The Science Behind the Fantasy

Technology and its relationship with lucid dreaming is ever increasing. As more research is conducted connecting the two, it becomes clear that lucid dreaming may someday become an activity that anyone can partake in. For example, a Frankfurt University study has recently discovered a form of electronic brain stimulation that can increase the odds of lucid dreams by up to 77%. Supposedly, 27 subjects woke up after their brains were electrified with patterns during their sleep to report that they realized they were dreaming while still asleep! The experiment, "Induction of self awareness in dreams through frontal low current stimulation of gamma activity", details the full design of the tests and is an exciting example of how science can help people reach their goal of lucid dreaming.

Exciting new research is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the evolving culture of lucid dreaming. Companies are also beginning to sell devices that reportedly induce lucidity in dreams and pill supplements that increase the odds of a successful lucid dreaming experience. The success of these various products on the market are not solidified, so it is hard to tell if they actually work or are merely a scam.

Specifically, companies like Foc.us utilize the same arguments I have used before when discussing the benefits of lucid dreaming. The ideas of solving real life problems, exploring a unique new world, and experiencing a magical feeling is advertised as the primary reasons to buy products that supposedly increase lucid dreaming. Regardless of whether the products work in the way they are advertised, the claimed benefits are in alignment with my own observations about the practice.

While the increased interest in lucid dreaming is exciting, one idea is absent from discussion within these experiments and online retailers. In my opinion, the experiments and products being sold may not actually increase lucid dreaming, but the mere idea of thinking about it may increase someone's success rate. For example, the participants in the brain stimulation experiment knew they were subjects in a sleep study and thus may become more subconsciously aware while asleep. Similarly, purchasing products to increase lucid dreaming may only work because cognitive recognition is required to understand what purchase is meant to accomplish. In other words, I suspect that the experiments and market products may act as a subconscious placebo when it comes to increasing the frequency of lucid dreams.

Hopefully all this scientific buzz about lucid dreaming has you excited to keep practicing this week. Just think, merely reading this post could help you make a lucid realization during your slumber because it requires you to think about the activity! Next week, I plan to talk about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can impact your ability to lucid dream as well as how lucid dreaming can help decrease symptoms of insomnia.

Image Credits (in order of appearance):

Image provided by Amy

Image provided by Fabio Hofnik