Karen Konkoly's research while affiliated with Northwestern University and other places

... Similar to imagination, dreaming tends to follow loosely connected events that can be fantastical. They also draw on recent and long-term memory (Picard-Deland et al., 2023), often relate to waking concerns, simulate social interactions (Kahn and Hobson 2005;McNamara et al. 2005), and are characterized by a relative lack of meta-awareness (Rechtschaffen 1978;Bradley et al. 1992;Kahan and LaBerge 1996). According to the imagination model, not only is dreaming like imagination in the aforementioned ways, dreaming is in fact a type of imaginative activity (Ichikawa 2008(Ichikawa , 2016Sosa 2005) or could be considered a form of intense mindwandering (Fox et al. 2013). ...

... 48 Though lucid dreams are generally regarded as more positive in valence than non-lucid dreams, [49][50][51] there are more recent reports of extremely negative lucid dreams, or lucid nightmares. [52][53][54] Our results offer a cohesive explanation for these differential findings, in that we observed a general heightened realness and emotion in lucid dreams (themes of Feeling and Sights and visions and keywords of felt-real) without attachment to positive or negative valence. Our recent findings, focused on a different subreddit (r/LucidDreaming) suggest that positively-valenced lucid dreams are more likely to occur when dream control is involved, 52 and the current results highlight the importance of focusing future clinical applications of lucid dreaming on the dream control rather than simply awareness of the dream (see 55 for a review of the clinical efficacy of lucid dreams to treat nightmares). ...

... The authors integrated into a traditional eye mask, kept in place merely by the conventional elastic strap, a sensing electrode made by conductive graphene-based textiles from nylon, simply sewing nylon fabric into the unmodified mask using non-conductive polyester thread. Because the device is similar to a classic sleep mask, the device is comfortable and discreet [40]. The mask uses only two EOG channels to classify sleep: the first includes two horizontal electrodes on either side of the eyes, and the second consists of a reference electrode on the forehead. ...

... Interestingly, the presence of an Alien invasion theme in vivid/realistic dreams suggests that prior reports of UFO abductions might result from cases of dream-reality confusion, 43 where a dreamt abduction is misinterpreted as a memory from waking life. 44 Lucid dreams are defined as those that include awareness of the dream while still dreaming, 45 sometimes with a secondary requirement of having control over the dream. 46 The present unsupervised analysis was consistent with these defining features, with common themes and keywords in lucid dreams such as mental reflection and control. ...

... Experiment 1 Lucid Dreaming (LD) Therapy as a cognitive-restructuring method can be applied to treating mental disorders since the researchers found when people experience lucid dreaming, they can interact with the real world. There had an experiment was done [32] which is the pathway to communicate with the patients through some basic questions like yes-no questions during the REM sleep period. Konkoly implemented their producers for two-way communication during polysomnographic ally-verified REM sleep in 36 individuals who has undergone lucid dream. ...

... Further, the workshop resulted in increased well-being and decreased negative affect for the participants. While this might have been a nonspecific effect of the workshop (as the workshop format included elements of group therapy, such as social support, interpersonal learning, group cohesion, and a safe and respectful environment), dream lucidity is also associated with increased well-being and more positive mood after awakening (Stocks et al., 2020;Stumbrys, 2021). ...

... First, a wide body of research on dream metacognition shows how the capacity for selfreflectiveness isn't exclusive to LD. Non-lucid dreamers can also think and reflect on the dream events as well as execute rational thought (Bosinelli 1995;Cicogna & Bosinelli 2001;Kahan 1994;Kahan & LaBerge 1996, 2011. From the evidence presented in these studies, many authors claim that reflective thought while dreaming isn't a dichotomous phenomenon and moves along a continuum, as it does during waking states (Kahan & LaBerge 2011;Mallett et al. 2021). Second, LD rarely involves a subject who can fully realise the implications of their dream being a dream, as some classical views claim (Tholey 1988). ...

... P. LaBerge et al., 1981). Researchers even can communicate with people in LDs in real time based on breathing and facial muscle expressions (Appel, 2013;Konkoly et al., 2020;Mironov et al., 2018). EMG also can detect speech and movement during dreams and LDs (McGuigan & Tanner, 1971;Oldis, 2017;Raduga, 2022;Shimizu & Inoue, 1986). ...

... Inwieweit luzides Träumen in der alltäglichen Praxis anwendbar sein wird, ist angesichts der natürlichen Seltenheit dieses Zustands noch schwer zu sagen. Bislang gibt es keine zuverlässige Methode, um luzides Träumen mit hoher Sicherheit auszulösen, die bei allen Menschen funktioniert (die bisher erfolgreichsten Protokolle haben eine etwa 50 %ige Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeit [3,15]). Folglich sind die Laborstudien, die erforderlich sind, um die hirnphysiologi-Somnologie 1 ...