Brief mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations increase feelings of social and nature connectedness, but do not alter positive or negative affect. In an experiment with 115 undergraduates, those who listened to a guided mindfulness or loving-kindness meditation reported greater connectedness afterward compared to those who listened to a progressive muscle relaxation control. The two meditation types were similarly effective, and neither changed emotional state.
The International Lucid Dream Induction Study compared five combinations of lucid dream induction techniques in 355 participants interested in lucid dreaming. After a one-week baseline recording of sleep and dream recall, participants practiced the techniques for another week. The MILD and SSILD techniques were similarly effective for inducing lucid dreams, while a hybrid of the two showed no advantage. Better general dream recall and falling asleep within 10 minutes of completing the techniques predicted successful induction. Lucid dream induction did not harm sleep quality, and the techniques worked regardless of prior lucid dreaming frequency or experience.
Taking 240 mg of vitamin B6 before bed for five consecutive nights significantly increased how much dream content people remembered, but did not affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or color, nor did it change other sleep measures. A B complex vitamin preparation, by contrast, led to lower self-rated sleep quality and greater tiredness upon waking. The findings replicate and extend a smaller earlier study, suggesting vitamin B6 may be useful in lucid dreaming research.