A person who is having lucid dreams is conscious that they are dreaming yet refuses to wake up. Certain individuals are more prone to “ lucid dream control” than others, although studies have shown that this is not always the case.
Some people further characterise these events as dreams in which the sleeper has power over various parts of their surroundings. Despite a great deal of research, there is still much to learn about lucid dreaming.
What is Lucid Dreaming?
According to some experts, the emergence of lucid dreams is connected to activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. People who have non-lucid dreams are aware of the things and happenings in their dream world, but they are unaware of the dream itself and are unable to discriminate between dreaming and waking. A portion of this has been linked to decreased cortical activation.
In contrast, lucid dreams are conscious of their dream and, in some situations, have power over their environment.
These traits have been connected in several studies to increased brain activity. Prefrontal brain activity levels during lucid dreaming are similar to levels during wakefulness in sleepers seen during lucid dream investigations. Because of this, lucid dreaming might be described as a “hybrid sleep-wake state”.
How does Lucid Dreaming happen?
While typical dreams can happen at many phases of the sleep cycle, research indicates that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is when most lucid dreams happen. Non-raped eye moment (NREM) sleep makes up the first three phases of a typical sleep cycle, with REM sleep being the fourth and final stage.
Today’s academics generally agree that non-lucid dreams that occur during REM sleep state are the precursors to lucid dreams. In this way, there are several ways to induce lucidity, which is a feature of dreams.
Unplanned lucid dreams are common and hard to predict. Researchers usually use several techniques to produce lucid dreams to examine three occurrences. Using a device called an electroencephalogram (EEG), in which metal discs are connected to the patient’s scalp; researchers may assess activity labels in the prefrontal cortex and outer parts of the brain once the person has fallen asleep.
When a participant enters REM sleep, eye movements can also be tracked with an electrooculogram (EOG). In certain research projects, participants are instructed to produce particular eye movements in their sleep as a means of identifying lucid dreams. EOGs are quite useful in identifying these motions.
Self-induced lucid dreams have become more and more common in the last several years. The most popular causes of lucid dreaming include desire fulfilment, facing and conquering anxieties, and healing.
Studies have also demonstrated a connection between lucid dreaming and overcoming the anxiety and panic brought on by nightmares.
Related: Can You Manifest With Your Dreams?
Lucid Dreaming and Mental Health
Regarding whether lucid dream induction is good or bad for mental health, there is a lot of disagreement. Intentionally blurring the boundaries between reality and dreams, as some academic content, can have detrimental effects on an individual’s long-term mental health when lucid dreams are experienced.
Some populations, such those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, have demonstrated that lucid-dream treatment is essentially ineffectual for them. Another issue raised by some studies about lucid dreams is that they may interfere with sleep.
It has been proposed that lucid dreams may impair sleep hygiene and reduce the quality of sleep as they are linked to increased brain activity.
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Furthermore, lucid dreams are more common in those who have narcolepsy, a sleep disease marked by extreme daytime drowsiness and uncontrollable sleep bouts. The research on lucid dreams is still in its infancy and needs much more work.
To fully comprehend these kinds of dreams and determine the reason for some people’s inclination toward more frequent and vivid lucid dreams, additional study is required.
Tips to Lucid Dream
- Evaluate the Reality: Engage in “reality testing” by periodically examining your surroundings to determine if you are awake or asleep. Even if the surroundings in a dream seem familiar, they will be distorted and inconsistent with reality. You may learn to test your reality in dreams by practising these reality checks many times a day.
- Maintain Dream Register: Summarise your dreams in a notebook by writing down whatever memories you have of them each morning. To capture your dream recollections, you may also utilise a voice recorder. Having thorough documentation might help you identify dreams more quickly after you have fallen asleep, which can lead to lucid dreams.
- Power of Suggestion: Some individuals may effectively bring on lucid dreams by persuading themselves that they will occur when they go to sleep.You should have the belief in mind that you will bring the desired dream.
Conclusion
Lucid dreaming is the state in which you are aware that you are dreaming. You often have control over the storyline and location of your dreams. It occurs during REM sleep. When used in treatment, lucid dreaming can help you cure PTSD and other conditions, including repeated nightmares.
Researchers also suggest that it could be beneficial for physical rehabilitation. Try using the techniques listed above to help you achieve lucid dreams. By employing these methods, you may train your mind to become attentive to your sleep.
It is advised that you see a physician if you think you might have PTSD, a sleep condition or any other mental health problem.
