Lucid dreams

Every night, we enter a different state of consciousness in which our usual perception of reality changes. In dreams, we see places, meet people, experience emotions, and take part in events that often feel just as real as everyday life. Yet this world is formed primarily from our memories, emotions, and imagination.

One of the most fascinating aspects of dreaming is the brain's ability to create an entire world in which we act, make decisions, and perceive everything as real, usually without even realizing that we are asleep.

Lucid Dreaming

Sometimes, while still dreaming, a person suddenly realizes that everything happening around them is a dream, yet remains asleep. This phenomenon is known as lucid dreaming.

Unlike ordinary dreaming, this state allows a person to recognize that they are asleep, make conscious decisions, and sometimes influence the course of the dream. For example, they may choose where to go, explore the dream environment, or attempt things that would be impossible in waking life. However, being aware of a dream does not necessarily mean being able to control it. A person may know they are dreaming without being able to change what happens.

Scientists associate this phenomenon with metacognition — the ability to recognize and observe one's own thoughts and experiences. Lucid dreaming is particularly fascinating because this ability can remain active even during sleep.

What Science Says

The brain does not stop working during sleep. Throughout the night, we cycle through different stages of sleep, including REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. During this stage, certain patterns of brain activity resemble those seen during wakefulness, vivid and emotional dreams frequently occur, and most skeletal muscles become temporarily inactive.

Lucid dreaming has been studied most extensively during REM sleep. Scientists have experimentally confirmed its existence: after becoming lucid, sleeping participants were able to send signals to researchers using previously agreed-upon eye movements. This was possible because eye movements remain active during REM sleep, even while most of the body's muscles are temporarily immobilized.

A study published in 2021 revealed an even more remarkable finding. Some participants were able to hear researchers' questions during lucid dreams and respond through eye movements and facial muscle contractions. This demonstrated that, in certain circumstances, a sleeping person can not only become aware of their state but also process external information and respond intentionally.

These discoveries suggest that the boundary between sleep and wakefulness is not always sharply defined. A person can remain asleep while consciously performing certain actions.

How to Experience Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreams sometimes occur spontaneously, but several techniques aim to increase the likelihood of experiencing them. Their main purpose is to develop attention, memory, and self-awareness so that a person may recognize the dream state while still dreaming.

One of the simplest practices is keeping a dream journal. Immediately after waking, a person writes down everything they remember from their dreams — places, people, events, and unusual details. Over time, recurring situations or images may become noticeable. Remembering these patterns can help a person recognize similar signs in future dreams. Dream journaling is particularly useful for improving dream recall, although its independent effect on the frequency of lucid dreams has not been firmly established.

Another technique is reality testing. Throughout the day, a person periodically asks themselves, "Am I dreaming right now?" and carefully examines their surroundings. For example, they may read a piece of text, look away, and then read it again to see whether it has changed. The goal is not simply to repeat a mechanical action but to consciously question one's current state. If this habit carries over into a dream, it may help the dreamer realize they are asleep. However, scientific evidence for the effectiveness of reality testing on its own remains inconclusive.

One of the best-studied techniques is MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams), which relies on remembering an intention. A person recalls a recent dream and imagines how they could have recognized that they were dreaming. Then, while falling asleep, they repeat an intention such as, "The next time I'm dreaming, I will remember that I'm dreaming." The aim is to carry this intention into the dream state.

MILD is often combined with WBTB (Wake Back to Bed). In this technique, a person wakes after several hours of sleep, remains awake briefly, and then returns to sleep. REM periods generally become longer during the second half of the night, which may increase the opportunity to experience a lucid dream. However, deliberately interrupting sleep can reduce sleep quality, so such practices should not come at the expense of adequate rest.

Another approach is WILD (Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream), which aims to maintain awareness while falling asleep. In a relaxed state, a person observes the transition into sleep, attempting to remain aware as dreaming begins. During this transition, various images, sounds, and other sensations associated with falling asleep may appear. This technique is considered more challenging, and scientific evidence for its effectiveness remains limited.

No technique guarantees that a person will experience a lucid dream at a particular time. Research suggests that MILD has shown some of the most promising results, although success varies according to individual characteristics, sleep quality, and other factors.