers and non-lucid dreamers, the former group has proven to be more insightful and better at problem-solving in real-life situations.
What type of person has lucid dreams? ›
Research suggests that lucid dreaming and metacognitive functions share similar neural systems. This means that people with heightened abilities to monitor their own thoughts may be more likely to experience lucid dreams.
Is there a bad side to lucid dreaming? ›
Lucid dreaming is a state of semi-awareness where dreamers can control their dreams. Frequent lucid dreaming may disrupt regular sleep patterns and lead to sleep deprivation. Lucid dreams may appear similar to nightmares, sleep paralysis, and the dreamer's own reality, which can cause anxiety and confusion.
Is Oneirophrenia a disorder? ›
During its beginning stages oneirophrenia was studied very closely with schizophrenia as an acute form due to the relationship between their symptoms. It wasn't until greater research that oneirophrenia became its own mental disease.
Why do I feel trapped in my lucid dream? ›
It is possible to get the sensation that you are stuck in a lucid dream, if you have many dreams back-to-back, or try to go back to your body and keep waking up into a new dream. However, you will always wake up, so you are never actually stuck.
Can lucid dreaming cause derealization? ›
Research is lacking on this question, but it's possible lucid dreaming could lead to increasing derealization-depersonalization in ways that are problematic, particularly if you already experience these symptoms or have a history of disconnecting from reality in harmful ways (e.g. mania, psychosis, substance abuse).
