The healing possibilities of lucid dreaming (LD) have been known to practitioners for a long time. It is enough to create a magic pill inside the dream for a specific disease or “for everything.” Two researchers – Lana Sackwild (USA) and Tadas Stumbrys (Lithuania) – decided to elaborate on the methods of psychological treatment in LD.
The authors recruited for their study 163 lucid dreamers, many of whom reported experiencing depression. The researchers organized a survey to find participants who manifested a link between the condition and their LD capabilities. As a result, six people were selected. The scientists conducted in-depth interviews with them to find out how experienced lucid dreamers who have been officially diagnosed with depression and put on medication used the world of LD for treatment.
The data obtained confirm that working with lucid dreams can be an effective method of treating psychological problems, including clinical depression. The authors identified three main points in the participants’ methods of self-treatment:
– self-exploration
– creativity and empowerment
– spiritual and transpersonal experience
These three possibilities were shown as having the potential to heal and change a person inside a lucid dream. The practitioners used LD for self-exploration and self-development, and conducted successful therapeutic work. As the authors add, the treatment of depression with the help of LD seems to be very effective, and this option should be studied in order to make it part of medical programs.
The article was published in October 2021 in the International Journal of Dream Research.
