Lucid Dreams in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Include Nightmares.

Among 54 military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurrent nightmares, over half reported experiencing lucid dreaming—awareness during a dream that one is dreaming. Nearly all of those individuals specifically reported lucidity in nightmares. The lucid nightmare profile featured high awareness of dreaming but low control over dream content. Veterans described feeling stuck and anxious, and they tried unsuccessfully to awaken from these lucid nightmares. The findings suggest that lucid nightmares occur commonly in veterans with PTSD, with a profile similar to that previously reported for lucid dreaming experiences generally in this group.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A previous study in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurrent nightmares found a high prevalence of lucid dreaming (LD), the awareness while a dream continues that one is dreaming, and an "LD profile" characterized by frequent dream awareness and rare dream content control. Given the importance of the nightmare disturbance in PTSD, this study assessed with questionnaires the prevalence and characteristics of lucid nightmares, specifically, in a sample of 54 veterans with PTSD. Over half the sample endorsed experiencing LD, with nearly all of these individuals explicitly reporting lucidity in nightmares. The lucid nightmare profile was characterized by high awareness and low content control. Veterans reported feeling stuck and anxious, trying unsuccessfully to awaken from lucid nightmares. We conclude that lucid nightmares may occur commonly in veterans with PTSD, with a profile resembling that previously reported for LD experiences generally in this group.