Lucid Dream - Represents Reality With Fiction
When having lucid dreams, the dreamer is awake and conscious yet refuses to awaken. Studies have shown that this is not always the case and that some people are more susceptible to "lucid dream control" than others. Some people further characterize these occurrences as dreams in which the sleeper may exert influence over various parts of their surroundings.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuSep 18, 202211 Shares293 Views
When having lucid dreams, the dreamer is awake and conscious yet refuses to awaken. Studies have shown that this is not always the case and that some people are more susceptible to "lucid dreamcontrol" than others.
Some people further characterize these occurrences as dreams in which the sleeper may exert influence over various parts of their surroundings.
Lucid dreams may be detrimental to mental healthsince they can interfere with sleep and cause dreamers to confuse reality with fiction.
A History Of Lucid Dreaming
In Eastern religious traditions, particularly Buddhism, awareness of dream states while they are occurring plays a role.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle provided the earliest description of a lucid dream in writing. In his essay On Dreams, he spoke about coming to a state of awareness of his dreaming state.
Even though lucid dreaming was first seen and documented thousands of years ago, official scientific investigation of the phenomenon did not start until the nineteenth century. Researchers have only recently used unbiased scientific techniques to investigate what occurs during a lucid dream.
The electrooculogram(EOG), which could be used to detect a predetermined set of eye movements to signify consciousness, was developed as a result of research conducted in the 1960s and 1970s that revealed that lucid dreams were connected to REM sleep.
Research on the changes in brain activity during lucid dreaming has expanded as a result of the advent of technologysuch as the electroencephalogram (EEG) and other instruments that enable researchers to examine more carefully what is occurring within the brain during sleep.
The Prevalence Of Lucid Dreaming
How many people dream lucidly? How often do they encounter them? Although many people claim to have experienced lucid dreams at least once, research reveals that they are generally not very common. However, it seems to be very unusual to regularly have lucid dreams.
In their lifetimes, around half of all people will have at least one lucid dream. One lucid dream occurs in about 23% of people each month. However, just 11% of people claim to have experienced two or more lucid dreams in a single month.
According to the findings of one study, lucid dreaming may become less frequent as people grow older and are more common in women.
Dangers Of Lucid Dream
Although additional study is required, some professionals believe lucid dreaming could have unfavorable effects.
Sleep disruption and mental healthproblems are the possible risks of lucid dreaming that are the most worrisome.
Disrupted Sleep Lucid Dreams
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is when lucid dreaming typically happens. However, lucid and non-lucid REM sleep have different characteristics.
According to preliminary research, lucid dreams have atypical brain activity patterns that combine aspects of awake and sleep. In this sense, lucid dreaming may be thought of as a mix of different types of awareness.
Researchers issue a warning that this may obstruct procedures that ordinarily take place during REM sleep, particularly memory consolidation and emotional control.
If being more "alert" during your dreams causes sleep to be less peaceful, additional study is required to answer this question.
More lucid dreaming has been linked in some studies to poorer sleep quality, but a closer study indicated that the association was not significant when nightmares were taken into consideration.
Instead of lucid dreaming directly interfering with sleep, people who are more prone to experiencing lucid dreams may also be more likely to experience nightmares that keep them up at night.
People often feel more rested when they wake up after lucid dreams. The only catch was that if participants were unable to catch up on missed sleep after being awakened to encourage lucid dreaming, they felt less rested in the morning.
How Do Lucid Dreams Work?
Despite substantial research, there is still much to learn about lucid dreaming. According to some experts, the emergence of lucid dreams is correlated with activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
Non-lucid dreams occur when a person is aware of things and occurrences inside the dream state but is unaware that they are dreaming and is unable to tell the difference between being awake and sleeping. Lower cortical activity has been partially blamed for this.
Lucid dreams are distinct from other types of dreams because the dreamer is conscious of their surroundings and, in some instances, has influence over them. These traits have been connected by some research to increased brain activity.
Prefrontal brain activity levels during lucid dreaming are equivalent to those when a person is awake among sleepers who have been studied during lucid dream investigations. This is why lucid dreaming is sometimes called a hybrid sleep-wake state.
The majority of lucid dreaming, according to research, happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, even though regular dreams can happen at various periods of the sleep cycle.
The fourth and last stage of a typical sleep cycle is REM sleep; the first three phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
Today's experts generally agree that non-lucid dreams experienced during the REM sleep period serve as the ancestor of lucid dreams. In this regard, lucidity is a feature of dreams that may be induced in several ways.
How Lucid Dreams Are Studied?
Random lucid dreams are uncommon and hard to predict. Researchers usually produce lucid dreams using various techniques to examine these occurrences. Among the most popular methods are the following:
Reality Testing
Participants in this approach must complete exams all day long that distinguish between sleep and wakefulness.
For instance, if a participant asks themselves whether they are dreaming during the day, the ability to respond affirms that they are awake because self-awareness is not possible in non-lucid dreams.
The idea behind reality testing is that after many tests, the individual will become lucid and be able to tell the difference between awake and dreaming.
Mnemonic Induction Of Lucid Dreams (Mild)
This method entails teaching oneself to distinguish between dreams and reality while they are sleeping.
By waking up people after five hours of sleep, researchers will use the MILD approach to create lucid dreams in their subjects.
WBTB Return To Bed
This method, which involves getting up in the middle of the night and then going back to sleep after a specified amount of time has elapsed, can help some individuals create lucid dreams. WBTB and the MILD method are frequently combined.
The best window of time between waking up and falling back asleep appears to be between 30 and 120 minutes when these two techniques are combined.
External Stimulation
Flashing lights and other stimuli that are activated when the person is in REM sleep are used in this approach. The theory behind this technique is that the sleeper would assimilate these inputs into dreams, leading to clarity.
In other experiments, lucid dreams have also been induced by utilizing specific medications and dietary supplements.
When a patient is asleep, scientists can use an electroencephalogram (EEG) machine, which involves attaching metal discs to the individual's scalp, to detect levels of activity in the prefrontal cortex and other regions of the brain.
When an individual enters REM sleep, it may be possible to time it using an electrooculogram (EOG), which tracks eye movements.
In certain studies, participants are instructed to display particular eye movements while they are asleep to indicate they are having a lucid dream. The best tools for spotting these movements are EOGs.
Are Lucid Dreams Good Or Bad For You?
Self-induced lucid dreams have become more and more common in recent years. Wish fulfillment, facing anxieties, and healing are among the most frequent causes of lucid dreams.
Studies have also suggested a connection between lucid dreaming and overcoming the anxietyand discomfort brought on by nightmares. Whether lucid dreaming is good for or bad for mental health is hotly contested.
According to some studies, having lucid dreams purposely blurs the distinction between reality and dreams, which may be harmful to one's long-term mental health.
For some populations, such as those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, lucid dream treatment has proven to be mostly useless.
Another issue with lucid dreams has been raised by some researchers: they could interfere with sleep. Lucid dreams have been hypothesized to have a detrimental impact on sleep hygiene and sleep quality since they are linked to greater levels of brain activity.
Frequent lucid dreams have the potential to alter the sleeper's sleep-wake cycle, which may then have an impact on memory consolidation, emotional control, and other daily activities associated with sleep health.
The research on lucid dreams is still mostly in its infancy. More investigation is required to fully comprehend these sorts of dreams and identify the reasons why some people experience lucid dreams more frequently and intensely than others.
How To Have A Lucid Dream?
With the correct techniques, inducing lucid dreams may be pretty simple. Those who are unfamiliar with this phenomenon may be able to induce themselves to have lucid dreams by using the following techniques:
Optimize Your Bedroom For Sleeping
Make your sleeping space as comfortable as possible. Good sleep hygiene can assist in guaranteeing a balanced sleep-wake cycle that includes enough REM sleep (when lucid dreams are most likely to occur).
Make sure the bedroom is at a pleasant temperature for sleeping; most experts agree that it should be 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). The space should be kept quiet and dark as well. Aside from additional accouterments like sleeping masks and blackout curtains, earplugs and sound machines can also assist in blocking disturbing outside noises.
Assess Your Reality
Practice "reality testing" throughout the day by observing your surroundings to determine if you are awake or asleep.
Even if the surroundings appear familiar in a dream, they will be inconsistent and distorted from reality. You might be able to test your reality during dreams if you practice these reality checks multiple times every day.
Utilize The MILD And 9 Techniques
Employ an alarm if necessary to wake up after five hours of sleep and tell yourself to remember you're dreaming before you go to sleep to use the mnemonic induction of lucid dreams approach.
In several studies, the MILD technique is quite successful. The "wake back to bed" method necessitates awakening after five hours of sleep as well. You should stay up with WBTB for between 30 and 120 minutes before going back to sleep.
How To Lucid Dream Tonight In 3 Steps
Keep A Record Of Your Dreams
Every morning, record in a notebook all you can recall about your dreams. You may also capture your dream recollections using a voice-recording device.
Maintaining thorough records can make it simpler for you to identify dreams once you've fallen asleep, which may lead to the occurrence of lucid dreams.
The Strength Of A Suggestion
Some people can produce lucid dreams by simply persuading themselves that they will experience one when they go to sleep.
Grab A Tool For Lucid Dreaming
Several portable tools cause lucid dreams today. These gadgets, which frequently take the shape of headbands or sleep masks, emit sounds, blinking lights, vibrations, and other indications that serve as tactile, visual, and/or aural stimulation. One of these gadgets will cost you at least $200.
Play Around With Gaming
Playing video games has been linked to lucid dreams, both in termsof frequency and control, according to certain studies10 In particular, this is true with interactive video games.
Other Methods For Lucid Dreams
It enables the induction of lucid dreams. These include certain types of medicine and transcranial direct current stimulation, which uses electrical currents to painlessly stimulate various brain regions.
There is not much scientific evidence to support the efficacy of these techniques. These procedures are also only carried out in regulated clinical laboratory settings, and anybody should never do them without a doctor or another qualified medical or psychiatric expert supervising them.
People Also Ask
What Do Lucid Dreams Mean?
In a lucid dream, you are mindful of your surroundings. It involves a type of metacognition known as awareness of awareness.
Are Lucid Dreams Safe?
Although additional study is required, some professionals believe lucid dreaming could have unfavorable effects.
What Three Sorts Of Dreams Are There?
Following are the three types of dreams
- Dreaming is Passive Imagination.
- Dream Illusions.
- Dream-Hallucinations.
Conclusion
When someone is having lucid dreams, they become conscious of their dream while still in it. The dreamer can exert some degree of influence over the dream's characters, plot, or surroundings during a lucid dream, but this is not strictly essential.
For many years, lucid dreaming has been investigated and documented. Famous people have been captivated by lucid dreams and have looked for ways to better understand their causes and intentions from ancient to current times.
Scientific study on the topic has given rise to a wide range of beliefs, some of which have even been depicted in popular culture.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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