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Scientists Say Lucid Dreaming is a New Form of Consciousness
The largest study of its kind discovered distinct brain activity during lucid dreaming
I only remember a dream about once or twice a year, and even then, it’s typically something mundane and unexciting. I’ve tried keeping dream journals and a few other “hacks” that are supposed to help us remember our dreams, but so far, nothing has worked. Instead, any dreams I may have remain in the realm of my subconscious.
Meanwhile, I know people who not only remember their dreams every morning but also have highly vivid and active dreamworlds. When these people dream, they aren’t passively experiencing them but actively controlling them — a phenomenon known as lucid dreaming that has long intrigued experts in many fields.
However, recently, researchers have compiled the most comprehensive study yet, revealing what occurs in the brain when a person has a lucid dream, and the results are fascinating.
What is Lucid Dreaming?
Over a century ago, in 1913, Dutch psychiatrist Frederik Willem van Eeden coined the term “lucid dream” after becoming curious about how some people could be actively intentional while dreaming.
