Ming Tai’s scientific contributions

Lucid and control dream states have been linked to a variety of positive psychological outcomes, but are uncommon and difficult to induce. Delineating connections between lucid and control dreaming and immersion in other virtual environments could aid in understanding the nature of those dream states and developing more effective induction training. Video game play takes place in immersive virtual environments and has been linked to more frequent lucid dreaming (Gackenbach, 2006, 2009). The current research sought to identify connections between specific genres of video game play and lucid and lucid/control dream experiences, as well as replicating established relationships between overall gameplay and engagement, incorporation of game content into dreams, and lucid and lucid/control dream experiences. Play of physically interactive games was positively correlated with lucid and lucid/control dream frequency; no other genre showed the same association. Overall game play was not associated with frequency of lucid and lucid/control dreams, but was positively correlated with incorporation of game content into dreams, which in turn was positively correlated with lucid and lucid/control dream frequency. These findings expand and clarify our understanding of the overlap between lucid and control dream states and a highly popular form of virtual environment, and may aid in the induction and therapeutic use of lucid and control dreaming.