Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep
Stephen P. La Berge, Lynn E. Nagel, William C. Dement, Vincent P. Zarcone
Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1981 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1981.52.3.727 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Selected subjects proficient in lucid dreaming |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Citations | 237 |
| Key findings | Lucid dreaming was verified in five subjects who signaled awareness of dreaming during REM sleep, enabling a new approach to dream research. |
Abstract
SUMMARY: The occurrence of lucid dreaming (dreaming while being conscious that one is dreaming) has been verified for 5 selected subjects who signaled that they knew they were dreaming while continuing to dream during unequivocal REM sleep. The signals consisted of particular dream actions having observable concomitants and were performed in accordance with pre-sleep agreement. The ability of proficient lucid dreamers to signal in this manner makes possible a new approach to dream research--such subjects, while lucid, could carry out diverse dream experiments marking the exact time of particular dream events, allowing derivation of of precise psychophysiological correlations and methodical testing of hypotheses.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for 2 syntheses in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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State of the evidence: Dreaming Supports
Five subjects signaled awareness of dreaming with pre-agreed eye movements during unequivocal REM sleep, verifying lucid dreaming and enabling timed dream experiments.
Synthesized
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Five subjects signaled awareness of dreaming via pre-agreed dream actions during unequivocal REM sleep, verifying lucid dreaming.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Dream lucidity is associated with positive waking mood. Adults practicing lucid dream induction techniques | 2020 | Experimental | n = 20 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 125
- Neural Correlates of Dream Lucidity Obtained from Contrasting Lucid versus Non-Lucid REM Sleep: A Combined EEG/fMRI Case Study Sleep June 29, 2012
- The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 14, 2019
- Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2006
- Consciousness, dreams and virtual realities Philosophical Psychology 1995
- Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Current Biology April 12, 2021
and 120 more in the library