Lucid Dreams and Music: Improving Experience, Skill, and Confidence

There are many theories pertaining to the purpose of dreams. Dreams could stem from random activation, stimulate social situations, and involve cognitive functions, such as emotional adaptation, problem-solving, and creativity. Questions about dreaming have remained unanswered because of the limited options to research and understand dream experiences. Dream reports, which are given after a dream has been concluded, can be unreliable due to the distorted and fragmented nature of dreams upon waking. Because lucid dreams occur during REM sleep, eye-movement signals can be used to confirm lucid state and transmit information. In a recent study, "Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep", Karen Konkoly et al. presents real-time communication about a dream, as they show that individuals can perceive and answer questions during REM sleep, and if viable, can be used to promote further progress in dream research.

In a past study, "Lucid Music- A Pilot Study Exploring the Experiences and Potential of Music-Making in Lucid Dreams", Melanie Schädlich and Daniel Erlacher investigated the effects and quality of musical experience in waking life after music practice in lucid dreams. Lucid dreamers were to be interviewed after practicing a musical instrument or singing at least once in a lucid dream. Each interviewee had also played in front of an audience after a lucid music dream. Data was collected through interviews, where guided questions were asked to verbalize musicians' experiences post-lucid dreams. The article shows the interesting phenomenon that is lucid dreaming. The individual is conscious during lucid dreaming; thus, they can have control of what they can do and the environment they will be in. Musicians in the study created a safe space in their minds where they are allowed to practice, improvise, and be creative without the pressure of the waking world. Dreamers emphasized creativity and inspiration was enhanced with lucid music dreams. Improvement in guitar skills, confidence in performance, and believing one's voice sounds beautiful are all reports given by dreamers’ post-lucid dreams. Overall, results showed that making music through lucid dreams creates a positive and inspiring experience for musicians. It is important to note that this pilot study interviewed five lucid dreamers, thus the results represent individual experiences rather than a general effect of lucid music dreams. In addition, data was collected through dream reports through interviews. With a larger sample size, and an effective method of dream reports, a more robust conclusion can be made about the effects of lucid dreaming.

Karen Konkoly et al. demonstrate the possibility of communication with lucid dreamers to understand dream content. In the study, dreamers were able to remember pre-sleep instructions with how to respond, engage in working memory, and perform mathematical problems. Using an EEG and asking questions during a lucid dream showed evidence of engaging in cognitive behaviors while receiving information in real-time is useful for Schädlich and Erlacher. By designing specific cues, dreams can be facilitated in accordance with an individual's goals, such as improving a musical skill. Manipulating dream content in musicians can allow for certain problem-solving. Procedural memory, instrumental skills, and creativity can possibly be enhanced through lucid dreams. With the possibility of communication, dreamers can signal to the outside world with an internal struggle that affects their musical ability, such as anxiety, stage fright, and insecurities. Using eye movement, dreamers can answer questions and signal what's present in their dream content. If the content of a person's dream is known, changes can be recommended to further accommodate a person's goal in lucid dreaming. Attending to the inner conscious allows dreamers to find possible solutions and methods to improve their musical experience and skill, whether that be a creativity block, stage fright, or poor performance in a particular skill. Improving your skills and finding a solution to a musical problem can be carried over to the waking world, allowing improvement in musical abilities and self-confidence.

 

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, 31(7), 1417–1427.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.026

Schädlich, Melanie, and Daniel Erlacher. “Lucid Music - A Pilot Study Exploring the Experiences and Potential of Music-Making in Lucid Dreams.” Dreaming (New York, N.Y.), vol. 28, no. 3, Educational Publishing Foundation, 2018, pp. 278–86, doi:10.1037/drm0000073.