Placebo without deception: Psychoactive drug intake in lucid dreaming and its effect upon awakening
Michael Raduga, Zhanna Zhunusova, Andrey Shashkov, Artur Brauns
PsyArXiv February 7, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/phzyg (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 190 |
| Population | Volunteers who experience lucid dreams, recruited online; 104 in the alcohol experiment and 86 in the psychoactive substances experiment |
| Interventions | Alcohol Psychoactive substances |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Key findings | Across two online experiments, 58% of volunteers in both groups reported feeling an effect of alcohol or psychoactive substances consumed during a lucid dream, and 21% reported transferring at least part of that effect into wakefulness. Psychoactive substances were more likely than alcohol to maintain an effect upon awakening. The authors argue that sensory and emotional perceptions of substance intake can occur independently of physiology, possibly via hypnopompic hallucination. |
Abstract
Objective. People experience lucid dreaming (LD) with different emotions and perceptions that can have psychophysiological consequences upon waking. To study the placebo without a deception effect, we tested how psychoactive drug intake during LDs affects perceptions in dreams and after waking.Method. Through two online experiments, we instructed volunteers to consume alcohol (N = 104) and psychoactive substances (N = 86) while in an LD and then wake up to assess the results. Results. For both groups, 58% of the volunteers felt an effect of psychoactive drugs while in an LD, and 21% were able to transfer these effects into wakefulness, at least partially. Psychoactive substances were more likely to maintain their effect upon awakening than alcohol (p = .002).Discussion. The results show that the sensory and emotional neurons responsible for perceptions of alcohol and drug intake can fire independently from physiology. The transfer of these effects to wakefulness could be possible due to hypnopompic hallucination. Probably, the type of alcohol or drug consumed, as well as the intake method, were important factors . The outcomes of our study contribute to the overall understanding of the psychophysiological correlations between LD and wakefulness and its possible applications in health treatments.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-Level Control in Lucid Dreams Adults who experience at least one lucid dream per year | 2020 | Qualitative study | n = 107 |
| Dreamers as agents making strategizing efforts exemplify core aggregate of executive function in non-lucid dreaming Archived cross-cultural dreams | 2012 | Qualitative study using grounded theory | |
| Lucid music – A pilot study exploring the experiences and potential of music-making in lucid dreams. Musicians who reported lucid dreams involving playing instruments and singing | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 5 |
| Exploring the range of reported dream lucidity Participants who implemented mnemonic training lucid dream induction methods at home | 2021 | Observational study with qualitative component | |
| Methods of Exploring Transpersonal Lucid Dreams: Ineffability and Creative Consciousness | 2020 | Mixed methods (quantitative, phenomenological, art-based inquiry) |