No abstract

Previous experiments combining cognitive techniques and sleep disruption have been relatively successful in inducing at-home lucid dreams over training periods of 1-week or more. Here, we induce lucid dreams in a single laboratory nap session by pairing cognitive training with external stimulation. Participants came to the laboratory at 7:30 am or 11:00 am and during polysomnography setup were provided with information about lucid dreaming. For twenty minutes prior to sleep the experimenter played alternating audio and visual cues at 1minute intervals. Participants were instructed to practice a mental state of critical selfawareness, observing their thoughts and experiences each time they noticed a cue. This procedure associated the cues with the trained mental state. Subsequently, participants were allowed 90 minutes to nap, and the audio and visual cues were represented during REM sleep to activate self-awareness in dreams and elicit lucidity. A control group followed the same procedure but was not cued during sleep. All participants were instructed to signal their lucidity by looking left and right four times (LR Signal). Signal-verified lucid dreams (SVLDs) qualified as dreams in which the LR signal was observed and the participant reported becoming lucid. Across the two nap times, this protocol induced SVLDs in 50% of participants. In the absence of cueing during sleep, participant SVLD rate was 17%. Of note, three successful participants had never before experienced a lucid dream, suggesting this protocol may be effective across the general population. Implications of this Targeted Lucidity Reactivation protocol for nightmare treatment are discussed.

No abstract

Dream lucidity, or being aware that one is dreaming while dreaming, is not an all-or-none phenomenon. Often, subjects report being some variant of “a little lucid” as opposed to completely or not at all. As recent neuroimaging work begins to elucidate the neural underpinnings of lucid experience, understanding subtle phenomenological variation within lucid dreams is essential. Here, we focus on the variability of lucid experience by asking participants to report their awareness of the dream on a 5-point Likert scale (from not at all to very much). Participants implemented a combination of mnemonic training lucid dream induction methods at home for one week and provided detailed reports about their dream experiences each morning. Consistent with previous research, cognitive induction methods led to about half of participants reporting at least one lucid dream and about half of all dreams including some level of lucidity. However, we also show that induction success rate varies significantly depending on the minimum criteria for lucidity. Participants also reported how much they adhered to specific components of each induction method, and the amount of mnemonic rehearsal during a brief early awake period was predictive of lucidity level. Furthermore, lucidity levels were positively correlated with dream control, dream bizarreness, and next-morning positive affect. Lastly, we asked participants open-ended questions about why they chose particular levels of lucidity. We focus a qualitative discussion on responses to those “semi-lucid” dreams (rated just a little, moderately, or pretty much lucid) to explore why participants rate their dreams as having intermediate levels of awareness. Together, the present study explores the frequency of semi-lucid dreams, what they are, why they might arise, their correlates, and how they impact methodological concerns in lucid dreaming research.

A lucid dream occurs when a dreamer knows that he or she is dreaming while continuing to dream. Many people practice lucid dreaming to promote personal growth, including enhanced creativity and self-esteem. However, such benefits are evidenced by anecdotal reports and correlational studies rather than controlled experiments. Further, this existing evidence is confounded by the fact that most lucid dreaming procedures involve two supporting practices-dream journaling and a mindfulness exercise called reality checking-that may be independently associated with personal growth. Our study asked whether successfully inducing lucid dreams leads to personal growth above and beyond journaling and mindfulness using an experimental design. In a sample of undergraduates (N ϭ 32), we assessed psychological well-being and personal growth longitudinally and compared participants assigned to lucid dream training to a group that only learned journaling and mindfulness practices and a third group that did not learn any techniques. We found no significant differences between the groups on indicators of personal growth on average. However, successful lucid dreamers had higher life satisfaction and selfesteem, as well as lower stress the day after lucid dreaming, compared with unsuccessful lucid dreamers.