Lucid and Liminal Dreaming for Creative Writing: Interdisciplinary Investigations and Experiments
Laura Roklicer
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed methods: reanalysis, unstructured interviews, two experimental interventions |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 97 |
| Population | Writers (fiction and poetry) |
| Interventions | liminal and lucid dreaming induction techniques combined with creative techniques for dreamwork in fiction and poetry writing |
| Duration | 8-week online intervention (Study 3), 6-week in-person intervention with weekly workshops and sleep lab experiments (Study 4) |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming Dreaming |
| Keywords | Liminality Creative writing Visual arts Cognitive science Aesthetics Epistemology |
| Key findings | Dreams can serve as a cognitive tool for creative writing, enabling unique associative thinking that leads to creative idea generation and problem solving. |
Abstract
This research aims to enhance creative writing practices through dream-focused interventions. It combines the fields of psychology, aesthetics, and creative writing, and consists of four studies. Study 1 reanalysed Naomi Epel’s interviews with 26 writers, demonstrating how non-lucid dreams contribute to idea generation, creative problem-solving, and writing processes. Study 2 was an unstructured interview study, which expanded these findings through interviews with 26 writers, investigating the unique benefits of utilising liminal and lucid dreaming in creative writing. The final two studies were experimental and consisted of teaching writers liminal and lucid dreaming induction techniques, combined with creative techniques for dreamwork in fiction and poetry writing. These two studies compared short stories and poetry written before and after such interventions to examine their effects. Study 3 (n = 29) involved an 8-week intervention that took place online to examine how lucid and non-lucid dreaming practice may enhance the writing process for fiction, focusing on symbolism, emotional expression, worldbuilding, character development, and plot development. Study 4 (n = 16) consisted of a 6-week in-person intervention with weekly workshops, combined with sleep lab experiments, to explore the impact of liminal, lucid, and non-lucid dreams, N1 sleep hypnagogic experiences, and targeted dream incubation on poetic creativity. The findings of the four studies support the hypothesis that dreams can serve as a cognitive tool for creative writing, enabling unique associative thinking that leads to creative idea generation and problem solving. The research concludes with an updated Hayes and Flower Cognitive Process Theory of Writing incorporating dream-driven processes, and proposes a new model based on these findings, titled The Dream-Inspired Model of Creative Writing (DICW). The thesis concludes with recommendations to writers for how they can utilise dreams for writing and creativity.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on 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 |
| Incorporation of concern- and nonconcern-related verbal stimuli into dream content. Seven male subjects studied during sleep Stages 2 and REM | 1981 | Experimental study | n = 7 |
| 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 | |
| The Dream Catcher experiment: blinded analyses failed to detect markers of dreaming consciousness in EEG spectral power. Human participants during sleep | 2020 | Experimental study with blinded classification | n = 9 |
Citations in the library
Cites 37
- Advances in Consciousness Research Advances in Consciousness Research December 16, 2013
- Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2006
- The threat simulation theory in light of recent empirical evidence: A review The American Journal of Psychology April 1, 2009
- Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey The American Journal of Psychology April 21, 2014
and 32 more in the library