Combining presleep cognitive training and REM-sleep stimulation in a laboratory morning nap for lucid dream induction.
Michelle Carr, Karen R Konkoly, Remington Mallett, Christopher J. Edwards, Kristoffer Appel, Mark Blagrove
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice April 13, 2020 DOI: 10.1037/cns0000227 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled laboratory experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants who came to the laboratory for a nap session at 7:30 am or 11:00 am, including some who had never previously experienced a lucid dream |
| Intervention | Targeted Lucidity Reactivation protocol |
| Duration | 20-minute pre-sleep cueing period followed by a 90-minute nap opportunity |
| Measures | Signal-verified lucid dreams (SVLDs) via the LR Signal (looking left and right four times) |
| Topics | Lucid dreaming |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key findings | Pairing pre-sleep cognitive training with audio and visual cues re-presented during REM sleep induced signal-verified lucid dreams in 50% of participants, versus 17% in a control group not cued during sleep. Three successful participants had never before experienced a lucid dream, which the authors suggest indicates the protocol may be effective across the general population. |
Abstract
Previous experiments combining cognitive techniques and sleep disruption have been relatively successful in inducing at-home lucid dreams over training periods of 1-week or more.Here, we induce lucid dreams in a single laboratory nap session by pairing cognitive training with external stimulation.Participants came to the laboratory at 7:30 am or 11:00 am and during polysomnography setup were provided with information about lucid dreaming.For twenty minutes prior to sleep the experimenter played alternating audio and visual cues at 1minute intervals.Participants were instructed to practice a mental state of critical selfawareness, observing their thoughts and experiences each time they noticed a cue.This procedure associated the cues with the trained mental state.Subsequently, participants were allowed 90 minutes to nap, and the audio and visual cues were re-presented during REM sleep to activate self-awareness in dreams and elicit lucidity.A control group followed the same procedure but was not cued during sleep.All participants were instructed to signal their lucidity by looking left and right four times (LR Signal).Signal-verified lucid dreams (SVLDs) qualified as dreams in which the LR signal was observed and the participant reported becoming lucid.Across the two nap times, this protocol induced SVLDs in 50% of participants.In the absence of cueing during sleep, participant SVLD rate was 17%.Of note, three successful participants had never before experienced a lucid dream, suggesting this protocol may be effective across the general population.Implications of this Targeted Lucidity Reactivation protocol for nightmare treatment are discussed.
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 |
| Dream lucidity is associated with positive waking mood. Adults practicing lucid dream induction techniques | 2020 | Experimental | n = 20 |