Provoking lucid dreams at home with sensory cues paired with pre-sleep cognitive training.
Karen R Konkoly, Nathan W Whitmore, Remington Mallett, Christopher Y Mazurek, Ken A Paller
Consciousness and Cognition October 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103759 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Targeted Lucidity Reactivation (TLR) |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Keywords | Application Dreams Lucid Rem sleep Sensory stimulation Smartphone Targeted memory reactivation Tech |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Smartphone-based Targeted Lucidity Reactivation, using sounds from pre-sleep training delivered during REM sleep, increases lucid dreaming compared to control conditions. |
Abstract
The ability to realize that you're dreaming - lucid dreaming - has value for personal goals and for consciousness research. One route to lucid dreaming is to first undergo pre-sleep training with sensory cues and then receive those cues during REM sleep. This method, Targeted Lucidity Reactivation (TLR), does not demand extensive personal effort but generally requires concurrent polysomnography to guide cue delivery. Here we translated TLR from a laboratory procedure to a smartphone-based procedure without polysomnography. In a first experiment, participants reported increased lucid dreaming with TLR compared to during the prior week. In a second experiment, we showed increased lucidity with TLR compared to blinded control procedures on alternate nights. Cues during sleep were effective when they were the same sounds from pre-sleep training. Increased lucid dreaming can be ascribed to a strong link formed during training between the sounds and a mindset of carefully analyzing one's current experience.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep Selected subjects proficient in lucid dreaming | 1981 | Experimental study | n = 5 |
| Lucid Dreaming and Alpha Activity: A Preliminary Report Good dream recallers | 1982 | Experimental study | n = 10 |
| Lucid dreaming during NREM sleep: Two case reports | 2012 | Sleep laboratory study | |
| Time for actions in lucid dreams: effects of task modality, length, and complexity Proficient lucid dreamers | 2014 | Experimental study | n = 21 |
| Combining presleep cognitive training and REM-sleep stimulation in a laboratory morning nap for lucid dream induction. Participants who came to the laboratory for a nap session at 7:30 am or 11:00 am,... | 2020 | Controlled laboratory experiment |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Inducing Lucid Dreaming Based on a Contemplative Practice of Compassion Brain Sciences March 16, 2026
- Dreamware: A Brain-Computer-Interfaced Multisensory Capsule Room for Dream Engineering CHI Extended Abstracts April 13, 2026
- Memory, Sleep, Dreams, and Consciousness: A Perspective Based on the Memory Theory of Consciousness. Nature and Science of Sleep August 26, 2025
- LuciEntry: Towards Understanding the Design of Lucid Dream Induction Conference on Designing Interactive Systems July 4, 2025
Cites 30
- Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1981
- The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 14, 2019
- Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Current Biology April 12, 2021
- Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 1980
- The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey The American Journal of Psychology April 21, 2014
and 25 more in the library