Lucid Dreaming: What It Is and How to Try It
Key takeaways:
Lucid dreaming is when a person becomes aware that they’re dreaming while they’re asleep.
The phenomenon is not well studied, but scientists believe it occurs in a brain state somewhere between wakefulness and sleep.
The methods that may cause intentional lucid dreaming may also disrupt sleep, so approach them with caution.
Humans have long had a fascination with lucid dreaming. From ancient times to the present, people have explored it in writing and through research. In fact, the philosopher Aristotle first mentioned the idea of conscious dreaming more than 2,000 years ago.
Lucid dreaming has even made its way into pop culture as the subject of films like “Inception,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” These films — and many more — capture the attention of audiences who are excited by the possibility of unlocking the mind’s deepest secrets. But, beyond what we see on the screen, what do we really know about the phenomenon?
What to know about lucid dreams
Lucid dreaming is when a person becomes aware that they’re dreaming while they’re dreaming. When a person lucid dreams, they know that the events in their dream aren’t really happening, but the experience still feels real. Some people even report directing their dreams while lucid dreaming, as though they are directing a movie.
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It’s estimated that slightly more than half of the population has experienced a lucid dream.
What causes lucid dreams?
Research on lucid dreaming is still in its beginning stages.
Until recently, scientists' understanding of lucid dreaming was based on individual accounts. “But we've become more objective lately, and there have been some studies about lucid dreaming,” Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, told GoodRx Health. Dasgupta is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
These studies have shown that, like other types of dreaming, lucid dreaming seems to happen during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. They have also found that lucid dreaming involves activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
For example, one small study tried stimulating the prefrontal cortex while a person was in REM sleep to induce lucid dreaming. The effects weren't powerful. But the results suggested that, for frequent lucid dreamers, this stimulation could slightly increase the chances of having a lucid dream.
Other researchers have used neuroimaging, a process that produces images of activity in the brain, to explore lucid dreaming. Images of the brain while people were lucid dreaming showed distinct brain activity that was different from non-lucid dreaming. Compared to regular dreaming, lucid dreaming seemed to activate areas of the brain associated with:
Self-determination
Intent to act on your plans
Reflection
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A different study suggested that brain activity during lucid dreaming resembles activity during sleep paralysis. During sleep paralysis, you’re temporarily unable to move or speak even though you know you just woke up.
In short, as Dasgupta said, “More data and more research is necessary.” But it seems your brain enters a state somewhere between sleeping and wakefulness when you lucid dream.
Are there benefits to lucid dreaming?
People pursue lucid dreaming for all kinds of reasons. Many people try it simply because they want a mental challenge or amusing hobby. But some see it as a potential way to improve and understand certain health issues.
Improve nightmares related to PTSD
Researchers studying lucid dreaming for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that lucid dream therapy (LTD) didn’t affect nightmare severity. (These results were based on participants’ self-assessments.) But, interestingly, the participants did report improved anxiety and depression symptoms while undergoing LTD.
Another study, which involved 33 veterans, found that LTD did not prevent nightmares. However, the ability to control the content of dreams did relieve stress.
Help with physical rehabilitation
Early research suggests that if people can mentally simulate motor skills during lucid dreaming, they may be able to better perform the motor skills while awake.
Better understand sleep
A 2021 study conducted real-time dialogue with lucid dreamers during REM sleep. The dreamers showed their lucidity by answering math problems and yes or no questions,using eye movements and facial signals. The results suggest that there are opportunities for understanding sleep, sleep-learning, consciousness, and more by studying lucid dreaming.
Is lucid dreaming dangerous?
The primary risk of trying to lucid dream is that many of the methods thought to induce it can negatively affect sleep quantity and quality. Another risk of lucid dreaming in general is that it may negatively affect your mental health, depending on the content of your dreams.
If you’re concerned that trying to induce lucid dreaming may not be safe for you, it’s worth talking with your healthcare provider.
How to lucid dream
People may want to induce lucid dreaming for a variety of reasons. But how do you induce lucid dreaming and do it in a way that doesn’t disrupt your sleep? While there’s no surefire way to lucid dream, there are some strategies you can try.
Journal
“I think if someone wants to try to lucid dream, choose the simplest method: journaling,” Dasgupta said.
Dream journaling is a popular activity that can help you:
Remember dreams
If you want to try dream journaling, keep a notebook and pen by your bed.
Create a reality-testing system
To induce lucid dreaming, many people turn to questioning their waking reality. This could be looking in the mirror to assess if your appearance is normal or pinching your nose to see if you can still breathe.
The thought is that performing these tests during your waking life will help you question your reality while dreaming, leading to lucid dreaming. A very small study had volunteers question their reality in dream-like, virtual-reality scenarios. This led to more lucid dreaming.
Try wake-initiated lucid dreaming
Wake-initiated lucid dreaming (WILD) happens when you immediately enter a dream from being awake. Some people suggest that WILD allows you to enter a dream while still somewhat conscious.
Get quality sleep
There’s no harm in this one. Aside from being great for your overall health, getting quality sleep means getting more REM sleep. During REM sleep, dreams are most vivid. And it’s also when lucid dreaming is thought to happen. Thus, more time spent in REM sleep may mean more lucid dreaming.
What to avoid when trying to lucid dream
As for what not to try, Dasgupta warned against taking supplements for lucid dreaming. “Where I draw the line is medications. There are a lot of supplements out there proclaiming that they may help you lucid dream, and I get worried about their safety,” he said.
In general, supplements are unregulated, and they can interfere with medications you’re taking. It’s always best to consult your healthcare provider before taking a supplement.
The bottom line
Lucid dreaming is the phenomenon of being aware that you’re dreaming while you’re dreaming. People turn to lucid dreaming for a variety of reasons — from a potential treatment for nightmares to a sort of mental gymnastics.
As for how to induce lucid dreaming, there are some safe things you can try, including journaling and creating a reality-testing system. But you should avoid techniques to induce lucid dreaming that interfere with getting quality sleep or involve medications or supplements.
Why trust our experts?
References
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Baird, B., et al. (2019). The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
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Konkoly, K. R., et al. (2021). Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Current Biology.
LaBerge, S. (1988). Lucid dreaming in Western literature. Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain.
Mota-Rolim, S. A., et al. (2013). Neurobiology and clinical implications of lucid dreaming. Medical Hypotheses.
Sándor, P., et al. (2016). The development of cognitive and emotional processing as reflected in children’s dreams: Active self in an eventful dream signals better neuropsychological skills. Dreaming.
Saunders, D. T., et al. (2016). Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research. Consciousness and Cognition.
Schoch, S. F., et al. (2019). The effect of dream report collection and dream incorporation on memory consolidation during sleep. Journal of Sleep Research.
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