Lucid Dreaming is a phenomenon that occurs towards the end of the REM sleep cycle. Lucid Dreaming can be characterized by being aware that one is dreaming, and having some ability to control the dream that they are in. These dreams can be hallucinations of a fantasy world, or even seem very much like real life. Many people are able to induce Lucid Dreaming or have Lucid Dreams on a regular basis, this has some impact on the brain and can even impact the dreamers after they have woken up from the dream. Lucid Dreaming’s impact on individuals is still being studied, but Lucid Dreaming could be having an impact on the mental health of dreamers. The following two articles both discuss Lucid Dreaming and how it is a new way to study dreams, and the impact that dreams have on individuals.
In the research paper, “Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep”, Konkoly et al. performs a study where experimenters have the ability to talk to subjects while they are in the different world of Lucid Dreaming. In this study the experimenters were able to peer into and gain knowledge on dream experiences. Conclusions from this study proved that there can be two way communication while someone is dreaming, and individuals are able to perceive and respond to questions while asleep. This study has brought a whole new way of looking at sleep. The preconceived notion that while someone is asleep they are oblivious to the world, has been proven to be incorrect, and individuals are able to perceive their environment while in REM sleep, and even more while Lucid Dreaming.
The article, “Are Lucid Dreams Good for Us? Are We Asking the Right Question? A Call for Caution in Lucid Dream Research” the author, Nirit Soffer-Dudek explains that Lucid Dreaming may have a negative impact on the mental health of individuals. Soffer-Dudek states that a reason one would even want to Lucid Dream would be because of the alternate reality they are able to be somewhat conscious in, without the need for any physical substances. The article goes into detail how Lucid Dreaming is a hybrid sleep-awake state that activates frontal areas that are usually not activated while asleep, which could cause adverse health effects due to not getting the proper sleep, but this was found to be unlikely because dreamers do not spend much time in the Lucid Dream state. Lucid Dreaming has been found to be beneficial for PTSD, but detrimental for individuals suffering from psychosis because it increases hallucinations/delusions. Lucid Dreaming can be used as a therapeutic approach, especially for those who suffer from night terrors, to help them gain control and prevent further night terrors from happening. The article did not give specific statistics on how Lucid Dreaming could cause a negative impact on mental health, but did state that it is important to not ignore the possible risks that Lucid Dreaming can bring. Risks such as less productive sleep and crossing the sleep wake psychological boundary, can still have an impact on mental health.
References
Konkoly, K. R., Appel, K., Chabani, E., Mangiaruga, A., Gott, J., Mallett, R., Caughran, B., Witkowski, S., Whitmore, N. W., Mazurek, C. Y., Berent, J. B., Weber, F. D., Türker, B., Leu-Semenescu, S., Maranci, J.-B., Pipa, G., Arnulf, I., Oudiette, D., Dresler, M., & Paller, K. A. (2021). Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Current Biology, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.026
Soffer-Dudek N (2020) Are Lucid Dreams Good for Us? Are We Asking the Right Question? A Call for Caution in Lucid Dream Research. Front. Neurosci. 13:1423. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01423
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