Researchers Explore Lucid Dreaming as a Technique to Overpower Nightmares
Researchers Explore Lucid Dreaming as a Technique to Overpower Nightmares
Warning to vengeful, firebreathing demon folk: Scientists are announcing a potential method to aid individuals in overcoming their nightmares, through a mix of therapy and lucid-dreaming techniques.
Although many of us encounter nightmares from time to time, some individuals face frequent nightmares so often that their day-to-day lives can be a drag. People with narcolepsy, a disorder that disrupts the balance between wakefulness and sleep, are particularly susceptible to nightmares, affecting up to 40% of those afflicted. Researchers from Northwestern University claim to have devised a strategy to assist with these troubling cases. They recently shared the findings from two different studies.
In one study, published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, the team demonstrated the ability to teach individuals lucid dreaming through a straightforward application.
This application utilizes a technique called targeted lucidity reactivation (TLR), which aims to train individuals to associate a specific sound signal with the intention of achieving lucidity during dreaming by fostering heightened awareness of their surroundings and inner state when hearing the cue. Research has shown that individuals in deep sleep can perceive external sounds and even smells, leading to the belief that they will be able to convert their dreams to the lucid state once they hear the cue again. The researchers discovered that the application successfully enhanced the occurrence of lucid dreams in their volunteers, from roughly 0.74 lucid dreams per week to more than two lucid dreams per week.
In a second small study, published in the journal of Sleep Research, the team combined TLR with a form of cognitive behavioral therapy commonly used to treat nightmares.
“We asked them to visualize their preferred dreams instead of their nightmares, like writing a movie script,” said researcher Jennifer Mundt, an assistant professor of neurology (sleep medicine) and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a statement from the university.
Each of the six participants in the study underwent cognitive behavioral therapy, while half of them eventually received TLR as well. By the study’s conclusion, all participants reported fewer nightmares (with four no longer meeting the criteria for a nightmare disorder). Two volunteers who received lucid dreaming training recorded dreams similar to the ones they attempted to imagine during therapy, potentially indicating that TLR augmented the treatment's effectiveness.
“This study provides preliminary evidence for the application of TLR as a therapeutic approach in clinical populations, in addition to demonstrating the efficacy of CBT-N in treating narcolepsy-related nightmares,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
Both studies rely on small samples, necessitating further research to confirm the potential benefits of these treatments for narcolepsy-related nightmares. Other studies have shown that using sound to shape people’s dreams can reduce nightmares in general. If the team’s research continues to produce positive results, it may lead to an effective new option for many with narcolepsy.
“It’s empowering for them,” Mundt said. “They’re amazed that this works. It bolsters their belief in their ability to manage their symptoms, and they express gratitude that it helped. It truly revolutionizes their mental state.”
The advancements in technology and science, as demonstrated by the research at Northwestern University, hold promising implications for the future of healthcare. By leveraging techniques like targeted lucidity reactivation (TLR) and cognitive behavioral therapy, individuals suffering from nightmares due to conditions like narcolepsy may soon have a more manageable future.