{"id":857,"date":"2021-09-07T06:49:52","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T06:49:52","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-01-10T13:04:30","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T13:04:30","slug":"what-are-lucid-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/what-are-lucid-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Lucid Dreams?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all have dreams, but how many of yours could be described as lucid dreams?<\/p>\n

Often described as an experience somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, lucid dreaming is a unique experience coveted by few people.<\/p>\n

Lucid dreaming represents an interesting dream state<\/a>, where the person involved is asleep but aware they\u2019re dreaming. In this state, where your mind is still highly active, it\u2019s possible to take control of your dream\u2019s narrative. In some cases during lucid dreams, you can decide exactly what you do in your dream.<\/p>\n

You might be wondering, what are the benefits of having lucid dreams?<\/p>\n

Research into lucid dreaming is still ongoing. Typically, this kind of sleep is associated with awareness and \u201cmetacognition\u201d \u2013 the ability to understand your own thought process. Some people believe that lucid dreaming helps to inspire better creativity<\/a> and problem solving. Others believe the ability to engage in lucid dreaming might help with mental health issues and mindfulness.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore the realities of lucid dreaming, and how they work.<\/p>\n

What are Lucid Dreams? The Basics<\/h2>\n

Lucid dreams are brief moments of dreaming when you\u2019re asleep but aware you\u2019re dreaming. These dreams are most common during the \u201cREM\u201d or Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep. REM is when dreaming occurs, and it\u2019s often defined by higher levels of brain activity and faster breathing.<\/p>\n

We have several periods of REM sleep each night, usually occurring about 90 minutes into the sleep cycle. Every time you enter REM, the time you spend in dreamland lasts a little longer.<\/p>\n

Awareness of lucid dreaming goes back much further than some people think. The Greek philosopher Aristotle once wrote about awareness in dreaming in his work \u201cOn Dreams<\/a>.\u201d It wasn\u2019t until the nineteenth century that scientists began looking more formally at lucid dreaming and what it can do. The development of tools like the EEG (Electroencephalogram) helped us gain a better insight into the brain when lucid dreaming takes place.<\/p>\n

How Do You Know if You\u2019ve Had Lucid Dreams?<\/h2>\n

Most people aren\u2019t aware they\u2019re dreaming when they\u2019re in the middle of a dream. Even when strange things happen around us, we embrace them during the dream scenario. Only around 23% of people say they have lucid dreams once per month, and 55% say<\/a> they\u2019ve experienced one or more lucid dreams in their lifetime.<\/p>\n

The easiest way to define a lucid dream is to ask yourself if you were aware you were dreaming. If you knew you were in a dream, and the experience was still very vivid, you were probably lucid dreaming. Many people report that lucid dreams feature intense emotions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some studies indicate lucid dreaming<\/a> is more common in women and may decrease in frequency as we get older. Research from Germany<\/a> also found those naturally prone to Lucid dreams usually have a larger pre-frontal cortex and may be better at various cognitive abilities than others \u2013 like self-reflection. There are even studies underway into how our genetics might influence our dreams.<\/p>\n

According to reports, receptors called Chrm1 and Chrm3<\/a> may be responsible for our ability to dream. Other researchers have found people more able to control their body movements and eye movements during sleeping sessions are also more likely to access lucid dreaming states.<\/p>\n

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What are the Benefits of Lucid Dreams?<\/h2>\n

The most common question after \u201cwhat are lucid dreams?\u201d is \u201cwhy are they a good thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

For most of us, the idea of being able to control our dreams<\/a> would be a compelling one. If you\u2019ve ever suffered from night terrors or particularly vivid dreams, the ability to take control of these sleeping sessions is sure to be appealing. Lucid dreaming is intriguing because it offers an immersive experience, we can fully lose ourselves in.<\/p>\n

With a lucid dream, you have the power to explore a unique world unlike any other, where you have full control over what you can do and what happens around you. Other potential benefits of lucid dreaming include:<\/p>\n