Key Concepts in Dream Research: Cognition and Consciousness Are Inherently Linked, but Do No Not Control "Control"!

Caroline L Horton

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2020.00259

Abstract

Whilst lucid dreaming (LD) is defined as being aware of dreaming whilst dreaming, a misconception exists in the public domain as a referral to controlling dream content and plot (Neuhausler et al., 2018). This misconception reflects a number of widely-held beliefs about the nature of dreaming, which in part this commentary will seek to explain and rectify. Furthermore, the aim of this piece is to suggest definitions of key concepts in the study of lucid and non-lucid dreaming concerning control, cognition, and consciousness. Whilst superficially there seems overlap between each of these, independent processes, and associated experiences underpin them.

Highlights

Whilst lucid dreaming (LD) is defined as being aware of dreaming whilst dreaming, a misconception exists in the public domain as a referral to controlling dream content and plot (Neuhäusler et al, 2018)
Some scholars use “REM” sleep and “dreaming” synonymously (e.g., Walker, 2009), recognizing that the majority of spontaneously recalled dream reports emerge from REM sleep, and that REM sleep provides the conditions most typical of dreams, such as bizarreness, clearer dream recall, emotionality and, likely, hyperassociativity (Horton and Malinowski, 2015; Malinowski and Horton, 2015; Horton, 2017), in which several distinct memory sources and images can be simultaneously experienced
Several studies aimed to achieve this, rather than studying the mere presence of lucidity in more naturalistic or opportunistic settings. Such studies confuse the concepts of lucidity and control, with the former being more likely to occur naturally, and the latter being rare and artificial experiences. As such scholars should be cautious about inferring the nature of consciousness and/or cognition from artificial control-induction techniques, as this likely differs from the profile of mental content emerging from experiences of lucidity

Summary

Introduction

Whilst lucid dreaming (LD) is defined as being aware of dreaming whilst dreaming, a misconception exists in the public domain as a referral to controlling dream content and plot (Neuhäusler et al, 2018). These processing capacities are notoriously difficult to study at any time, during sleep or wake, as some are so speedy they are automatic and operate beyond conscious awareness (see the use of the term “offline processing” insofar as describing nonconscious cognitive activity, e.g., Wamsley, 2014).

Results

Conclusion