When we fall asleep, we often start dreaming. Some dreams you remember, and some you don’t. Some are vivid, almost like movies. Others are simpler, closer to our waking thoughts. In some, you may even start recognizing that you are in fact dreaming; these are called lucid dreams. Although there are still many things that we do not know about lucid dreams, scientists are investigating what makes them so special and how they can be induced.
What is a lucid dream
When we dream, we usually believe that what we are experiencing is real. But in a lucid dream, we realize that we are sleeping and experiencing a dream. Sometimes, we can control parts of the dream, but this often takes more time and practice.
Does lucid dreaming affect your sleep?
Lucid dreaming itself does not harm sleep, but some methods people use to achieve lucid dreaming might. One popular technique is called “Wake Back to Bed.” This involves setting an alarm to wake up in the middle of the night, then going back to sleep while focusing on the goal of having a lucid dream. This method can work but using it too often may disrupt sleep patterns over time.
Can you control whether you have lucid dreams?
Lucid dreams can happen naturally—about 50% of people will have at least one in their lifetime— but you can also train yourself to have them more often. One way is to practice “reality checks” while you are awake. For example, drop a pen on a table to see if gravity still works or try turning the lights on and off. If something seems strange, you might be dreaming!
How are lucid dreams tracked or monitored?
Lucid dreams can be monitored by researchers using eye movements. Dreamers can signal when they become lucid by moving their eyes left to right, twice in a row. Since your real eye movements match what happens in your dream, this can be recorded using electrodes placed around the eyes. Some wearable devices can detect these movements and track lucidity episodes.
Do you always remember lucid dreams?
Lucid dreams are often easier to remember because they tend to be particularly vivid and exciting. However, just like regular dreams, they can sometimes fade quickly upon waking. Interestingly, some people have been recorded signaling lucid episodes with eye movements, but have no memory of the dream after waking. This suggests that even when someone has a lucid dream, they may still forget it.
Who is likely to have lucid dreams?
Anyone can learn to have lucid dreams, but some people experience them more often. Studies show that lucid dreaming is more common in people who remember their dreams often and have a strong imagination. People that practice meditation regularly and engage in creative activities such as writing, drawing, or storytelling, also tend to lucid dream more frequently. However, lucid dreaming is a skill that anyone can develop with practice. Even if you have never had a lucid dream before, using reality checks, keeping a dream journal, and setting an intention before sleep can increase your chances of having one.
Want to try having a lucid dream?
If you would like to experience lucid dreaming, set a goal to have a lucid dream tonight. Just thinking about it and being excited can increase your chances—so reading this article might already be helping you!
Leila Salvesen, PhD in Cognitive, Computational and Social Neurosciences from IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca (Italy) and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University (Netherlands). Her research mainly focuses on sleep and consciousness. In her doctoral thesis, she explored the effects of sensory stimulation on dream content.