Scientifically speaking, what are the best ways to go lucid in a dream? This is the subject of a recent essay published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition. The authors, all German and Swiss researchers, looked at 35 studies of lucid … [Read more...] about 6 Best Scientifically Tested Techniques for Lucid Dreaming
New Dream Studies
Lucid Dreaming on the Brain
A fascinating new study has just come out showing precisely the parts of the brain that are associated with meta-consciousness, or the ability to be conscious of ourselves. Michael Dresler and co-researchers from the Max Planck Institute of … [Read more...] about Lucid Dreaming on the Brain
10 Habits and Traits of Successful Lucid Dreamers
I'll just go ahead and say it: not everyone is cut out to be a lucid dreamer. I'm not meaning to be a downer, but it's true. While there is so much hype about how achieving self-awareness in your dreams is a learnable skill—and it surely is—some … [Read more...] about 10 Habits and Traits of Successful Lucid Dreamers
Neuroscience of Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming research is growing up. At least, that is Allan Hobson's take on the recent burst of scientific studies published on conscious dreaming. Once a myth of Carlos Castaneda, and then a topic guaranteed to instantly transport researchers to … [Read more...] about Neuroscience of Lucid Dreaming
The Mystery of Hypnagogia
Hypnagogia is the imagery, sounds and strange bodily feelings that are felt at “sleep onset.” This is a simplification though, as researchers have noted hypnagogic imagery in the lab at periods of quiet wakefulness as well as stage 1 sleep. Others … [Read more...] about The Mystery of Hypnagogia
Lucid Dreaming: a Hybrid of REM and Waking Cognition
A study accepted in the journal Sleep last month (but not yet published) claims that lucid dreaming should be not be considered a REM dreaming phenomenon but rather a unique state of consciousness (Voss, et al., 2009). Poetically, the assertion that … [Read more...] about Lucid Dreaming: a Hybrid of REM and Waking Cognition