American researchers Robert Waggoner and Nigel Hamilton conducted a pilot experiment to explore the possibility of getting an answer to any question in a lucid dream, depending on whether the dream responds to the lucid dreamer’s thoughts. This is not a new practice: lucid dreamers have repeatedly noticed that they receive answers to questions in the phase state: for example, a voice appears or the entire space changes in a way that answers their questions.
In Waggoner and Hamilton’s pilot study, a set of questions was given to each participant. They were supposed to ask these questions in a lucid dream – not to any character but simply to the void. The results showed that when trying to complete the task, a person automatically turns inward, to the subconscious, to the depths of their own psyche, and eventually receives information in a symbolic form.
Interestingly, compared to novice practitioners, experienced lucid dreamers acted more spontaneously in the dream, reacted to all changes in the space, and exhibited worse control over the plot. According to the authors, this was unexpected and contrary to common sense.
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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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