Lucid dreaming (LD) is usually a positive and uplifting experience. In addition to adventures in a limitless world, lucid dreamers can heal from nightmares and insomnia, train in different skills, solve difficult problems, get creative inspiration—to name just a few common uses.
However, the scientific community sometimes expresses concerns about the possible risks of lucid dreams for human health. Tadas Stumbrys, a psychologist, lecturer and researcher from Lithuania, decided to answer questions about the potential dangers of lucid dreaming. He studied the influence of LD on the quality of sleep and the psyche among 489 participants, 94% of whom were LD practitioners.
The findings showed that lucid dreams do not affect quality of sleep and have a positive effect on the dreamer’s psychological state. Most instances of LD were associated with pleasant emotions, and dreamers very rarely mentioned any negative consequences of their practice.
As Stumbrys adds, lucid dreams do not seem to have any harmful effects, although a small proportion of such dreams (about 10%) had a negative tenor. The reason why negative lucid dreams occur is unknown and additional research is required in order to draw sound conclusions on the matter.
Have you noticed the influence of lucid dreams on your health and psychological state?
The article was published in September 2021 in the journal Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.
