Lucid dreams (LD) are successfully used for treating depression, combating nightmares, and skills training. However, the ideal method for inducing LD has proven elusive to find. Researchers from REMspace have taken up this challenge and intend to come up with a solution by comparing all existing techniques. This work will take many years, so the results will be published as data becomes available.
Andrey Shashkov, Michael Raduga, and Artur Brauns used over a thousand reports from 460 volunteers for their initial publication, focusing on three techniques:
1. Phantom wiggling (realistic sensation of movement in any limb without physical action or visualization)
2. Observing images (gazing into space with closed eyes, trying to see emerging pictures without imagining them)
3. Imagining movement (visualizing activities like running, swimming, or cycling)
Each of these techniques was applied in three variations:
– direct method: 10–20 minutes before bedtime
– indirect method: immediately after awakening for one minute
– deferred direct method: 5–10 minutes early in the morning after a period of wakefulness
No statistically significant differences were found between the techniques. However, phantom wiggling worked best with the deferred direct method (32%), while observing images or imagining movement was more effective with the indirect method (31% each). Predictably, the direct method ranked lowest for all three techniques (7–11%). LD occurs during the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phase, and inducing LD during the onset of sleep is unnatural for the body.
Women showed slightly higher success rates, especially with the phantom wiggling technique. It is also logical that experienced lucid dreamers utilized the techniques better than beginners. Overall, each method holds potential, and combining different variations may lead to the development of a truly effective procedure for inducing LD. The researchers promise to publish updated comparisons of techniques every 1–2 years, expanding the number of techniques to several dozen.
Which of these three methods suits you best?
The article was published in September 2023 in the journal Dreaming.
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