False awakenings in light of the dream protoconsciousness theory: a study in lucid dreamers.
University Library Heidelberg January 1, 2011 Giorgio Buzzi 20 citations
False Awakenings (FAs) are sleep-related experiences where people mistakenly believe they have woken up, only to realize later that the apparent awakening was part of a dream. A web-survey of 90 habitual lucid dreamers found that 41% experienced FAs at least monthly, 79% had one in the last month, and 46% in the last week. Recurring dream patterns in FAs included representations of normal awakenings, morning routines, and realistic activities like exploring or wandering. These findings align with Hobson's protoconsciousness theory, which suggests dream content arises from innate schemes enacted through subjective experiential memories. A possible evolutionary interpretation of FAs is proposed.