Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep

Lucid dreaming—dreaming while aware that one is dreaming—was verified in five selected subjects who signaled that they knew they were dreaming while continuing to dream during unambiguous REM sleep. The signals were specific dream actions with observable physical counterparts, performed according to pre-sleep agreement. This signaling ability allows proficient lucid dreamers to conduct dream experiments, marking the exact timing of dream events to enable precise psychophysiological correlations and systematic hypothesis testing.

Study at a glance

Abstract

SUMMARY: The occurrence of lucid dreaming (dreaming while being conscious that one is dreaming) has been verified for 5 selected subjects who signaled that they knew they were dreaming while continuing to dream during unequivocal REM sleep. The signals consisted of particular dream actions having observable concomitants and were performed in accordance with pre-sleep agreement. The ability of proficient lucid dreamers to signal in this manner makes possible a new approach to dream research--such subjects, while lucid, could carry out diverse dream experiments marking the exact time of particular dream events, allowing derivation of of precise psychophysiological correlations and methodical testing of hypotheses.