Unlocking the Dream Realm: Exploring Lucid Consciousness

In 2010, when Christopher Nolan’s movie “Inception” was released, there was a sudden increase in searches on Google about lucid dreams. People wanted to know whether this phenomenon is real or just a fictional story from a movie. People were astonished by the idea of how it could be possible to transition from one dream to another and that time flowed differently in each dream. Moreover, the characters in the film were aware that they were in a dream in every dream.

In this movie, we see everything that perhaps, at some point, we all have experienced in our dreams. The world of dreams is indeed like that. Sometimes, we climb tall buildings in a single leap, sometimes we find ourselves flying effortlessly. Sometimes, we become celebrities in our dreams, knowing full well that we are dreaming and wishing that the dream never ends. Well, such dreams should never end after all, you’re a celebrity there. But sometimes, there is such a bad dream, that we know it’s a dream and we wish someone would wake us up with a voice and we could get out of this dream.

The Evolution of Lucid Dreaming

This phenomenon is called lucid dreaming, which may have been among us since humans began conversing in language. 

Well, perhaps the earliest mention of this was found in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures over 2000 years ago, but the first detailed account was written by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. He wrote about it in his work when we reach a state of awareness in our sleep. So, in this way, this subject has been mentioned for thousands of years, but it was formally brought to the attention of science in the 19th century when scientists conducted in-depth research and learned what happens when we are in a lucid dream.

Research and experiments conducted in the 1960s and 1970s revealed that lucid dreams are directly linked to REM sleep. With the help of advanced technology such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and other scientific tools, researchers can now observe and analyze the brain more closely and determine exactly what happens when experiencing a lucid dream.

So, now that we’ve discussed a lot, let’s get to the point and understand what an actual lucid dream is, what causes it, and whether it has any benefits or drawbacks on mental health.

What is lucid dreaming?

In simple terms, a lucid dream is a type of dream where you are aware that you are asleep and dreaming, rather than just experiencing the dream as real until you wake up. If you want to control your dreams, which is theoretically possible for some people, lucid dreaming is the first step. So, in a way, lucid dreaming is very important if you want to harness the ability to control your dreams and add or remove elements according to your will.

Initially, a dreamer can only control a few elements in their dream, such as lifting a glass to drink water or hitting the brakes in a car. But as they practice more, some people can teleport themselves from one situation to another. For example, if there’s a tiger chasing you in a jungle, you can teleport yourself to a restaurant and enjoy dinner there. Gradually, this will start feeling like operating in a virtual reality where you can enjoy your favorite situations in your favorite locations.

According to research, lucid dreaming is not very rare, nor is it a superpower that only a few people possess. More than 50% of individuals believe that they have experienced this type of dream two or more times in their lifetime. Additionally, 23% of people believe that they have such dreams regularly, with an average duration of 14 minutes. These dreams vary significantly, ranging from very regular experiences to thrilling adventures. They can involve anything from revisiting one’s old college to experiencing terrifying scenarios. Unlike our regular dreams, lucid dreams offer a plethora of varieties and creativity since we are essentially creating them ourselves. This can include flying, chatting with friends in our old college, going on a road trip with a celebrity, or living a lavish lifestyle like a super-rich person.

Unraveling the Causes of Lucid Dreams

When the frontal cortex of our brain, which is responsible for self-awareness and our sense of self-reflection, is in a state where it cannot distinguish between our waking self and our sleeping self, we experience lucid dreams.

So basically, when we’re in deep, regular sleep and experiencing dreams, our frontal cortex is essentially in offline mode, which is why those dreams feel real to us. But when we’re in a lucid dream, some parts of our frontal cortex remain active. In other words, if we were to say that some ability of our frontal cortex is always there to maintain our self-awareness, but not entirely.

Actually, there’s no exact time pinpointed for the onset of lucid dreams, but research suggests that they typically occur during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, which occurs roughly an hour or so after we fall asleep. This timing makes sense because it’s during REM sleep that we typically experience our regular dreams, and lucid dreams seem to start alongside regular dreaming. Researchers are still exploring whether lucid dreaming represents a completely different stage from normal REM sleep.

If you’re on this page, it’s obvious that you’re fascinated by lucid dreaming and want to learn more about it. But more than anything, you probably wish you could control your dreams if given the chance. Well, no one can guarantee you’ll experience lucid dreams and be able to control them 100%, but there are some techniques and methods that, if you train yourself with, might help you achieve that experience.

One technique, developed after some studies, involves staying awake at night for a while and then going back to sleep, repeating this process multiple times. In simple terms, this is called the WBTB (Wake Back to Bed) method. With the help of the WBTB method, you can achieve lucid dreaming quite quickly, whether it’s between midnight sleeps or by taking short naps early in the morning. Another technique involves repeatedly asking yourself throughout the day whether you are dreaming or not. Yet another technique, called MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams), involves thinking about what you want to dream about tonight throughout the day.

Some other techniques include maintaining a dream journal and taking supplements like galantamine, which is used in the treatment of dementia and has been shown in research to aid in achieving lucid dreams. However, we are against the use of any supplements and it should not be taken.

How can we use Lucid Dreaming?

The concept and experience of lucid dreaming are so fascinating that anyone would want to experience it. It’s such a thrilling experience that it attracts those who want to explore their inner dream world and live it more closely. Some researchers even suggest that it could be the ultimate form of experiencing something.

This world offers you a free, unique, and mind-boggling experience that you can control, providing dreamers with the opportunity to engage in activities and actions without any real-life risks that they wouldn’t dare to think about otherwise.

All this talk about what lucid dreaming is and how it happens is fascinating, but can it be of any use? Can it serve any purpose for humans? Even if it’s still in the research stage, if nature has granted us this ability, there must be a reason for it. Who knows, we might discover that reason in the future or understand its true meaning and purpose as time progresses. Whatever the case, even in the present, researchers believe that it could have some practical applications.

Boosting Creativity

Because lucid dreaming gives us so much control, we can invent and create anything in our dreams. We can be extremely creative and safely explore new environments, scenes, and characters in our dreams with precise control. This level of creativity is unparalleled. It’s like watching a movie where we are both the director and the viewer, constantly changing the script, action, and location according to our mood as the movie progresses. 

Who knows, maybe Christopher Nolan himself watched “Inception” in his dreams and edited it there. Then he brought it to life in the real world. Who knows?

Less Scary Nightmares

Yes, that’s a benefit I also agree with because I’ve experienced many nightmares myself, and believe me, they can be really unpleasant and terrifying. Many researchers believe that lucid dreaming has a positive effect on those who suffer from nightmares or have bad memories. People who constantly experience scary dreams and become afraid of sleeping are said to benefit from lucid dreaming. As we know, lucid dreaming provides a good level of control to the dreamer, so they can change many things in their nightmares. They can transport themselves to a better situation, turn their would-be killer into a harmless character like a joker, or find endless opportunities to control their nightmares.

Relief in Anxiety

Anxiety is an issue that everyone experiences and everyone wants to deal with, some experience it excessively, while others experience it minimally. People try different therapies, yoga, medicine, etc., to control it, but did you know that you can control it better through your dreams? Researchers say that if you experience lucid dreams, you can control your anxiety to a great extent, and this is also very good for PTSD ( Post-traumatic stress disorder). Many people who try to become players, fighters, public speakers, or stand-up comedians can create situations in their dreams by controlling them to perform according to their mind, and that too in a very controlled manner. If something goes wrong, they know it’s a dream.

The Potential Risks of Lucid Dreaming

Indeed, hearing about lucid dreaming sounds fascinating, and after knowing its benefits, perhaps everyone will think it’s worth a try. But wait, every coin has two sides, and if lucid dreams are beneficial, there could also be some potential drawbacks that you should know about before diving in.

Some research shows that due to intense lucid dreaming, some people experience symptoms similar to psychopathology. They begin to perceive themselves as dissociated, and depression may increase. This outcome seems logical because on one hand, they are heroes in their dreams, able to do whatever they want, with full control over situations and locations. However, when they come out of their dream world into the real world, they feel they have no control over anything. This can lead to further frustration and distress. 

There are several methods to induce lucid dreaming, some of which involve waking up during deep sleep and waiting for 30-60 minutes before going back to sleep. By repeating this multiple times, most people begin to experience lucid dreams. However, this can become a habit, causing us to miss out on quality and deep sleep, which directly impacts our health. Therefore, compromising our sleep quality for the sake of lucid dreaming poses a risk of developing long-term sleep disorders.

Well, after learning so much about lucid dreams, their benefits, and drawbacks, perhaps some of you may decide to give it a try, and maybe some of you will succeed in controlling your dreams. Sleep well, dream well.