The effectiveness of lucid dreaming therapy in patients with nightmares: A systematic review.
R Ouchene, N El Habchi, Anastasia Demina, Benjamin Petit, Benoit Trojak
L'Encephale October 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2023.01.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults with chronic and recurring nightmares |
| Intervention | Lucid dreaming therapy |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Keywords | Cauchemars Intervention Lucid dreaming therapy Sleep Sommeil |
| Citations | 24 |
| Key findings | Lucid dreaming therapy is effective in reducing nightmare frequency among adults with chronic and recurring nightmares. |
Abstract
Nightmares can be defined as "an unpleasant dream with anxiety and oppression". They represent a symptom possibly leading to serious psychiatric and physical consequences. It occurs to 2% to 8% of the general population. Lucid dreaming therapy (LDT) is an interesting upcoming psychotherapy for the treatment of nightmares. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of LDT in the treatment of nightmares in adults and children. We performed a systematic review of the literature, based on the Cochrane organisation's methodology. We explored the PubMed, Cochrane library, PsycINFO via Ovid and Embase databases and clinical trial registries (CTR), namely clinicaltrials.gov, EU clinical trials and the WHO clinical trials registry platform. Four randomized controlled trials (RCT), 2 case series and 5 case reports were included. Most of the included studies found LDT effective in reducing nightmare frequency among adults with chronic and recurring nightmares. We did not identify any reports in children. Despite a limited internal validity for the included studies, these first results are encouraging. Nonetheless, larger and more rigorous studies would allow to better assess the utility of LDT for nightmares.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| A systematic review of new empirical data on lucid dream induction techniques. Peer-reviewed studies on lucid dream induction techniques | 2023 | Systematic review | n = 19 |
| Testing Precognition and an Altered State of Consciousness with Selected Participants in the Ganzfeld Participants selected for self-reported creativity, prior psi experience or belief, or... | 2020 | Prospective meta-analysis | n = 60 |
| The relationship between mindfulness and lucid dreaming: A systematic review. | 2025 | Systematic review | |
| Review of new evidence on effectiveness of different methods of lucid dream induction Studies on lucid dream induction methods | 2024 | Systematic review | n = 17 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- To be or not to be hallucinating: Implications of hypnagogic/hypnopompic experiences and lucid dreaming for brain disorders. PNAS Nexus December 19, 2023
- Electrophysiological Correlates of Lucid Dreaming: Sensor and Source Level Signatures. Journal of Neuroscience May 14, 2025
- Treating narcolepsy-related nightmares with cognitive behavioural therapy and targeted lucidity reactivation: A pilot study. Journal of Sleep Research June 1, 2025
- The Effects of Lucid Dreaming and Nightmares on Sleep Quality and Mental Health Outcomes. Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2025
- The clinical neuroscience of lucid dreaming. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews January 14, 2025
and 19 more in the library
Cites 25
- Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Sleep September 1, 2009
- Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Sleep 2011
- Neural Correlates of Dream Lucidity Obtained from Contrasting Lucid versus Non-Lucid REM Sleep: A Combined EEG/fMRI Case Study Sleep June 29, 2012
- Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2006
- Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
and 20 more in the library