If you thought that dreaming was just dreaming, you’d be wrong, because there are different forms of dreaming.
So, what is lucid dreaming?
A lucid dream is any dream in which you understand that you are ACTUALLY dreaming. During other forms of dreaming, the person dreaming is not aware that they are dreaming, no matter how ridiculous or eccentric the dream is.
In a lucid dream, the dreamer controls their participation within the dream to some degree. They may even be able to manipulate their imaginary experiences in the dream.
The term “lucid dreaming” was coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 article “A Study of Dreams”.
At the time, the scientific community did not accept his conclusions, since the paper was highly anecdotal with no hard scientific proof to support it.
Skeptics pointed out that there is no way to prove the truth of lucid dreaming, other than to ask the dreamer. However, since then, lucid dreaming has been researched scientifically, with test subjects performing predetermined physical responses while experiencing a lucid dream.
A lucid dream can begin in one of two ways.
A dream-initiated lucid dream starts as a normal dream, and the dreamer eventually concludes it is a dream. A wake-initiated lucid dream occurs when the dreamer goes from a normal waking state directly into a dream state.
Dream control and dream awareness are correlated; in some dreams, where the dreamer is lucid and aware they could exercise control, they choose simply to observe.
In 1992, a study by Deirdre Barrett examined whether lucid dreams contained four “corollaries” of lucidity:
- The dreamer is aware that they are dreaming
- Objects disappear after waking
- Physical laws need not apply in the dream
- The dreamer has a clear memory of the waking world
Barrett describes how some experienced lucid dreamers have learned to remember specific practical goals, such as artists looking for inspiration or computer programmers looking for a screen with their desired code.
On the other hand, Professor Norman Malcolm describes lucid dreaming as absurd and impossible. He cites as an example: “I dreamed that I realized I was dreaming, dreamed that I was affecting the course of my dream, and then dreamed that I woke myself up by telling myself to wake up”.
Others have explained that lucid dreaming is not really a part of sleep, but a brief wakeful state, or “micro-awakening”. Dr. John Allan Hobson came to the conclusion that lucid dreaming is a state of both waking and dreaming.
Recently, the controversy over the existence of lucid dreaming has moved in an unexpected direction.
The BBC reported in 2012 that “interest in lucid dreaming has grown in recent years”. As proof of this claim they gave examples of the many phone apps that exist to help people experience the phenomenon.
One such app was downloaded half a million times in six weeks!
Do you believe lucid dreaming exists?
Have you ever had a lucid dream? If so, would care to share your experience with our readers? You can do so easily by using the comments feed below.
