Achieving hypothermia in lucid dreams and transferring it into wakefulness
Andrey Shashkov, Michael Raduga, Zhanna Zhunusova
PsyArXiv February 17, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/u6xyz (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Online experiment |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 92 |
| Population | Volunteers recruited for an online experiment on lucid dreaming |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming |
| Key findings | Eighty-eight percent of 92 volunteers reported experiencing hypothermia during a lucid dream, and 36% of those reported that the sensation transferred to wakefulness, though only briefly. The authors propose that this transfer is mostly explained by hypnopompic hallucination. |
Abstract
Objective. Lucid dreams (LDs) are dreams in which people are aware of the unreality of the events taking place and can influence the plot. People can experience lucid dreaming either intentionally or unintentionally and can experience different emotions and perceptions that can lead to psychophysiological consequences upon waking. In this study, we investigated the possibility of achieving hypothermia during LDs and its traces after waking.Method. Through an online experiment, we instructed 92 volunteers to achieve hypothermia while in an LD and then check whether the effect achieved in an LD remained after awakening. If the hypothermia remained, participants reported how long it lasted.Results. Of the volunteers, 88% experienced hypothermia while dreaming – of these participants, 36% were able to transfer hypothermia into wakefulness, though for only a short period.Discussion. We suggest that transferring hypothermia from an LD to wakefulness is mostly possible due to hypnopompic hallucination. The outcomes of our research contribute to the psychophysiological correlations between LDs and wakefulness, their theoretical applications in health treatment, and the nature of lucid dreaming and hypnopompic hallucinations.
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 12
- Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Sleep September 1, 2009
- 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 as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? Frontiers in Psychology 2019
and 7 more in the library