Two-Way Communication in Lucid REM Sleep Dreaming.
Benjamin Baird, Stephen LaBerge, Giulio Tononi
Trends in Cognitive Sciences June 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.04.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Lucid dreamers |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Lucid dreamers can engage in real-time two-way communication with experimenters during REM sleep dreaming. |
Abstract
Dreamers were long thought absolutely isolated from the outside world. Yet psychophysiological studies over the past 40 years have firmly established that lucid dreamers can use eye movements to report on their dream content in real time while in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We now also know that sensory input is not completely suppresssed during sleep. A recent study by Konkoly et al. illustrates how experimenters can question lucid dreamers during ongoing dreams and asks whether more extended two-way communication during lucid REM sleep dreaming is feasible.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming | 2019 | Review | |
| Sleep and dreaming are for important matters | 2013 | Review | |
| Nightmare Disorder and Isolated Sleep Paralysis | 2020 | Review | |
| My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? | 2019 | Review | |
| Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part I: Model, Theories, Methodology and Trait Factors | 1996 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Tinnitus, lucid dreaming and awakening. An online survey and theoretical implications. Hearing research March 1, 2025
- Designing the future of consciousness: A components framework and speculative implications International Journal of Human-Computer Studies September 1, 2026
- Distinguishing out-of-body experiences from lucid dreaming: a phenomenological analysis. Frontiers in Psychology September 15, 2025
- Memory, Sleep, Dreams, and Consciousness: A Perspective Based on the Memory Theory of Consciousness. Nature and Science of Sleep August 26, 2025
- Using Eye Movements to Signal the Onset of Self-Induced Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs) Journal of Consciousness Studies April 1, 2025
and 5 more in the library
Cites 7
- 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: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during rem sleep Biological Psychology June 1, 1984
- Smooth tracking of visual targets distinguishes lucid REM sleep dreaming and waking perception from imagination. Nature Communications August 17, 2018
and 2 more in the library