Scientists Say Lucid Dreaming is a New Form of Consciousness

The largest study of its kind discovered distinct brain activity during lucid dreaming

Hiya!

I only remember a dream about once or twice a year, and even then, it’s typically something mundane and unexciting. I’ve tried keeping dream journals and a few other “hacks” that are supposed to help us remember our dreams, but so far, nothing has worked. Instead, any dreams I may have remain in the realm of my subconscious.

Meanwhile, I know people who not only remember their dreams every morning but also have highly vivid and active dreamworlds. When these people dream, they aren’t passively experiencing them but actively controlling them — a phenomenon known as lucid dreaming that has long intrigued experts in many fields.

However, recently, researchers have compiled the most comprehensive study yet, revealing what occurs in the brain when a person has a lucid dream, and the results are fascinating.

What is Lucid Dreaming?

Over a century ago, in 1913, Dutch psychiatrist Frederik Willem van Eeden coined the term “lucid dream” after becoming curious about how some people could be actively intentional while dreaming.

In his research, van Eeden found that we are typically passive participants during typical, non-lucid dreams, without much agency. In contrast, people can direct their attention, control their actions, and act of their own volition while lucid dreaming.

Researchers have since clarified the concept of lucid dreaming by narrowing its definition into four main points.

When lucid dreaming:

• A person is aware that they are in a dream and feels conscious of their dream experience, including having sensory awareness.

• The person can remember who they are in real life, outside the dream world.

• They can make intentional decisions within the dream, including having insight into and control over the dreaming experience.

• They also remember the experience upon waking.

The entire concept of lucid dreaming is nearly unfathomable to me, as someone who can barely remember my ordinary, non-lucid dreams. Yet, research suggests that over half (55 percent) of adults can recall experiencing at least one lucid dream or more in their lifetime, and nearly a quarter (23 percent) report lucid dreaming at least once a month.

Considering how remarkable such an ability is, it stands to reason that scientists are curious about what is happening in the brain during the experience. Yet, it remains largely mysterious.

So far, research indicates that lucid dreaming mainly occurs during REM sleep, which is unsurprising given that REM sleep is when most dreams occur. It’s also been verified as a “real” phenomenon by using eye and eyebrow movement measurements and communicating with the dreamer while lucid dreaming.

Still, there’s much to learn about lucid dreaming, as research into its neurobiological basis has been limited due to studies using small sample sizes and inconsistencies in technological setups.

In the meantime, it’s been assumed that lucid dreaming is a brain state somewhere on the sleep and wakefulness spectrum.

However, a new study, encompassing the largest and most comprehensive analysis on the subject, has revealed something astonishing: lucid dreaming is not a state between being awake and asleep, but a distinct state of consciousness with a unique neural signature.

New Research