Attempted induction of signalled lucid dreaming by transcranial alternating current stimulation.
Consciousness and cognition – August 01, 2020
Source: PubMed
Summary
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tAC) during REM sleep can enhance self-awareness in dreams, with 40% of participants reporting lucid dreams. Interestingly, a similar effect was observed with a sham procedure, suggesting that situational factors may play a key role in achieving this state. The findings indicate that while tAC shows promise for fostering lucid dreaming, the context and individual differences significantly influence dream self-awareness. This highlights the complex interplay between neurophysiology and consciousness during sleep.
Abstract
Neurophysiological correlates of self-awareness during sleep ('lucid dreaming') remain unclear despite their importance for clarifying the neural underpinnings of consciousness. Transcranial direct (tDC) and alternating (tAC) current stimulation during sleep have been shown to increase dream self-awareness, but these studies' methodological weaknesses prompted us to undertake additional study. tAC stimulation was associated with signal-verified and self-rated lucid dreams-but so was the sham procedure. Situational factors may be crucial to inducing self-awareness during sleep.