NEUROSCIENCE OF SLEEP AND COGNITION: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW DREAM LUCIDITY INDUCTION PROTOCOL – A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

The lack of standardized, efficient, and dependable lucid dream induction methods is one of the major barriers to studying the clinical and non-clinical applications of dream lucidity. Although the interest in therapeutic usage of lucid dreaming strategies in neuroscience of consciousness studies has increased in recent decades, many of the current induction approaches appear to not be replicable reliably. In this study, a new protocol for bringing on lucid dreaming was created, implemented, analyzed, and contrasted with two distinct other approaches. Techniques to induce dream lucidity include reality testing methods, the wake-and-go-to-bed technique, mnemonic initiation, senses-initiation, and a combination of the above. Before beginning their 2 weeks of lucid dream induction new protocol study, a total of 36 participants filled out a pre-test survey, maintained a dream recall diary and sleep log for the duration of the experiment, and completed a final survey. The findings showed that both the mnemonic induction and senses-initiation techniques were mildly effective in bringing about lucid dreaming. The new hybrid protocol, combining the reality check stra- tegy with dream recall amplification, performed significantly better. For lucid dream induction to work optimally, participants needed to become more proficient at remembering their dreams after waking up, so they were requested to maintain a sleep journal for 7 days before the experiment and throughout the study to enhance their ability to dream recall. There was no correlation found between the quality of one's sleep and the frequency of dream lucidity. The results demonstrated that the new induction protocol was more successful than the other two investigated methods. There are many clinical applications for dream lucidity, such as treatment of recurring and debilitating nightmares, narcolepsy, and PTSD. Therapeu- tic potential also includes future usage for anesthesia awareness and locked-in syndrome. As such, further dream lucidity research remains important.