Lucid dreams (LD) have long been studied by psychologists as a cure for nightmares. A recent study by Austrian scientists Holzinger, Nierwetberg, and Klösch implemented a post-traumatic stress disorder treatment program that included LD techniques.
PTSD patients often suffer from nightmares, insomnia, and other sleep problems. However, what most people don’t realize is that the unpleasant effects of nightmares are not limited to nighttime. Even healthy people suffer from increased anxiety, mental instability, and sometimes physical complaints the following day. In addition to sleep hygiene, relaxation, hypnosis, and other conventional therapies, the authors looked at lucid dreams, noting that manipulating dreams directly is a more effective way to gain inner strength than rethinking the plot of a dream after waking up.
The lucid dreaming training program lasted six weeks. The goal was to provide participants with the opportunity to influence dreams and control nightmares. This is especially important for patients with PTSD, as they often suffer from feelings of helplessness.
For their report, the authors selected one female patient who stood out due to the large number of traumas she had experienced. She reported recurring nightmares and was highly motivated to master LD. Even though she did not manage to have a fully lucid dream during the six weeks training course, the plot of her nightmares became less frightening. Even without being completely aware, she began to have agency in her dreams, to be able to change them. In parallel, her indicators of anxiety and depression decreased, and her quality of life improved.
What do you usually do if you realize you’re dreaming in the middle of a nightmare?
The article was published in October 2021 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
