Targeted dream incubation at sleep onset can influence later dream content in REM sleep: a pilot study
Adam Haar Horowitz, Karen R Konkoly, Michelle Carr, Robert Stickgold, Pattie Maes
Frontiers in Sleep June 24, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/frsle.2026.1812535 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 11 |
| Population | Participants undergoing a daytime nap following TDI at sleep onset |
| Duration | Daytime nap opportunity with serial awakenings at sleep onset and after REM sleep entry |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming Dreaming |
| Keywords | Sleep system call Sleep onset Nap Audiology Slow-wave sleep Theme computing Content measure theory Presentation obstetrics Eye movement Sleep diary |
| Key points | Targeted dream incubation at sleep onset can affect dream content in subsequent REM sleep, with 50% of participants incorporating the target theme into their first REM dream. |
Abstract
Targeted dream incubation (TDI) is a highly effective method for eliciting hypnagogic dreams related to specific topics through the presentation of verbal prompts and serial awakenings at sleep onset. In this pilot study, we tested whether TDI at sleep onset can effectively direct dream content in subsequent rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We allowed participants a daytime nap opportunity following TDI at sleep onset. Serial awakenings were performed both at sleep onset and after entry into REM sleep. Our primary objective was to assess whether the TDI protocol during the sleep onset period would continue to affect dream content in REM sleep, producing dreams of the target content ("tree") in the first REM awakening. Our second objective was to assess incorporation when participants received additional TDI prompts following REM awakenings. All 11 participants successfully incubated the target theme at sleep onset, and eight subsequently obtained REM sleep. Four of these participants (50%) incorporated the target theme into their first REM dream, and five incorporated the target theme in subsequent REM dreams (63%). Results provide preliminary evidence that TDI may impact dreams in REM sleep. This method of engineering dreams across sleep stages may be useful for understanding how dream generation and function may be continuous or different across sleep stages.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A combined group treatment for nightmares and insomnia in combat veterans: A pilot study Combat veterans with PTSD | 2009 | Open clinical trial | n = 10 |
| Cognitions in Sleep: Lucid Dreaming as an Intervention for Nightmares in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2020 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Managing Insomnia Using Lucid Dreaming Training: A Pilot Study. Adults with Insomnia Disorder | 2021 | Open-label trial | n = 48 |
| Dream content and political ideology. U.S. adults who identified as members of the political right or political left (28 per... | 2002 | Pilot study | n = 56 |
| Imagery rehearsal therapy for the treatment of nightmares in individuals with borderline personality disorder – A pilot study Individuals with borderline personality disorder | 2024 | Between-subjects design, pilot study | n = 44 |
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Current Biology April 12, 2021
- Microdream neurophenomenology. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2017
- Targeted dream incubation at sleep onset increases post-sleep creative performance Scientific Reports May 15, 2023
- Dreaming of the sleep lab PLoS One October 6, 2021
- Portable Devices to Induce Lucid Dreams—Are They Reliable? Frontiers in Neuroscience May 8, 2019
and 11 more in the library