Scientists Talking to Dreamers
Overview
In the past few years, researchers took a great interest in the science of sleep and dreams. Revealing the mysteries of these fascinating phenomena will help us understand how each function influence mental and physical health.
So far, the exploration of this field of human physiology is still limited due to our poor understanding of sleep and dreams.
In this article, we will cover a recent breakthrough that unveils the possibility to communicate with people in their dreams – just like inception!
The research of lucid dreams
According to one recent study, researchers managed to have a conversation with people in the midst of lucid dreams. This is referred to as interactive dreaming.
Impressively, participants managed to answer the questions correctly, including math problems. The conversations took place when participants were in the Rapid-Eye Movement (REM) phase of their sleep.
The authors of the study stated that there is an untapped channel of communication that could open the door for a new exploration of the dream world.
Before this study, several researchers explored the possibility of communicating with lucid dreamers and asking them to perform tasks the next morning. However, the research is still limited, which slowed down the progress of this field.
Nevertheless, speaking to a person while they dream and getting an answer from them is still a fascinating phenomenon to witness.
Back to our study
Scientists recruited 36 people who participated in sleeping experiments in laboratories across the United States, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The purpose of the study was to stimulate a person to reach a lucid state, where the person realizes they are in a dream.
To increase the accuracy of the study, researchers included numerous experienced lucid dreams, as well as people with less experienced with this type of dream.
To verify that participants entered the REM phase of sleep, an EEG machine and other sleep-monitoring equipment were placed.
For those of you unfamiliar with the field of sleep monitoring, an EEG machine allows doctors to determine when the person reaches a deep state of sleep by demonstrating brainwaves. Additionally, the equipment placed on the eyes allows us to monitor eye movements.
The next step of the study involved asking some of the participants to move their eyes in a specific left-right pattern to confirm that they were in a dream.
Scientists used eye signals and facial contortions as a way to communicate with participants during their sleep.
For instance, one participant was asked to subtract 6 from 8 when he was in a lucid dream. He correctly answered by moving his eyes from left to right twice. Repeated questions led to similar results, which eliminates the chances of luck responses.
Here is the analysis of the study’s results:
- 18% of the trials resulted in clear and accurate communication with the lucid dreams
- 17% produced indecipherable answers
- 3% ended with incorrect responses
- 60% did not provoke any response at all
Interestingly, many participants successfully recalled the interactions they had with the researchers after waking up. Some participants described the interactions as a voiceover narrator or a radio speaker that came from an external source (outside of their dreams).
The authors of the study stated their enthusiasm to conduct more experiments that explore the possibilities of communicating with lucid dreams.
The results of this study opened the door for endless experiments that explore the world of sleep and dreams. Using the information we got from this study may allow us to utilize new techniques to promote ideas in the lucid dreamer.
For instance, if you set your fitness goals by every new year’s resolution, only to abandon all steps toward that goal, using lucid dreams to motivate you may be a valid solution.
Takeaway message
Communicating with lucid dreams is a breakthrough in the field of sleep medicine that could change the way we see dreams in the near future.
We hope that this article simplified the fascinating findings of this study and the potential uses of this information in a practical way.
If you still have any questions about lucid dreams or anything sleep-related, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
