The science behind lucid dreaming
In lucid dreams, the dreamer realizes they are dreaming even as they remain asleep. What is the science behind this intriguing consciousness phenomenon? This special feature looks at the current research.
Typically, when we dream, we are not aware that we are dreaming, and the most unlikely events, characters, and environments seem real to us.
But now and again, some of us realize that we are in a dream as we are dreaming. This phenomenon is called "lucid dreaming," and it has stirred the interest of researchers and the public alike.
Learning to control aspects of your dreams can be a great way of exploring activities you could never do in real life, facing and overcoming fears, and learning more about your subconscious.
In a previous special feature on Medical News Today, we have explained what lucid dreams are, talked about some techniques you can apply to achieve them, and looked at whether there are any risks associated with this practice.
In this article, we take that discussion a step further, looking at some of the science behind lucid dreaming.
So if you are interested in finding out how common lucid dreams are, who is more prone to having them and why, and what happens in the brain during a lucid dream, read on.
How common are lucid dreams?
It remains unclear how many people experience lucid dreams, but researchers have provided rough estimates based on personal reports they accessed through their studies.
A 2017 study published in the journal Imagination, Cognition and Personality: Consciousness in Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice referred to estimates suggesting that in a representative population, 51% of the individuals had experienced a lucid dream at least once in their lives, and about 20% experienced lucid dreams at least once a month.
The same study notes that people are more likely to experience spontaneous lucid dreams in their childhood, starting at about 3 and 4 years old. However, the likelihood of lucid dreaming begins to decline in early adolescence.
"After the age of 25, spontaneous onset of lucid dreaming appears to be very infrequent," the study authors write.
The researchers — who hail from the Universities of Mannheim and Heidelberg, both in Germany — investigated whether or not personality traits could help predict a person's likelihood of experiencing lucid dreams.
The study found that openness to an experience correlates positively with lucid dreaming frequency. However, agreeableness —a personality trait that often indicates a person's level of friendliness and tact in interpersonal relationships — does not.
The study also identified that neuroticism — a personality factor that often presents as strong moods, anxiety, and depression — had associations with a higher frequency of lucid dreams.
