Lucid dream 18286 225830097 2008-07-15T16:24:02Z 65.0.236.32 /* Reality testing */ [[Image:Waterhouse-sleep and his half-brother death-1874.jpg|thumb|309px|right|[[Hypnos]] and [[Thanatos]], ''Sleep and His Half-Brother Death'' by [[John William Waterhouse]]]] {{Wikibooks|Lucid Dreaming}} A '''lucid dream''' is a [[dream]] in which the person is aware that he or she is dreaming while the dream is in progress, also known as a '''conscious dream'''. When the dreamer is lucid, he or she can actively participate in the dream environment without any of the inhibitions or limitations that otherwise would feel natural to persons who incorrectly believe they are in the "real" waking world. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of [[self-awareness]] during the lucid dream.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html Lucid Dreaming FAQ] LaBerge, S. & Levitan, L. (2004). Version 2.3</ref> A lucid dream can begin in one of two ways. A '''dream-initiated lucid dream''' ('''DILD''') starts as a normal dream, and the dreamer eventually concludes that he or she is dreaming, while a '''wake-initiated lucid dream''' ('''WILD''') occurs when the dreamer goes from a normal [[awake|waking state]] directly into a dream state with no apparent lapse in consciousness. Lucid dreaming has been researched scientifically, and its existence is well established.<ref> {{cite journal | quotes = The occurrence of lucid dreaming (dreaming while being conscious that one is dreaming) has been verified for four selected subjects who signalled that they knew they were dreaming. The signals consisted of particular dream actions having observable concomitants and were performed in accordance with a presleep agreement. | author = Watanabe Tsuneo |date=March 2003 | year = 2003 | month = March | title = Lucid Dreaming: Its Experimental Proof and Psychological Conditions | journal = Journal of International Society of Life Information Science | location = Japan | volume = 21 | issue = 1 | pages = 159–162 }}</ref><ref name="laberge-experiments1"> {{cite book |url=http://www.lucidity.com/SleepAndCognition.html Lucid Dreaming: Psychophysiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep |first=Stephen |last=LaBerge |editor=Bootzen, R. R., Kihlstrom, J.F. & Schacter, D.L., (Eds.) |title=Sleep and Cognition |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=American Psychological Association |year=1990 |pages=pp. 109 &ndash; 126 }}</ref> Scientists such as [[Allan Hobson]], with his [[neurophysiology|neurophysiological]] approach to dream research, have helped to push the understanding of lucid dreaming into a less speculative realm. ==Scientific history== The first book on lucid dreams to recognize their scientific potential was [[Celia Green]]'s 1968 study ''Lucid Dreams''.<ref>Green, C., Lucid Dreams, London: Hamish Hamilton, 1968.</ref> Reviewing the past literature, as well as new data from subjects of her own, Green analyzed the main characteristics of such dreams and concluded that they were a category of experience quite distinct from ordinary dreams. She predicted that they would turn out to be associated with [[rapid eye movement sleep]] (REM sleep). Green was also the first to link lucid dreams to the phenomenon of [[false awakenings]]. Philosopher [[Norman Malcolm]]'s 1959 text ''Dreaming''<ref>Malcolm, N., Dreaming, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1959.</ref> had argued against the possibility of checking the accuracy of dream reports. However, the realization that eye movements performed in dreams affected the dreamer's physical eyes provided a way to prove that actions agreed upon during waking life could be recalled and performed once lucid in a dream. The first evidence of this type was produced in the late 1970s by British [[parapsychologist]] [[Keith Hearne]]. A volunteer named Alan Worsley used eye movement to signal the onset of lucidity, which were recorded by a [[polysomnograph]] machine. Hearne's results were not widely distributed. The first peer-reviewed article was published some years later by [[Stephen LaBerge]] at [[Stanford University]], who had independently developed a similar technique as part of his doctoral dissertation.<ref> Laberge, S. (1980). Lucid dreaming: An exploratory study of consciousness during sleep. (Ph.D. thesis, Stanford University, 1980), (University Microfilms No. 80-24, 691)</ref> During the 1980s, further scientific evidence to confirm the existence of lucid dreaming was produced as lucid dreamers were able to demonstrate to researchers that they were consciously aware of being in a dream state (again, primarily using eye movement signals).<ref>LaBerge, Stephen (1990). in Bootzen, R. R., Kihlstrom, J.F. & Schacter, D.L., (Eds.): Lucid Dreaming: Psychophysiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep Sleep and Cognition. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, pp. 109 – 126.</ref> Additionally, techniques were developed which have been experimentally proven to enhance the likelihood of achieving this state.<ref>LaBerge, Stephen; Levitan, Lynne (1995). "Validity Established of DreamLight Cues for Eliciting Lucid Dreaming". Dreaming 5 (3). International Association for the Study of Dreams.</ref> Research on techniques and effects of lucid dreaming continues at a number of universities and other centers, including LaBerge's Lucidity Institute. ==Research and clinical applications== ===Neurobiological model=== [[Neuroscientist]] [[Allan Hobson|J. Allan Hobson]] has hypothesized as to what might be occurring in the brain while lucid. The first step to lucid dreaming is recognizing that one is dreaming. This recognition might occur in the [[Brodmann area 46|dorsolateral prefrontal cortex]], which is one of the few areas deactivated during REM sleep and where working memory occurs. Once this area is activated and the recognition of dreaming occurs, the dreamer must be cautious to let the dream delusions continue but be conscious enough to recognize them. This process might be seen as the balance between reason and emotion. While maintaining this balance, the [[amygdala]] and [[parahippocampal cortex]] might be less intensely activated.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Muzur A, Pace-Schott EF | coauthors = Allan Hobson |date=November 2002 | url = http://www.bostonneuropsa.org/PDF%20Files/Pace-Schott/MUZUR_ET_AL.__02.pdf | format = PDF | title = The prefrontal cortex in sleep | journal = Trends Cogn Sci | volume = 1;2(11) | pages = 475–481 }}</ref> To continue the intensity of the dream hallucinations, it is expected the [[pons]] and the [[Parietal lobe|parieto-occipital junction]] stay active.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hobson |first=J. Allan |title=The Dream Drugstore: Chemically Altered States of Consciousness |year=2001 |publisher=MIT Press |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |language=English |isbn=978-0262582209 |pages=96-98 }}</ref> ===Treatment for nightmares=== People who suffer from [[nightmare]]s would benefit from the ability to be aware they are dreaming. A pilot study was performed in 2006 that showed that lucid dreaming treatment was successful in reducing nightmare frequency. This treatment consisted of exposure to the idea, mastery of the technique, and lucidity exercises. It was not clear what aspects of the treatment were responsible for the success of overcoming nightmares, though the treatment as a whole was successful.<ref> {{cite journal | url = http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=PPS2006075006389 | quotes = Conclusions: LDT seems effective in reducing nightmare frequency, although the primary therapeutic component (i.e. exposure, mastery, or lucidity) remains unclear | author = Spoormaker,-Victor-I; van-den-Bout,-Jan | year = 2006 | month = October | title = Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study | journal = Psychotherapy-and-Psychosomatics. | volume = 75 | issue = 6 | pages = 389–394 | doi = 10.1159/000095446 }}</ref> Australian psychologist, Milan Colic, has explored the application of principles from [[narrative therapy]] with clients' lucid dreams to reduce the impact not only of nightmares during sleep, but also depression, self-mutilation, and other problems in waking life. Colic found that clients' preferred direction for their lives, as identified during therapeutic conversations, could lessen the distressing content of dreams, while understandings about life - and even characters - from lucid dreams could be invoked in 'real' life with marked therapeutic benefits.<ref>Colic, M. (2007). 'Kanna's lucid dreams and the use of narrative practices to explore their meaning.' ''The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work'' (4): 19-26.</ref> ===Perception of time while lucid dreaming=== The rate that time passes while lucid dreaming has been shown to be about the same as while waking. However, a 1995 study in Germany indicated lucid dreaming can also have varied time spans, in which the dreamer can control the length. The study took place during sleep and upon awakening, and required the participants to record their dreams in a log and how long the dreams lasted. In 1985, LaBerge performed a pilot study where lucid dreamers counted out ten seconds while dreaming, signaling the end of counting with a pre-arranged eye signal measured with electrooculogram recording.<ref name="laberge-experiments2">{{cite journal | author = LaBerge, S. | year = 2000 | url = http://www.lucidity.com/slbbs/index.html | title = Lucid dreaming: Evidence and methodology | journal = Behavioral and Brain Sciences | volume = 23 | issue = 6 | pages = 962–3 | doi = 10.1017/S0140525X00574020 <!--Retrieved from CrossRef by DOI bot--> }}</ref> LaBerge's results were confirmed by German researchers in 2004. The German study, by D. Erlacher and M. Schredl, also studied motor activity and found that deep knee bends took 44% longer to perform while lucid dreaming.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Erlacher, D. | coauthors = Schredl, M. | year = 2004 | url = http://daniel.erlacher.de/index.php/Time_required_for_motor_activity_in_lucid_dreams | title = Required time for motor activities in lucid dreams | journal = Perceptual and Motor Skills | volume = 99 | pages = 1239–1242 | doi = 10.2466/PMS.99.7.1239-1242 <!--Retrieved from CrossRef by DOI bot--> }}</ref> ===Near-death and out-of-body experiences=== In a study of fourteen lucid dreamers performed in 1991, people who perform wake-initiated lucid dreams (WILD) reported experiences consistent with aspects of out-of-body experiences such as floating above their beds and the feeling of leaving their bodies.<ref name="ldobe">{{cite journal | author = Lynne Levitan | coauthors = Stephen LaBerge | year = 1991 | url = http://www.lucidity.com/NL32.OBEandLD.html | title = Other Worlds: Out-of-Body Experiences and Lucid Dreams | journal = Nightlight | volume = 3 | issue = 2-3 | publisher = The Lucidity Institute }}</ref> Due to the [[phenomenological]] overlap between lucid dreams, [[near death experiences]], and [[out-of-body experience]]s, researchers say they believe a protocol could be developed to induce a lucid dream similar to a near-death experience in the laboratory.<ref>{{cite journal | quotes = A large phenomenological overlap among lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, and near-death experiences suggests the possibility of developing a methodology of replicating components of the near-death experience using newly developed methods of inducing lucid dreams. Reports on the literature of both spontaneous and induced near-death-experience-like episodes during lucid dreams suggest a possible protocol. | author = Green, J. Timothy | year = 1995 | title = Lucid dreams as one method of replicating components of the near-death experience in a laboratory setting. | journal = Journal-of-Near-Death-Studies | volume = 14 | pages = 49- }}</ref> ==Cultural history== Even though it has only come to the attention of the general public in the last few decades, lucid dreaming is not a modern discovery. *A very early example of lucid dreaming is in a letter written by [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine of Hippo]] in 415 AD.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1102159.htm Letter from St. Augustine of Hippo] </ref> *As early as the eighth century, [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]]s were practicing a form of [[yoga]] supposed to maintain full waking consciousness while in the dream state.<ref>(March 2005). [http://www.lucidity.com/DreamYoga.html The Best Sleep Posture for Lucid Dreaming: A Revised Experiment Testing a Method of Tibetan Dream Yoga]. The Lucidity Institute.</ref> This system is extensively discussed and explained in the book ''Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light''.<ref>''[http://www.nydzogchen.com/dream.html Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light]'', 2nd edition, Snowlion Publications; authored by Chogyal [[Namkhai Norbu]], an eminent Tibetan Lama, and his student [[Michael Katz]], a Psychologist and lucid dream trainer.</ref> One of the important messages of the book is the distinction between the [[Dzogchen]] meditation of ''Awareness'' and ''Dream Yoga''. The Dzogchen ''Awareness'' meditation has also been referred to by the terms ''Rigpa Awareness'', ''Contemplation'', and ''Presence''. ''Awareness'' during the sleep and dream states is associated with the Dzogchen ''practice of natural light''. This practice only causes lucid dreams as a byproduct—in contrast to ''Dream yoga'' which is explicitly aimed at lucid dreaming. According to Buddhist teachers, the experience of lucidity helps us to understand the unreality of phenomena, which would otherwise be overwhelming during dream or the death experience. *An early recorded lucid dreamer was the philosopher and physician [[Thomas Browne|Sir Thomas Browne]] (1605&ndash;1682). Browne was fascinated by the world of dreams and stated of his own ability to lucid dream in his [[Religio Medici]]: "... yet in one dream I can compose a whole Comedy, behold the action, apprehend the jests and laugh my self awake at the conceits thereof;"<ref>[[Religio Medici]], part 2:11. Text available at http://penelope.uchicago.edu/relmed/relmed.html</ref> *[[Hervey de Saint-Denys|Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-Denys]] was probably the first person to argue that it is possible for anyone to learn to dream consciously. In 1867, he published his book ''Les Reves et les Moyens de Les Diriger; Observations Pratiques'' (''Dreams and How to Guide them; Practical Observations''), in which he documented more than twenty years of his own research into dreams. *The term ''lucid dreaming'' was coined by [[Netherlands|Dutch]] author and [[psychiatrist]] [[Frederik van Eeden]] in his 1913 article "A Study of Dreams".<ref>{{cite journal | author = Frederik van Eeden | year = 1913 | url = http://www.lucidity.com/vanEeden.html | title = A study of Dreams | journal = Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research | volume = 26 }}</ref> This book was highly anecdotal and not embraced by the scientific community. Some consider this a misnomer because it means much more than just "clear or vivid" dreaming.<ref> {{cite journal |url=http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Articles/si91ld.html |title=Lucid Dreaming: Awake in Your Sleep? |first=Susan|last=Blackmore|authorlink=Susan Blackmore |journal=Skeptical Inquirer |year=1991 |volume=15 |pages=pp 362 &ndash; 370 }}</ref> The alternative term ''conscious dreaming'' avoids this confusion. However, the term ''lucid'' was used by van Eeden in its sense of "having insight", as in the phrase ''a lucid interval'' applied to someone in temporary remission from a [[psychosis]], rather than as a reference to the perceptual quality of the experience which may or may not be clear and vivid. *In the 1950s, the [[Senoi]] hunter-gatherers of [[Malaysia]] were reported to make extensive use of lucid dreaming to ensure mental health, although later studies refuted these claims.<ref>[[G. William Domhoff]] (2003). [http://dreamresearch.net/Library/senoi.html Senoi Dream Theory: Myth, Scientific Method, and the Dreamwork Movement]. Retrieved July 10, 2006.</ref> ==Induction methods== Many people report having experienced a lucid dream during their lives, often in childhood. Children seem to have lucid dreams more easily than adults. Although lucid dreaming is a conditioned skill,<ref>{{cite journal | author = LaBerge, Stephen | year = 1980 | title = Lucid dreaming as a learnable skill: A case study | journal = Perceptual and Motor Skills | volume = 51 | pages = 1039–1042 }}</ref> achieving lucid dreams on a regular basis can be difficult, even with training. Over time, several techniques have been developed to achieve a lucid dreaming state intentionally. The following are common factors that influence lucid dreaming and techniques that people use to help achieve a lucid dream: ====Dream recall==== Dream recall is simply the ability to remember dreams. Good dream recall is often described as the first step towards lucid dreaming. Better recall increases awareness of dreams in general; with limited dream recall, any lucid dreams one has can be forgotten entirely. The main technique used to improve dream recall is to keep a [[dream journal]], writing down any dreams remembered the moment one awakes. An audio recorder can also be very helpful<ref name="techniques">{{cite web | title = Dream Recall Techniques: Remember more Dreams | last = Webb | first = Craig | url = http://www.dreams.ca/recall.htm | format = html | year = 1995 | publisher = The DREAMS Foundation }}</ref>. It is important to record the dreams as quickly as possible as there is a strong tendency to forget what one has dreamt.<ref name="recall">{{cite journal | author = Stephen LaBerge | year = 1989 | url = http://www.lucidity.com/NL11.DreamRecall.html | title = How to Remember Your Dreams | journal = Nightlight | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | publisher = The Lucidity Institute }}</ref> It is suggested that for best recall, the waking dreamer should keep eyes closed while trying to remember the dream, and that one's dream journal be recorded in the present tense<ref name="techniques"/>. Describing an experience as if presently in it can help the writer to recall more accurately the events of their dream. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} Dream recall can also be improved by staying still after waking up.<ref name="recall"/> This may have something to do with [[REM atonia]] (the condition of REM sleep in which the motor neurons are not stimulated and thus the body's muscles do not move). If one purposely prevents motor neurons from firing immediately after waking from a dream, recalling said dream becomes easier. Similarly, if the dreamer changes positions in the night, they may be able to recall certain events of their dream by testing different sleeping positions. {{Fact|date=June 2007}} ====Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD)==== The MILD technique is a common technique developed by [[Stephen LaBerge|Dr. Stephen LaBerge]] used to induce a lucid dream at will by setting an intention, while falling asleep, to remember to recognize that one is dreaming or to remember to look for [[dream sign]]s when one is in a dream. ====Wake-back-to-bed (WBTB)==== The wake-back-to-bed technique is often the easiest way to encourage a lucid dream. The method involves going to sleep tired and waking up five to six hours later. Then, focusing all thoughts on lucid dreaming, staying awake for an hour and going back to sleep while practicing the MILD method. A 60% success rate has been shown in research using this technique.<ref name="wbtb">{{cite journal | author = Stephen LaBerge | coauthors = Leslie Phillips, Lynne Levitan | year = 1994 | url = http://www.lucidity.com/NL63.RU.Naps.html | title = An Hour of Wakefulness Before Morning Naps Makes Lucidity More Likely | journal = NightLight | volume = 6 | issue = 3 | publisher = The Lucidity Institute }}</ref> This is because the REM cycles get longer as the night goes on, and this technique takes advantage of the best REM cycle of the night. Because this REM cycle is longer and deeper, gaining lucidity during this time may result in a lengthier lucid dream.<ref name="wbtb"/> ====Cycle adjustment technique (CAT)==== The cycle adjustment technique, developed by Daniel Love, is an effective way to induce lucid dreaming. It involves adjusting one's sleep cycle to encourage awareness during the latter part of the sleep. First, the person wakes up 90 minutes before normal wake time until their sleep cycle begins to adjust. After this, the normal wake times and early wake times alternate. On the days with the normal wake times, the body is ready to wake up, and this increases alertness, making lucidity more likely. ====Wake-initiation of lucid dreams (WILD)==== The wake-initiated lucid dream "occurs when the sleeper enters REM sleep with unbroken [[self-awareness]] directly from the [[awake|waking state]]".<ref>{{cite journal | author = Stephen LaBerge | coauthors = Lynne Levitan | year = 1995 | url = http://lucidity.com/DreamLight_Validity.txt | title = Validity Established of Dreamlight Cues for Eliciting Lucid Dreaming | journal = Dreaming | volume = 5 | issue = 3 | pages = 159–168 | publisher = The Lucidity Institute }}</ref> There are many techniques aimed at entering a WILD. The key to these techniques is recognizing the [[hypnagogia|hypnagogic]] stage, which is within the border of being awake and being [[sleep|asleep]]. If a person is successful in staying aware while this stage occurs, he or she will eventually enter the dream state while being fully aware that it is a dream. There are key times at which this state is best entered; while success at normal bedtime after having been awake all day is very difficult, it is relatively easy after sleeping for 3–7 hours or in the afternoon during a nap. Techniques for inducing WILDs abound. Dreamers may count, envision themselves climbing or descending stairs, chant to themselves, control their breathing, count their breaths to keep their thoughts from drifting, concentrate on relaxing their body from their toes to their head, or allow images to flow through their "mind's eye" and envision themselves jumping into the image to maintain concentration and keep their mind awake, while still being calm enough to let their body sleep. During the actual transition into the dream state, one is likely to experience [[sleep paralysis]], including rapid vibrations,<ref name="ldobe"/> a sequence of loud sounds and a feeling of twirling into another state of body awareness, "to drift off into another dimension", or the feeling like passing the interface between water into air face-front body first, or images or sceneries they are thinking of and trying to visualize gradually sharpen and become "real", which they can actually "see", instead of the fuzzy indefinable sensations one feels when trying to imagine something when wide awake. ====Induction devices==== Lucid dream induction is possible by the use of a physical device. The general principle works by taking advantage of the natural phenomenon of incorporating external stimuli into one's dreams. Usually a device is worn while sleeping that can detect when the sleeper enters a REM phase and triggers a noise and/or flashing lights with the goal of these stimuli being incorporated into the dreamer's dream. For example flashing lights might be translated to a car's headlights in a dream. A well-known dream-induction device is the [[NovaDreamer]], designed in 1993 by experienced lucid dreamer [http://www.dreams.ca/CW-bio.html Craig Webb], now an international speaker/trainer and executive director of [http://www.dreams.ca/ The DREAMS Foundation]<ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Foremski |title=Getting into your Dreams |publisher=San Francisco Examiner |date=1994-05-01}}. </ref>. The NovaDreamer has been discontinued as of 2006. However, a newer version is being worked on, but as of now is not available.<ref>http://www.lucidity.com/novadreamer.html Novadreamer Lucid Dream Induction Device] at The Lucidity Institute</ref> The REM Dreamer is a cheaper and more widely available version of the NovaDreamer. It has one motion sensor in the right eye that is best at recognizing horizontal movement of the eyes. When it picks up the eye’s movement it goes through a series of flashing LED lights that filter through into the person’s dream and triggers lucidity. Combining this with MILD can be incredibly effective.<ref>[http://www.remdreamer.com] REM Dreamer</ref> ====Additional techniques==== * Reality tests (as below) practiced in waking life can lead to a test taking place within a dream, leading to the realization that one is dreaming. * [[Meditation]] and involvement in a conscious focusing on activities can strengthen the ability to experience lucid dreams by making the person more susceptible to noticing small discrepancies of their surroundings. {{Fact|date=January 2008}} * There is good reason to believe [[Post-hypnotic suggestion|hypnotic suggestion]] may help one achieve lucidity.<ref>{{cite book | last =Oldis | first =Daniel | title = The Lucid Dream Manifesto | publisher = |date=1974 | location = | pages = pages 52-53 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=cv-CbDbCng8C&printsec=frontcover#PPA52,M1 | doi = | id = ISBN 0-595-39539-2 }}</ref> [[Michael Katz]] referenced using simple hypnotic induction for the purpose of initiating lucid dreams in his introduction to the first edition of the book ''Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light''. From the early 1980s, he went on to use this "guided nap" technique during dream yoga and lucid dream training. He conducts training internationally and maintains an archive of examples.<ref>[http://www.nydzogchen.com/library/dream9.html Dzogchen Community Of New York: Lucid Dreams of Community Members]{{Dead link|date=March 2008}} KUNDROLLING, </ref> ==Reality testing== <!-- Please only put something here if you can prove it with an external, reliable source. Thanks. --> Reality testing (or reality checking) is a common method used by people to determine whether or not they are dreaming. It involves performing an action with results that will be different if the tester is dreaming. By practicing these tests during waking life, one may eventually decide to perform such a test while dreaming, which may fail and let the dreamer realize that they are dreaming. Common reality tests include: *The nose reality check: Pinch your nose and if you are able to breathe without using your mouth, it's a dream<ref>[http://www.lucidnet.co.uk/preparation/realitycheck.htm] Reality Check</ref> *Try to stick your finger through the palm of your hand<ref>[http://www.lucidnet.co.uk/preparation/realitycheck.htm] Reality Check</ref> *Looking at one's digital watch (remembering the time), looking away, and looking back. As with text, the time will probably have changed randomly and radically at the second glance or contain strange letters and characters. (Analog watches do not usually change in dreams, while digital watches have great tendency to do so.)<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html#realitytest Reality testing], Lucid Dreaming FAQ at The Lucidity Institute. (October 2006)</ref> *Flipping a light switch. Light levels rarely change as a result of the switch flipping in dreams.<ref name="light-and-mirror">Lynne Levitan, Stephen LaBerge (Summer 1993). {{cite journal | url = http://www.lucidity.com/NL52.LightandMirror.html | title = The Light and Mirror Experiment | journal = Nightlight | volume = 5 | issue = 10 | publisher = The Lucidity Institute }}</ref> *Looking into a mirror; in dreams, reflections from a mirror often appear to be blurred, distorted or incorrect.<ref name="light-and-mirror"/> Be warned though, this sometimes results in a nightmare, due to the distortion.<ref>[http://www.dreamviews.com/community/showthread.php?t=50646], refection in mirror... Dreamviews Lucid Dreaming Forum. (January 2008)</ref> *Looking at the ground beneath one's feet or at one's hands. If one does this within a dream the difference in appearance of the ground or one's hands from the normal waking state is often enough to alert the conscious to the dream state.<ref name="hands-and-ground">H. von Moers-Messmer, "Traume mit der gleichzeitigen Erkenntnis des Traumzustandes," Archiv Fuer Psychologie 102 (1938): 291-318.</ref> ===Dream signs=== {{Mergefrom | Dream sign | Talk:Dream sign#Merge Proposal |date=June 2008 }} Another form of reality testing involves identifying one's [[dream sign]]s, clues that one is dreaming. Dream signs are often categorized as follows: * '''Action''' &mdash; The dreamer, another dream character, or a thing does something unusual or impossible in waking life, such as being able to fly, being able to walk through walls, being able to change the setting illogically, or noticing photographs in a magazine or newspaper becoming three-dimensional with full movement. * '''Powerlessness''' &mdash; There may typically be a sensational loss of bodily strength. * '''Context''' &mdash; The place or situation in the dream is strange and includes fictional characters or places. * '''Form''' &mdash; The dreamer, another character, or an object changes shape, is oddly formed, or transforms. This may include the presence of unusual clothing or hair, or a third person view of the dreamer. * '''Awareness''' &mdash; A peculiar thought, a strong emotion, an unusual sensation, a loss of normal logic, or an altered perception. In some cases when moving one's head from side to side, one may notice a strange stuttering or 'strobing' of the image. * '''Cohesion''' &mdash; Sometimes the dreamer may seem to teleport to another location in a dream, without a noticeable transition. ==Supplements== Several drugs have been shown to improve the probability of a lucid dream occurring and/or increase the length of such a dream: * [[Galantamine]] is a [[nootropic]] that can substantially increase the odds of success when used along with a lucid dream or [[out-of-body experience]] induction technique.<ref name=Yuschak2006>{{cite book | author = Thomas Yuschak | title = Advanced Lucid Dreaming | edition = 1st ed. | publisher = Lulu Enterprises | year = 2006 |isbn = 978-1-4303-0542-2 }}</ref><ref name=Yuschak2007>{{cite book | author = Thomas Yuschak | title = Pharmacological Induction of Lucid dreams | year = 2007 | url = http://www.advancedld.com/f/Pharmacological_Induction_of_Lucid_Dreams.pdf}}</ref><ref name=LaBerge2004>{{cite web | title=Substances that enhance recall and lucidity during dreaming | work=Stephen LaBerge - US Patent | url=http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20040266659.html | accessdate=2007-10-29}}</ref> [[Choline bitartrate]] or [[Alpha-GPC]] can be used with Galantamine to increase its effectiveness.<ref>[http://www.advancedld.com/board/board_topic/4573112/266061.htm What is the Role of Choline in Lucid dreaming?] Thomas Yuschak.</ref> * An [[amino acid]] blend made up of 2000&nbsp;mg [[Aspartic acid|L-aspartic acid]], 4000&nbsp;mg [[L-glutamine]], and 300&nbsp;mg [[L-theanine]] can greatly increase the odds of having a lucid dream.<ref>[http://www.advancedld.com/f/Substances_that_facilitate_lucid_dreaming_-_A_case_study.pdf Substances that facilitate lucid dreaming – A Case Study]. Thomas Yuschak. </ref> *[[5-HTP]] can increase the chances of success of having a lucid dream by taking advantage of the REM rebound effect.<ref>[http://www.advancedld.com/5htp.html 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)]. Thomas Yuschak. </ref> *[[Melatonin]] has been shown clinically to increase the time spent in REM sleep in the morning hours (as the dose is wearing off). It is theorized that this phenomenon is due to a REM rebound effect.<ref>[http://www.advancedld.com/melatonin.html Melatonin]. Thomas Yuschak.</ref> *[[Vitamin B6]] can increase dream vividness when taken with [[tryptophan]]. This is due to the role this vitamin plays in the conversion of tryptophan to [[serotonin]].<ref>Ebben, M., Lequerica, A., & Spielman A. (2002). Effects of pyridoxine on dreaming: a preliminary study. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 94(1), 135–140.</ref> ==Prolonging lucid dreams== One problem faced by people wishing to lucid dream is awakening prematurely. This premature awakening can be frustrating after investing considerable time into achieving lucidity in the first place. Stephen LaBerge proposed two ways to prolong a lucid dream. The first technique involves spinning one's dream body. He proposed that when spinning, the dreamer is engaging parts of the brain that may also be involved in REM activity, helping to prolong REM sleep. The second technique is rubbing one's hands. This technique is intended to engage the dreamer's brain in producing the sensation of rubbing hands, preventing the sensation of lying in bed from creeping into awareness. LaBerge tested his hypothesis by asking 34 volunteers to either spin, rub their hands, or do nothing. Results showed 90% of dreams were prolonged by hand rubbing and 96% prolonged by spinning. Only 33% of lucid dreams were prolonged with taking no action.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Stephen LaBerge | year = 1995 | title = Prolonging Lucid Dreams | url = http://www.lucidity.com/NL7.34.RU.SpinFlowRub.html | journal = NightLight | volume = 7 | issue = 3-4 | publisher = The Lucidity Institute }}</ref> Once the initial barrier of lucidity is broken, the dreamer’s next obstacle is the excitement of being conscious within a dream. It is key that the dreamer immediately relaxes upon becoming lucid. There are many methods that work, but in general saturating any of the senses with stimuli from the dream is important. Vision is usually the first sense to fade away, with touch commonly being the last. If the dream starts to fade, you can grab a hold of anything close by, making sure to feel the tactile sensation. Other techniques include shouting in a loud and clear voice, “INCREASE LUCIDITY!” inside the dream. People are often reluctant to do this, but it significantly stabilizes the dream and increases its vividness. The well-known author, Carlos Castaneda, suggests that the dreamer touch their tongue to the roof of their mouth, an action that greatly increases the realness of the dream.<ref>Carlos Castaneda, "The Art of Dreaming"</ref> ==Other associated phenomena== [[Image:REM.png|thumb|200px|right|[[Rapid eye movement|REM Sleep]]. EEG highlighted by red box. Eye movements highlighted by red line.]] ===Rapid eye movement (REM)=== When a person is dreaming, the eyes move rapidly. Scientific research has found that these eye movements correspond to the direction in which the dreamer is "looking" in his/her dreamscape; this has enabled trained lucid dreamers to communicate whilst dreaming to researchers by using eye movement signals.<ref name="laberge-experiments2"/> ===False awakening=== In a [[false awakening]], one suddenly dreams of having been awakened. Commonly in a false awakening, the room is similar to the room in which the person fell asleep. If the person was lucid, they often believe that they are no longer dreaming and may start exiting the room and so forth. This can be a nemesis in the art of lucid dreaming, because it usually causes people to give up their awareness of being in a dream, but it can also cause someone to become lucid if the person does a reality check whenever he/she awakens. People who keep a [[dream journal]] and write down their dreams upon awakening sometimes report having to write down the same dream multiple times because of this phenomenon. It has also been known to cause bedwetting as one may dream that they have awoken to go to the restroom, but in reality are still dreaming. False awakenings can be a great vehicle toward lucidity. The makers of induction devices such as the NovaDreamer and the REM Dreamer recommend doing a reality check every time you awake so that when a false awakening occurs you will become lucid. People using these devices have most of their lucid dreams triggered through reality checks upon awakening.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/NovaDreamerMan.html] NovaDreamer Operation Manual</ref> ===Sleep paralysis=== During REM sleep the body is [[Sleep paralysis|paralyzed]] by a mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements, which occur in the dream, from causing the physical body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens. This can lead to a state where a person is lying in his or her bed and he or she feels paralyzed. [[Hypnagogia|Hypnagogic]] [[hallucination]] may occur in this state, especially auditory ones. Effects of sleep paralysis include heaviness or inability to move the muscles, rushing or pulsating noises, and brief hypnogogic imagery. Experiencing sleep paralysis is a necessary part of WILD, in which the dreamer essentially detaches his "dream" body from the paralyzed one. ===Out-of-body experience=== An [[out-of-body experience]] (OBE or sometimes OOBE) is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical [[human body|body]] from a place outside one's body ([[autoscopy]]). About one in ten people has had an out-of-body experience at some time in their lives.<ref>[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823141057.htm First Out-of-body Experience Induced In Laboratory Setting]. ScienceDaily (Aug. 24, 2007) </ref> Scientists know little about the phenomenon.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4271018.stm Out-of-body or all in the mind?] BBC news (2005).</ref> ==Why we are not always lucid in dreams== Puzzling to many people, given the frequent bizarreness, illogic and dislocation of dreams, is why dreamers are not lucid all of the time. How can our dreaming selves accept as real so many settings, images and events that in waking life, we assume, would immediately jolt us into disbelief? The answer to this has been approached in three categories of investigation. * [[Depth psychology]]: the thrust of personality and [[psychotherapeutic]] approaches to this issue suggest that the [[unconscious]] “dream-work” is repressing or inhibiting critical evaluation of the dream in order to perform its [[salutary]] function. “Belief” in the dream symbols and experience is required for healing, personality integration or [[catharsis]] to take place. Lucidity can only arise if a person is relatively free of un-reconciled conflicts which form barriers.<ref>{{cite book | last =Sparrow | first =Gregory Scott | title = Lucid Dreaming: Dawning of the Clear Light | publisher =A.R.E Press |date=1976 | location = | pages = pages 52-53 | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 87604-086-5 }}</ref> * [[Physiology]]: “seeing is believing” to the brain during any mental state. Even waking [[consciousness]] is liable to accept discontinuous or illogical experience as real if presented as such to the brain. <ref>{{cite book | last =LaBerge | first =Stephen | title = Lucid Dreaming: A Concise Guide to awakening in Your Dreams and in Your Life | publisher =Sounds True |date=2004 | location = | pages = page 15 | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 1-59179-150-2 }}</ref> Dream consciousness is similar to that of a [[hallucinating]] awake subject. Dream or hallucinatory images triggered by the [[brain stem]] are considered to be real, even if fantastic. <ref>{{cite book | last =Jouvet | first =Michel | title = The Paradox of Sleep: The Story of Dreaming | publisher =MIT |date=1999 | location = | pages = page 75 | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0-262-10080-0 }}</ref> The impulse to accept the evident is so strong the dreamer will often invent a memory or story to cover up an incongruous or unrealistic event in the dream. “That man has two heads!” is usually followed not with “I must be dreaming!” but with “Yes, I read in the paper about these famous Siamese twins.” <ref>{{cite book | last =McLeester | first =#### Ed. | title = Welcome to the Magic Theater: A Handbook for Exploring Dreams | publisher =Food for Thought |date=1976 | location = | pages = page 99 | url = | doi = | oclc = 76-29541 }}</ref> * [[Developmental psychology]]: this approach suggests that the dream world is not really “unnatural” after all, since we were dreaming as children before we learned all of the physical and social laws that train the mind to a “reality.” Fluid imaginative constructions may have preceded the more rigid, logical waking rules and continue on as a normative [[lifeworld]] alongside the acquired, waking lifeworld. The dreaming “I” basically accepts its world as natural as does the waking “I” its world. Dreaming and waking consciousness differ only in their respective level of expectations, the waking “I” expecting a stricter set of “reality rules” as the child matures. The experience of “waking up” normally establishes the boundary between the two lifeworlds and cues the consciousness to adapt to waking “I” expectations. At times, however, this cue is false—a [[false awakening]]. Here the waking “I” (with its level of expectations) is activated even though the experience is still hallucinatory. Incongruous images or illogical events during this type of dream can result in lucidity as the dream is being judged by waking “standards.” <ref>{{cite book | last =Oldis | first =Daniel | title = Lucid Dreams, Dreams and Sleep | publisher =USD Press |date=1974 | location = | pages = pages 173-178, 191 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=Vex2v68fVAYC&pg=PA48&dq=160303496X&sig=pC0fAyC2BsknYQ2KsuxBW3YPCy0#PPA173,M1 | doi = | id = ISBN 978-1-60303-496-8 }}</ref> ==See also== *[[Astral projection]] *[[Dream argument]] *[[Dream question]] *[[Hemi-Sync]] *[[List of dream diaries|List of published dream diaries]] *[[Pre-lucid dream]] *[[The Art of Dreaming]] ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book|title=[http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=3236]Zen and the Brain: Toward and Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness|year=2000|isbn=978-0-262-01164-8|first=James|last=Austin||authorlink= meditation}} * {{cite book|title=The Conscious Exploration of Dreaming|year=2000|isbn=1-58500-539-8|first=Janice|last=Brooks|coauthors=Vogelsong, Jay}} *[[Carlos_Castaneda|Castaneda, Carlos]]. ''The Art of Dreaming''. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. * {{cite book|title=[http://www.amazon.com/dp/141344668X]Wrestling With Ghosts: A Personal and Scientific Account of Sleep Paralysis--and Lucid Dreaming|year=2004|isbn=978-1413446685|first=Jorge|last=Conesa-Sevilla|authorlink=sleep paralysis}} * {{cite book|title=Sleep Paralysis Signaling (SPS) As A Natural Cueing Method for the Generation and Maintenance of Lucid Dreaming. Presented at The 83rd Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association, May 1-4, 2003, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. |year=2003|isbn|first=Jorge|last=Conesa-Sevilla|authorlink=sleep paralysis}} * {{cite book|title=[http://www.sleepandhypnosis.org/article.asp?ID=125&issue=16]Isolated Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreaming: Ten-year longitudinal case study and related dream frequencies, types, and categories. Sleep and Hypnosis, 4, (4), 132-143. |year=2002|isbn=|first=Jorge|last=Conesa-Sevilla|authorlink=sleep paralysis}} * {{cite book|title=Dreams and How to Guide Them|year=1982|isbn=0-7156-1584-X|first=Hervey|last=de Saint-Denys|authorlink=Hervey de Saint-Denys}} * {{cite book|title=Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain|year=1988|isbn=0-306-42849-0|authorlink=Jayne Gackenbach|first=Jayne|last=Gackenbach|coauthors=Laberge, Stephen}} * {{cite book|title=Creative Dreaming|year=1974|isbn=0-671-21903-0|first=Patricia L.|last=Garfield}} * {{cite book|title=The Lucid Dreamer|year=1994|isbn=0-671-87248-6|first=Malcom|last=Godwin}} * {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreams|year=1968|isbn=0-900076-00-3|first=Celia|last=Green|authorlink=Celia Green}} * {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreaming: The Paradox of Consciousness During Sleep|year=1994|isbn=0-415-11239-7|first=Celia|last=Green|coauthors=McCreery, Charles}} * {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreaming|year=1985|isbn=0-87477-342-3|first=Stephen|last=LaBerge|authorlink=Stephen LaBerge}} * {{cite book|title=Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming|year=1991|isbn=0-345-37410-X|first=Stephen|last=LaBerge}} * {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreaming for Beginners: Simple Techniques for Creating Interactive Dreams|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7387-0887-4|first=Mark|last=McElroy}} * {{cite book|title=Tibetan Yogas Of Dream And Sleep|year=1998|isbn=1-55939-101-4|authorlink=Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche|first=Tenzin|last=Wangyal Rinpoche}} * {{Cite book|chapter=The Lucid Dream|title=The Head Trip: Adventures on the Wheel of Consciousness|year=2007|isbn=978-0679314080|first=Jeff|last=Warren}} * {{cite book|title=Advanced Lucid Dreaming - The Power of Supplements|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4303-0542-2|first=Thomas|last=Yuschak}} ==External links== <!-- ==============================({{NoMoreLinks}})============================== --> <!-- DO NOT ADD MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. 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