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Abstract

Lucid dreams (LDs) are dreams in which the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming. LDs have a much broader range of possibilities for modeling situations than the physical world. Owing to this feature of LDs, and according to previous studies, they can be used for psychotherapeutic purposes, including reducing anxiety and fear. In the present study, we investigate the association between fear reduction and fear level, both during wakefulness and in LDs. We instructed 76 LD practitioners to encounter the object of their fear in an LD. Upon awakening, they evaluated how much fear they felt in the LD and after awakening. After experiencing their fear in LD, 51% and 49% of volunteers reported lower and the same fear upon awakening, respectively. Stronger fear before LD was associated with a greater effect of its reduction after LD (2.5 times more often). Our study confirms lucid dreaming’s efficiency in helping people overcome their fears, especially phobias. In this way, our results highlight the psychotherapeutic benefits of LD.
Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research,
and Practice
Overcoming Phobias by Lucid Dreaming
Zhanna Zhunusova, Michael Raduga, and Andrey Shashkov
Online First Publication, July 14, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cns0000331
CITATION
Zhunusova, Z., Raduga, M., & Shashkov, A. (2022, July 14). Overcoming Phobias by Lucid Dreaming. Psychology of
Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cns0000331
... Research shows that during LDs, people can perform math calculations (Konkoly et al., 2021), carry out conscious motor actions (Schädlich, 2018;, and create environments for treating fears, phobias and anxiety (Schatzman, 1983;Wittmann et al., 2006;Zhunusova et al., 2022), among many other applications. However, the limitations of what is possible inside LDs, as well as the full list of possible applications, is a subject to be studied. ...
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Objective. Lucid dreams (LDs) are a specific condition of the mind, can happen either spontaneously or intentionally (mostly in the REM sleep phase), and are characterized by consciousness and awareness during sleep. LDs provide many perspective tools to improve real life (e.g., training motor skills, solving psychological issues, and obtaining inspiration in arts). In this study, we show the possibility of identifying or playing a particular melody in an LD to check how well people may reproduce these skills in LDs. Methods. A group of 254 LD practitioners were divided into two groups and asked to induce an LD and then find or hear a particular melody, chosen either by themselves or by the researchers. After that, they wrote reports describing their experiences in detail. Results. Finding a particular melody, either proposed by the researchers or chosen by the participants, appeared to be achievable, as 84% of the obtained reports described successful attempts (p-value < 2.2e-16). In many cases, the participants’ brains were able to reproduce in LDs high quality and very detailed melodies. Interestingly, success did not depend on practitioners’ overall LD experience, meaning the task is achievable for beginners. Discussion. The results add to the knowledge of abilities that can be used inside LDs. Considering a recent study showing the possibility of transmitting music rhythms directly from an LD in real-time, this finding extends an existing view of the creativity capacity of LDs. Further experiments using basic skills like this will expand the list of helpful LD applications.
... Sometimes, studies confirm the actuality of these and other ideas. For example, it was demonstrated that LD A WAY TO OPERATE A SMART HOME FROM LUCID DREAMS 4 might improve motor skills [24]- [26] and waking mood [27]- [29]; prevent nightmares [30], [31], help people overcome phobias, anxiety [32]- [34], and everyday life problems [35], [36]; reduce chronic pain [37] and depression [38]. In 2020, Mallett used a brain-computer interface based on electroencephalography (EEG) to reveal the possibility of controlling virtual 3D objects from LDs [39]. ...
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Smart home systems facilitate humans' domestic environments and enhance their quality of life. Voice control of devices is usually available right after one awakens in the morning. In this study, we tested a way to operate smart home technologies even before awakening with the help of electromyographical (EMG) signals from dreams. A software program was tuned to translate and digitally vocalize EMG spikes into commands for the voice control of devices. One advanced lucid dreaming practitioner was trained to use these commands to operate lights, electric kettle, and a radio. The goal was to achieve the same tasks in LD under polysomnographic observation in laboratory conditions. LDs was verified by pre-agreed eye movements in REM sleep. The participant in three confirmed LDs was able to control smart home units despite sleep paralysis. It was possible to control light, the electric kettle, and radio in real-time while still being in REM sleep. The experiment demonstrated a new practical application of LD-specifically, technological everyday life tasks could be performed while asleep. In the future, the same tasks could be performed directly (without voice commands) by transmitting EMG, electroencephalography, and electrooculography patterns from LDs. With development, these technologies may open new perspectives for LD application like online shopping, entertaining, education, and jobs.
... Many online reports, especially those on enthusiasts' forum boards, which contain millions of posts, describe various LD application areas (Dream Views, 1998;Форум осознанных сновидений [Lucid Dreaming Forum], 2004). Researchers have also demonstrated that LDs may help people improve their waking mood Stocks et al., 2020; and motor skills (Bonamino et al., 2022;Schädlich & Erlacher, 2018;, prevent nightmares (de Macêdo et al., 2019;Zadra & Pihl, 1997), solve everyday life problems (Schmidt et al., 2014;Stumbrys et al., 2011), overcome phobias and anxiety (Schatzman, 1983;Wittmann et al., 2007;Zhunusova et al., 2022), and reduce depression (Sackwild & Stumbrys, 2021) or chronic pain (Zappaterra et al., 2014). The number of studies on LD applications is likely to rise and reveal new and unexpected directions. ...
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Poster
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Introduction - Lucid dreaming (LD) is a mental state in which the subject is aware of being dreaming and may control the oneiric content. LD is objectively confirmed by series of pre-arranged ocular movements (PAOM) performed by the dreamer to indicate lucidity. Most studies observed that LD correlates with specific neurophysiological characteristics, mainly gamma power increasing over frontal regions during rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS). However, some studies observed that LD may also happen during non-REMS stages (N1 and N2), and it is still not known whether there are specific neurophysiological changes in these LD during non-REMS. Objective - To investigate the neurophysiology of LD during non-REMS. Methods - Two subjects performed the PAOM and reported LD: the first case happened in a visually scored N1 episode, and the second case during a visually scored N2 episode. We used topographic mapping and spectrogram to analyze the electroencephalographic signals of LD. Results - In the first case we observed increasing in theta and decreasing in alpha power, which confirms it is a N1 episode. The second case presented an increasing in both delta and sigma oscillations, due to K-complex and spindles, respectively, which confirms it is a N2 episode. However, we observed no significant spectral changes (such as frontal gamma increasing) during these N1 and N2 episodes with LD. Conclusion - Our preliminary data confirms that LD happens also during N1 and N2, thus LD is not an exclusively REMS phenomenon; yet, the lack of LD spectral changes we observed suggest that the LD features found in other studies are specific for REMS. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.slsci.2016.02.093