To Behold the Naked Truth

Anecdotal evidence that lucid dreaming might contribute to mental and physical health has been widely reported in the literature. Empirical research, though, is scarce. A brief questionnaire eliciting self-perceived benefits of lucid dreaming on mental and physical health had been completed by 386 participants who had lucid dream experi-ences. About 90% of the participants reported some benefit of lucid dreams on their waking life including mental and physical health. This benefit was related to higher lucid dream frequency, trait mindfulness, and spirituality. These prom-ising results should encourage researchers to develop a manualized lucid dream therapy and test its effect on physical and mental health in a randomized waiting-list pre-post design. Qualitative research can answer questions regarding the specific mechanisms, i.e., how does lucid dreaming contribute to well-being in waking life in the long run.

Introduction: Nocturnal dreams can be considered as a kind of simulation of the real world on a higher cognitive level (Erlacher & Schredl, 2008). Within lucid dreams, the dreamer is aware of the dream state and thus able to control the ongoing dream content. Previous studies could demonstrate that it is possible to practice motor tasks during lucid dreams and doing so improved performance while awake (Erlacher & Schredl, 2010). Even though lucid dream practice might be a promising kind of cognitive rehearsal in sports, little is known about the characteristics of actions in lucid dreams. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between time in dreams and wakefulness because in an earlier study (Erlacher & Schredl, 2004) we found that performing squads took lucid dreamers 44.5 % more time than in the waking state while for counting the same participants showed no differences between dreaming and wakefulness. To find out if the task modality, the task length or the task complexity require longer times in lucid dreams than in wakefulness three experiments were conducted. Methods: In the first experiment five proficient lucid dreamers spent two to three non-consecutive nights in the sleep laboratory with polysomnographic recording to control for REM sleep and determine eye signals. Participants counted from 1-10, 1-20 and 1-30 in wakefulness and in their lucid dreams. While dreaming they marked onset of lucidity as well as beginning and end of the counting task with a Left-Right-Left-Right eye movement and reported their dreams after being awakened. The same procedure was used for the second experiment with seven lucid dreamers except that they had to walk 10, 20 or 30 steps. In the third experiment nine participants performed an exercise involving gymnastics elements such as various jumps and a roll. To control for length of the task the gymnastic exercise in the waking state lasted about the same time as walking 10 steps. Results: As a general result we found – as in the study before – that performing a task in the lucid dream requires more time than in wakefulness. This tendency was found for all three tasks. However, there was no difference for the task modality (counting vs. motor task). Also the relative time for the different lengths of the tasks showed no difference. And finally, the more complex motor task (gymnastic routine) did not require more time in lucid dreams than the simple motor task. Discussion/Conclusion: The results showed that there is a robust effect of time in lucid dreams compared to wakefulness. The three experiments could not explain that those differences are caused by task modality, task length or task complexity. Therefore further possible candidates needs to be investigated e.g. experience in lucid dreaming or psychological variables.

Nightshift workers are increasing day by day, but many times, people forget the health and sleep effects caused by the nightshift. One such impact is the altered circadian rhythm, which is very important for proper functioning of the body and a good sleep. This altered circadian rhythm can have an impact on waking and sleep life of the nightshift workers. This qualitative study is to find the dream pattern among the nightshift workers and to find the frequency in dreaming among this group. Dreams are the reflections of the waking life and dream patterns are seen among groups sharing similar wake life experiences. This study is conducted with nine nightshift and nine dayshift workers, dream journal was used to collect the dreams from the participants. The frequency of dreaming is seen more among the nightshift workers. The dream patterns among both the groups are similar but there are dreams that make the nightshift group different from the dayshift. The dreams of the nightshift group includes mainly their friends and the feelings of being stuck/in danger. Also, their dreams were more fantastic in nature and have more emotional content. The study shows that sexual dreams are seen majorly among the nightshift group. This finding can be further used to conduct researches on the impact of nightshift on the sexual health and overall well being of nightshift workers and the reflection of the same in their dreams.

In sports practice a well-established method is mental practice which is, for example, applied in elite sports to intensify practice and to offer additional practice sessions when opportunities for physical practice are limited (Erlacher, 2007). It is also used on other areas, such as surgery and music. There is a special way of mentally rehearsing movements without physical activity: in our dreams (Stumbrys, 2014). In so called lucid dreams, the dreamer is consciously aware that he or she is dreaming and can thus decide to carry out actions deliberately (Schredl & Erlacher, 2004). In a survey by Erlacher, Stumbrys, and Schredl (2011–2012) it was shown that within a German sample 9% of all athletes who had lucid dreams used the lucid dream state to practice motor skills, for most of them with a positive impact on physical performance. Furthermore, anecdotal examples and previous qualitative and quantitative research has demonstrated that practicing movements in lucid dreams is possible and could possibly even improve performance in waking life for (overview see e.g. Stumbrys, 2014). However, the effectiveness of lucid dream practice had not yet been studies in a controlled sleep laboratory setting. The aim of this investigation was to further explore the effectiveness of lucid dream practice, and to derive practical implications for athletes. A particular goal was to assess the effectiveness of lucid dream practice using signal verified lucid dreams in a sleep laboratory. Furthermore, an extensive qualitative interview study was intended to explore the potential as well as phenomenal experience and difficulties of lucid dream practice. A similar study was planned for musicians to investigate if lucid dream practice can also be applied in this area. Since a requirement for lucid dream practice is to actually achieve lucidity in the dream state, another goal of this investigation was to test two ways of lucid dream induction by external stimulation. The first chapter of this dissertation gives an introduction into mental practice, including evidence that mental practice can improve physical performance in sport and other areas, such as music education. The second chapter first provides some information on sleep and dreams, followed by characteristics and applications of lucid dreams. Chapter three addresses lucid dream induction. The attached book chapter includes a detailed description and evaluation of induction techniques and discusses research problems. Then a study on lucid dream induction through visual and tactile stimulation is presented (Paper 1). Chapter four contains the most important contributions of this investigation: After introducing lucid dream practice, a sleep laboratory study is outlined which investigated the effectiveness of lucid dream practice using a dart throwing task (Paper 2). Then an extensive qualitative study is presented in which 16 athletes were interviewed about their experiences with lucid dream practice (Paper 3), followed by a smaller pilot study in which the potential of lucid dream practice for musicians was explored (Paper 4). Finally, in the last chapter the findings of all studies are summarized and discussed, deriving implications for both sports practice and future research.

Lucid dreaming (LD) is awareness that one is dreaming, during the dream state. However, some define and assess LD relying also on controlling dream events, although control is present only in a subset of lucid dreams. LD has been claimed to represent well-being, and has even been used as a therapeutic agent. Conversely, LD is associated with mixed sleep-wake states, which are related to bizarre cognitions, stress, and psychopathology, and have been construed as arousal permeating and disrupting sleep. We propose that previous conflicting findings regarding relations between LD and both psychopathology and well-being, stem from the non-differentiated assessment of frequency and control. The present study aimed to develop an expansive measure of several LD characteristics (the Frequency and Intensity Lucid Dream questionnaire; FILD), and explore their relations with symptomatology. Undergraduate students (N = 187) self-reported trait LD, psychopathology (depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, dissociation, and schizotypy), stress, and sleep problems; 2 months later, a subsample (n = 78) reported psychopathology again, and also completed a dream diary each morning for 14 days. Preliminary evidence supports the reliability and validity of the FILD. Items converged into four domains: frequency, intensity (e.g., control, activity, certainty of dreaming), emotional valence, and the use of induction techniques. We report an optimal frequency cutoff score to identify those likely to experience LD within a 2-week period. Whereas LD frequency was unrelated to psychopathology, LD intensity, and positive LD emotions, were inversely associated with several psychopathological symptoms. Use of deliberate induction techniques was positively associated with psychopathology and sleep problems. Additionally, we demonstrated directionality by employing a prospective-longitudinal design, showing that deliberate LD induction predicted an increase in dissociation and schizotypy symptoms across 2 months. We conclude that lucidity should not be considered as necessarily suggestive of well-being; LD may be positive or negative, depending on lucidity characteristics. Additionally, deliberate LD induction may harbor negative long-term risk.

The psychophysiological properties of the lucid dream state were examined to evaluate the relationship between lucid and nonlucid dreaming, emphasizing the fact that the components of self-reflectiveness and other cognitive features commonly associated with lucid dreams occur in all dreams to various extents. Although lucid dreams are clearly toward one end of the continuum, they still share many of the characteristics present in most dreams. In this respect, exploration of lucid dreams may not necessarily be a misguided path toward the understanding of dreaming in general. A simple model was described to illustrate the mind-body relationship in various forms of REM dreaming.

In “What is the state-of-the-art on lucid dreaming? Recent advances and questions for future research”, Ursula Voss and Allan Hobson provide a detailed view of the features characterizing lucid dreaming and put forward four innovative hypotheses to explain why and how lucid dreaming occurs, as well as how lucid dream states are related to other states of consciousness. Their aim is to show that not only is there benefit to studying lucid dreaming in itself, as this would give us a deeper understanding of dream consciousness, but also that it is an important endeavor because of the kind of conscious state lucid dreaming is. To be sure, Voss and Hobson make important in-roads into the empirical study of lucid dreaming that ought to sprout new and exciting research in the area. As I will show, however, there remains much conceptual work to be done. In this commentary I tease out three aspects of Voss and Hobson ’s view that would greatly benefit from philosophical consideration. First, I highlight the lingering confusion with what exactly insight is, and I point to how one might go about clarifying this notion. Second, I argue that our understanding of insight and meta-awareness in lucid dreaming could be greatly increased by looking at how these concepts are used and understood in relation to meditative states. Last, I explore the role of the body in lucid dreaming and argue that one’s bodily awareness in lucid dreams is far more multi-faceted than at it might at first seem.

SummarySleep paralysis and lucid dreaming are both dissociated experiences related to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Anecdotal evidence suggests that episodes of sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming are related but different experiences. In this study we test this claim systematically for the first time in an online survey with 1928 participants (age range: 18–82 years; 53% female). Confirming anecdotal evidence, sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming frequency were related positively and this association was most apparent between lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis episodes featuring vestibular‐motor hallucinations. Dissociative experiences were the only common (positive) predictor of both sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming. Both experiences showed different associations with other key variables of interest: sleep paralysis was predicted by sleep quality, anxiety and life stress, whereas lucid dreaming was predicted by a positive constructive daydreaming style and vividness of sensory imagery. Overall, results suggest that dissociative experiences during wakefulness are reflected in dissociative experiences during REM sleep; while sleep paralysis is related primarily to issues of sleep quality and wellbeing, lucid dreaming may reflect a continuation of greater imaginative capacity and positive imagery in waking states.

The relationship between time in dreams and real time has intrigued scientists for centuries. The question if actions in dreams take the same time as in wakefulness can be tested by using lucid dreams where the dreamer is able to mark time intervals with prearranged eye movements that can be objectively identified in EOG recordings. Previous research showed an equivalence of time for counting in lucid dreams and in wakefulness (LaBerge, 1985; Erlacher and Schredl, 2004), but Erlacher and Schredl (2004) found that performing squats required about 40% more time in lucid dreams than in the waking state. To find out if the task modality, the task length, or the task complexity results in prolonged times in lucid dreams, an experiment with three different conditions was conducted. In the first condition, five proficient lucid dreamers spent one to three non-consecutive nights in the sleep laboratory. Participants counted to 10, 20, and 30 in wakefulness and in their lucid dreams. Lucidity and task intervals were time stamped with left-right-left-right eye movements. The same procedure was used for the second condition where eight lucid dreamers had to walk 10, 20, or 30 steps. In the third condition, eight lucid dreamers performed a gymnastics routine, which in the waking state lasted the same time as walking 10 steps. Again, we found that performing a motor task in a lucid dream requires more time than in wakefulness. Longer durations in the dream state were present for all three tasks, but significant differences were found only for the tasks with motor activity (walking and gymnastics). However, no difference was found for relative times (no disproportional time effects) and a more complex motor task did not result in more prolonged times. Longer durations in lucid dreams might be related to the lack of muscular feedback or slower neural processing during REM sleep. Future studies should explore factors that might be associated with prolonged durations.

Dreaming has fascinated mankind since the dawn of history. This article focuses on the psychologically oriented research which has three major areas of interest: (1) a description of dreams (What do dreams look like?), (2) factors influencing dream content and (3) the effects of dreams on subsequent waking life. The following definition attempts to cover the consensus of the researchers in the field: dream or dream report is the recollection of mental activity which has occurred during A more detailed differentiation between different types of dreams is based on the underlying physiology, e.g. REM dreams, NREM dreams and sleep-onset dreams or content characteristics such as nightmares and lucid dreaming. Next, methodological issues that form the basis of modern dream research like the process of dream recall, methods of collecting dream reports and dream-content analysis, are discussed. Especially for the basic method of psychological dream research, dream-content analysis, reliability and validity issues are addressed in order to allow a proper interpretation of findings in this area. Whereas there are large numbers of studies on the so-called continuity hypothesis (which postulates that dreams are reflecting waking-life experiences), the hypothesis itself remains very imprecise. In order to stimulate future research, a mathematical model describing factors which affect the incorporation rate of waking-life experiences into dreams is presented. These are exponential decrease with time, emotional involvement, type of waking-life experience, interaction between personality traits and incorporation of waking-life events and time of the night (time interval between sleep onset and dream onset). Some of these factors are already supported by studies investigating the effect of pre-sleep experiences, real stress and trauma on dreams. The research investigating the effects of dreams on subsequent waking life is rather scarce. Most often, participants report that dreams affect their daytime mood, especially negatively toned dreams such as nightmares. Therefore, the imagery rehearsal therapy, an easily applicable tool for treating nightmares, is also briefly outlined. Anecdotal evidence and several surveys indicate that dreams stimulate daytime creativity in artists, scientists and normal samples. Future research will focus on specific models describing the continuity between waking and dreaming, the correspondence between physiological parameters during sleep and dream content and the effect of dreams on waking life. The aim of this kind of paradigm is to approach the question whether dreaming serves a function or works independently from the functions of sleep, especially those formulated for REM sleep.

The article examines the phenomenon of lucid dreaming. The author assumes that lucid dreamers share the experiences typical of meditation practice and lucid dreaming is certainly more than becoming ‘awake’ in a dream state. Most lucid dreamers experience in lucid dreams more intense sense of presence, stillness and peace, joy, compassion and love. it is worthwhile mentioning that lucid dreaming is also different from just being mindful in the dream state as well. The most commonly experienced sensations during a lucid dream run as following: desire to control, desire to fly (most commonly experienced), joy, stillness and peace, euphoria, more intense sense of presence (commonly experienced), compassion, and love (quite commonly experienced). This shows lucid dreaming state is different from the state that ‘dream yoga’ or similar states in other religious traditions try to achieve.

The International Journal of Dream Research is reaching its third year. The two issues of 2009 included 13 original papers and one invited essay. These articles covered a large variety of topics like lucid dreaming, dream recall, dream content, nightmares, dreams and psychopathology, and sleep quality. Submissions from all over the world including Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany clearly indicate that our journal is truly international... <br>

Improving motor performance without physical movements might seem counterintuitive, however, decades of research on mental practice have demonstrated its feasibility. The phenomenon of lucid dreaming – i.e. becoming aware of the current dream state during ongoing sleep – bears some resemblance to mental practice: behaviors such as motor tasks can be intentionally simulated with mental imagery. During lucid dreaming, however, the brain generates a highly immersive, VR-like environment and realistic proprioceptive impressions to match the mental practitioner’s needs. In recent years the hypothesis was thus proposed that lucid dreaming can be used to extend motor practice to the sleeping state, thereby improving motor performance during subsequent wakefulness. Here, we examine this hypothesis by exploring the theoretical foundations and efficacy of this inventive approach in sports science and beyond. Experimental studies show promising performance improvements after lucid dreaming motor practice. Similarities have been observed in brain activity, eye movements, muscle activity, and autonomic responses compared to physical practice support the potential of lucid dreaming practice. Surveys show that athlete populations already implement lucid dreaming practice as part of their training. Potential placebo effects and an increase in motivation after lucid dreaming practice in the post-test should be investigated in future studies. Also, some well-known practical challenges of lucid dream research, such as its rarity, lack of proper training, and lack of control over the dream, need to be addressed. Eliminating these limitations will strengthen the potential of this inventive approach and enable lucid dreaming practice to be incorporated into various disciplines in the future.

Mental practice is the cognitive rehearsal of a motor task in the absence of overt physical movement. A different and rather unknown kind of mental rehearsal is practice in lucid dreams. Within lucid dreams, the dreamer is able to control the ongoing dream content and for athletes it is possible to use the dream state to deliberately practice sport skills while physically asleep. In this study, 840 German athletes from various sports were asked about their experience with lucid dreams. About 57% of the athletes stated that they experienced a lucid dream at least once in their lives, 24% are frequent lucid dreamers (having one or more lucid dreams per month), and 9% of the lucid dreamers used this dream state to practice sport skills, and the majority of those athletes had the impression that the rehearsal within the lucid dream improved their performance in wakefulness. The prevalence rate of lucid dreaming in professional athletes is similar as in general population, however the rough estimate of the percentage of lucid dreams compared to all dreams in athletes was found to be nearly twice as high as in general population (14.5% vs. 7.5%). The possibilities of lucid dream practice for professional sports will be discussed.

Dreaming with a Conscious THE MIND FALL THE MIND Exploring the mysterious world of lucid dreams... Mind by Daniel Yang L NREM sleep is characterized by a gradual increase in brain- wave amplitude and a gradual decrease in brainwave fre- ucid dreaming is an old and worldwide practice. Perhaps quency. Generally, higher amplitudes and lower frequencies even you may have experienced the occurrence of waking in brain activity indicate a deeper state of unconsciousness. up, or becoming aware , within a dream? But some individ- REM sleep, also known as the ascending stages, typically uals can purposely become aware while dreaming. Lucid follows NREM sleep, and is characterized by brain activity dreamers often report a state of conscious-like awareness and similar to that of the descending stages in which high fre- having the capability to control their actions within their quencies and low amplitudes are observed. In a typical night, dreams. Some advanced lucid dreamers are even capable of the stages will occur in a cyclical ascending and descending changing the dream situation at will. But perhaps, since only manner, with each cycle lasting around ninety minutes. Dr. a minority of the population experiences lucidity while Vedfelt, president of the Institute of Integrated dreaming, lucid dreaming has often been overlooked as a sci- Psychotherapy in Denmark, describes one's physiological entific phenomenon. In particular, lucid dreams are often behavior during REM sleep, and presumably, during dream likened to, in terms strongly evocative of mysticism, a wis- states: Brain activity is high and closely approximates the wak- dom dream, astral projection, [or] and out-of-body experi- ing state in alarm and anxiety. Moreover, REM sleep is ence by the general public (Vedfelt 1999). However, many psychologists and researchers strongly reject a mystical accompanied by a particular neurophysiological pattern. notion of lucid dreaming and have recently, within the past Heart rhythm, pulse, blood pressure, and respiration are century, begun to study dreams in scientific experiments. irregular. The muscles of the body are more relaxed than in Despite the lack of general public acknowledgement, lucid other forms of sleep; the muscles of the head and neck lose nearly all tension, while small muscles in dreaming is a real and experimentally the face and fingers now and then make analyzable experience; it can be rapid movement (Vedfelt 1999). achieved through mindful practice and- Lucid vs. Normal Dreaming as more is understood about the subject- Continuing the discourse of lucid may have very positive effects on one's dreaming as a neurobiological process, psyche. the question then presents itself: can lucid Understanding Dream States dreaming be considered within the same To understand lucid dreaming as a context as an ordinary dream? While real biological phenomenon, it is neces- there is evidence that lucid dreaming, as sary to begin with a discussion of sleep with ordinary dreaming, occurs during and dreaming in more general terms. the REM phases of sleep, there are con- Research has suggested that both normal siderable differences. One such difference and lucid dreaming occurs during REM between lucid and ordinary dreams is that (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. But, there in the lucid state, the dreamer retains are more stages of sleep than just the much of his 'conscious' and 'executive' REM phase. As one drifts out of con- functions, whereas an ordinary dream is sciousness, one enters the descending often used by psychother- marked by a loss of such capabilities. For stage, in which brainwave activity is Lucid dreams are nightmares. Here, Henry apists to cure low in amplitude and high in frequency. Fuseli's presents a dramatic representation example, in a lucid dream, one may be aware that he or she is dreaming, and he of a nightmare in his suitably titled 1781 As sleep progresses, a dreamless stage painting, The Nightmare. or she can consciously make decisions as or NREM (non-REM) sleep occurs. http://wehner.org/addison/canine/cortisol.gif