Cognitive Neuroscience of Conscious Dreaming: Investigating Methodological Approaches to Detect Dream Lucidity in Sleep Studies

Background: It is uncommon for dreamers to be aware of their dreaming status while being inside their own dream. Yet, it is possible to become mindful and conscious of the fact that one is dreaming. This fairly rare phenomenon is called lucid dreaming. Cognitive functions are preserved while sleeping, and in the case of trained and experienced lucid dreamers, this also permits them to manage and influence their own dream environment, characters present, own actions, and the progression and plot of the dream itself. The neuroscience of lucid dreaming is novel but started to gain interest across a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary fields, including neurology, psychotherapy, philosophy, and sports sciences. Aim of the Study: To evaluate approaches currently practiced during dream lucidity sleep experiments, as well as to suggest new methodologies and protocols that can be adopted to detect the emergence of self-awareness during sleep.

Materials and Methods: Analysis and evaluation of some of the existing methods was performed and combined with their own methodological and theoretical insights. Analysed were selected sleep studies and medical literature.

Results: Neuroimaging employing electroencephalography, electrooculogram and sleep polysomnography simultaneously can be effective in objectively measuring and validating dream lucidity. Agreed-upon sequence patterns involving a left-right-left-right eye movement as a cue from a lucid dreamer signaling, they have entered an awareness state in parallel with polysomnography data can be effectively employed.

Conclusion: Further studies are vital for investigating the clinical and non-clinical applications of lucid dreaming. Dream lucidity, becoming conscious of dreaming while dreaming, might be therapeutically beneficial in various biological and psychological applications, including as a therapy for nightmares or narcolepsy. Diagnostic indications of emerging self-awareness based on more accurate neuroimaging protocols could also be therapeutically applicable to conditions like anaesthesia awareness and locked-in syndrome.