Lucid dreaming is one way to combat nightmares. However, even when a person understands that they are asleep, they cannot wake up. A group of scientists from the UK led by Mark Blagrove, a permanent researcher on this topic, conducted an experiment to find the causes of lucid nightmares.
The experiment involved 148 participants, almost all of whom could recall at least one nightmare. Moreover, two-thirds of participants were familiar with the phenomenon of lucid dreaming, and every second person, at least once in their life had experienced an inability to wake up after becoming aware that they were dreaming. The results showed that the frequency of lucid nightmares is directly influenced by a person’s mental state.
Interestingly, the frequency of lucid dreams is related to one’s internal locus of control, which relates to the inclination to look inward for the causes of behavior rather than outside. An internal locus of control also leads a person to attribute results to their efforts and abilities rather than external circumstances. But those who suffer from lucid nightmares do not have an internal locus of control, which explains why they cannot escape from terrifying dream plots.
Have you ever experienced lucid nightmares? How did you deal with them?
The report was presented in June 2024 at the 41st Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.
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