Navigating the biphasic lucid power of subconscious mind: A dysfunction or holism in disguise?
Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association April 20, 2026 Maham Khan
Lucid dreaming, a state of self-awareness during REM sleep marked by high-frequency gamma waves and prefrontal cortex hyperactivity, is under-researched in Pakistan despite its psychological significance. International studies link lucid dreaming to neuroticism, anxiety, depression, and conditions like narcolepsy and PTSD, but also suggest it may serve as a subconscious coping mechanism for distress. While lucid dreaming can help overcome nightmares and trauma by internalizing locus of control, it is associated with psychosis, false awakening, and dissociation when deliberately induced. The authors argue that lucid dreaming should be recognized in medical discourse and used as a supplementary screening tool for emotional dysregulation, with regional studies needed in high-stress populations.