The Antecedents of the Experience of Light in Dreams
Gregory S. Sparrow, Ryan Hurd
Religions October 25, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/rel15101228 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Single subject |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming |
| Keywords | Mystical experiences Dreams Spirituality Light experiences Religious experiences |
| Key findings | Subjective antecedents to the experience of inner light in dreams can be identified through a co-creative, relational analysis of the dreamer's responses. |
Abstract
The experience of inner light and ecstasy is widely accepted as a universal mystical experience, regardless of cultural or religious context. While one can read first-hand accounts in the historical record, the direct experience of light remains elusive for most people. This study analyzes a series of dream-based experiences of light provided by a single subject. In our analysis of 19 dreams, we pursue a process-oriented, relational analysis based on co-creative dream theory, which views the dream as an interactive experience in real time rather than a fixed product of the unconscious mind. By analyzing dreams as relational events, in which the metaphoric content emerges alongside the dreamer’s responses, we see how the dream ego influences the outcome through feelings, choices, and reactions. Through this analysis, we identify an array of subjective antecedents to the experience of light and provide a potential avenue of access to the core mystical experience.
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) |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- A systematic review of new empirical data on lucid dream induction techniques. Journal of Sleep Research June 1, 2023
- The Dream of God: How Do Religion and Science See Lucid Dreaming and Other Conscious States During Sleep? Frontiers in Psychology 2020
- Findings From the International Lucid Dream Induction Study. Frontiers in Psychology 2020
- The Luminous Night of the Soul: The Relationship between Lucid Dreaming and Spirituality International Journal of Transpersonal Studies October 31, 2022
- Reporting dream experience: Why (not) to be skeptical about dream reports. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience November 7, 2013
and 1 more in the library