Lucid dreams from reactivating breath-counting during REM sleep
Norah Wolk, Daniel J Morris, Yasmeen Nahas, Karen R Konkoly, Michelle Carr, Ken A Paller, Remington Mallett
PsyArXiv July 14, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/74kfg (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preliminary experimental study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Five human participants undergoing monitored sleep in a laboratory |
| Intervention | wake-back-to-bed procedure |
| Duration | After approximately 5 hours of sleep, participants were awakened, then returned to sleep; cues replayed upon reaching REM sleep |
| Measures | polysomnography, electro-ocular eye signaling |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming |
| Key findings | Replaying mindfulness-associated music cues during REM sleep after a breath-counting task induced signal-verified lucid dreams in two of five participants. The authors argue this induction rate approaches that of recent full-scale investigations, but caution that additional evidence is needed to substantiate these initial results, suggesting mindfulness-associated sensory stimulation in REM sleep has high potential value for promoting lucid dreaming. |
Abstract
People typically become aware that a dream was “just a dream” only after awakening. Alternatively, people can become aware that they are dreaming during the dream. These lucid dreams are thought to involve increased prefrontal cortex activity relative to non-lucid dreams, and they are associated with volitional control over dream content. Lucid dreams could be valuable for many purposes, such as part of a therapy for nightmares. Yet, the long-standing challenge of inducing lucid dreams in the laboratory has limited research on such applications. Recent studies made progress in showing that memory reactivation during an early-morning nap can induce lucid dreams. Here, we propose that reactivating mindfulness during REM sleep can also be an effective strategy for inducing lucid dreams. Preliminary results and a brief literature review support this notion. Participants (N = 5) underwent a wake-back-to-bed procedure with standard polysomnography to track sleep stages and verify lucid dreams with electro-ocular eye signaling. After approximately 5 hours of sleep, participants were awakened to complete a breath-counting task while ambient music cues played in the background. When participants returned to sleep and reached REM sleep, cues were replayed to reactivate the task context. This procedure induced signal-verified lucid dreams in two participants. This rate of induction success approached that of recent full-scale investigations, though additional evidence will be needed to substantiate these initial results. Nevertheless, the present findings suggest that mindfulness-associated sensory stimulation in REM sleep has high potential value for promoting lucid dreaming.
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
Cites 13
- A mind you can count on: validating breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness Frontiers in Psychology October 24, 2014
- 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 incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research Consciousness and Cognition June 20, 2016
- Combining presleep cognitive training and REM-sleep stimulation in a laboratory morning nap for lucid dream induction. Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice April 13, 2020
and 8 more in the library