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Johanna Heitmann

4 papers in the library · publishing 2026

Papers

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Bodily Stimulation During REM Sleep: Effects of Muscle and Vestibular Cueing on Lucid Dreaming

SLEEP Advances July 8, 2026 Emma Peters, Xinlin Wang, Johanna Heitmann et al.

Abstract Study Objectives Sensory stimulation during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been proposed as a method to induce lucidity, yet most approaches rely on distal sensory modalities such as light and sound. We explored whether bodily stimulation targeting the muscle and vestibular systems differentially influences dream incorporation and lucid awareness during REM sleep. Methods 28...

Balancing Lucidity: Muscle and Vestibular Stimulation for Lucid Dream Induction

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) March 13, 2026 Emma Peters, Xinlin Wang, Kathrin Fischer et al.

Abstract Lucid dream (LD) induction using external sensory stimulation has most commonly relied on distal cues such as lights or auditory signals, with mixed success rates. In this study, we investigated whether more direct bodily stimulation targeting the muscle and vestibular systems could influence LD induction. We compared electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) and galvanic vestibular...

Waking Up in the Dream Lab: A Lab-Based Lucid Dream Induction Paradigm Using Virtual Reality and Sensory Stimulation

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) March 12, 2026 Emma Peters, Johanna Heitmann, Nicolas Morath et al.

Abstract Lucid dreaming (LD), during which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming, is frequently induced in laboratory settings by delivering sensory cues during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These cues should be incorporated into ongoing dreams and can trigger reflective awareness. This approach relies on the continuity between waking experiences and dream content. In sleep...

Revisiting auditory-triggered reality checks in lucid dream induction: A sleep laboratory study

University Library Heidelberg March 10, 2026 Xinlin Wang, Johanna Heitmann, Lorenzo de Neri et al.

Lucid dreaming refers to a dream state in which the dreamers are aware that they are dreaming and may be able to intentionally influence the dream content. Previous studies have shown that lucid dreaming provides a useful model for investigating cognitive processes during dreaming and may also have potential therapeutic applications. However, reliable methods for inducing lucid dreams are still...