Predictive coding, multisensory integration, and attentional control: A multicomponent framework for lucid dreaming.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America November 1, 2022 Péter Simor, Tamás Bogdány, Philippe Peigneux 23 citations
Lucid dreaming occurs when a person realizes they are dreaming while still asleep, often involving vivid images and unusual bodily sensations like flying. A new multicomponent framework proposes that lucid dreaming arises from prediction error signals during sleep, which are resolved by creating a superordinate self-model that integrates ambiguous sensory inputs from both the body and higher brain regions. Multisensory integration maintains lucidity and contributes to kinesthetic experiences, while attentional control balances top-down mental models and bottom-up sensory precision. This framework links neural correlates of lucid dreaming to sleep and arousal regulation, generating testable predictions about individual differences and neurocognitive mechanisms that induce lucid dreams.