Michelle Carr has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science and works as a researcher at the University of Rochester Sleep and Neurophysiology Laboratory (UK). She actively studies nightmares, sleep paralysis, and lucid dreaming, and she has has been involved in the popularization of scientific knowledge through her articles in Psychology Today.
She worked with her colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the topic of dream engineering – the idea that technology and sleep manipulation can be applied to improve memory, creativity, well-being, physical health, and rehabilitation.
The researcher’s recent work on the topic of dreams includes, among other things, the study of dream control, which led her to the conclusion that lucid dreaming does not mean “all or none.” Control can range from simply noticing inconsistencies in the plot of a dream and the surrounding space to the ability to change the dream world at will. Carr also noted the role of attention and intention in dreams, saying that “the dreamer may cultivate different degrees of agency in the dream” by using various techniques.
During the past year, together with her colleagues, Carr actively pursued the ideal technique for lucid dreaming. The scientists support a comprehensive approach that includes keeping a dream journal, cognitive training, employing sensory stimuli (affecting various senses), and using wake-back-to-bed techniques.
Nightmares remain another important area of her work. Lucid dreamers suffer from them more often, but lucid dreams can also be a cure for them, as they provide a safe environment where one can confront their fears or interact with someone who they can no longer meet in reality.
Have you ever resolved psychological issues in a lucid dream?
Michelle Carr’s works can be found on her ResearchGate page.
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