Modern methods for treating nightmares focus on therapy during wakefulness. However, scientists from the US and Lithuania, Cameron Sandell, Tadas Stumbrys, Ken Paller, and Remington Mallett, believe that an excellent alternative is simply waking up when necessary. Since most of the researchers are dedicated to lucid dreaming, it is not surprising that the technique can be briefly described by the following scheme: nightmare → lucidity → intentional awakening.
The authors do not dwell on lucid dreaming induction techniques, noting that the skill of achieving lucidity can be trained, and there are many methods available, with people successfully undergoing training. So, once a person becomes lucid during a nightmare, what comes next? The scientists have identified three possible approaches to intentional awakening:
1. Visual wakeup: Close your eyes and focus on the intention to wake up when you open them.
2. Verbal wakeup: Verbally or mentally express the intention to wake up.
3. Gaze wakeup: Watch the dream scene deepen and stabilize the dream while fixating your gaze on one point, which leads to awakening.
The main group of participants was tasked with waking up using one of these approaches, while the control group simply clenched their fists in the dream. The results show that individuals can wake up at their own will: 100% of the participants in the main group succeeded, with 75% doing so in less than half a minute, often abruptly returning to wakefulness. The level of lucidity also played a role: lucid dreamers with a high level of control achieved the goal faster and more easily than other participants.
Interestingly, participants in the control group noted that clenching their fists affected the dream plot. Many of these participants described scenes of violence in their dreams and gained self-assurance.
However, after conducting this experiment, the authors added that a dreamer who becomes lucid during a nightmare may derive more benefits from changing the storyline rather than awakening. It is better to confront fear rather than run away from it.
Have you ever intentionally woken up? What methods have you used?
The preprint of the article was published in July 2023 on PsyArXiv.
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