Psychophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming.
Dreaming June 1, 2006 Brigitte Holzinger, Stephen LaBerge, Lynne Levitan 69 citations
In lucid dreams, where dreamers are aware they are dreaming, brain activity in the beta-1 frequency band (13–19 Hz) is higher in both parietal regions compared to nonlucid REM sleep. The ratio of frontal to parietal beta-1 activity shifts from 1 to 1.16 in nonlucid dreams to 1 to 1.77 in lucid dreams. The greatest increase tends to occur in the left parietal lobe (P3), an area linked to semantic understanding and self-awareness. Seven men and four women experienced in lucid dreaming were recorded over two nights, with lucidity confirmed by dream reports and eye-movement signals in response to light stimuli.