The practice of lucid dreaming is often used in nightmare therapy. The progress made in this area over the past few years is described in an article by Brazilian scientists led by Tainá Carla Freitas de Macêdo from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte.
The studies reviewed by the article have shown that this therapy delivers positive results in reducing the frequency of nightmares, their intensity, and the associated stress. This is primarily due to the fact that lucid dreaming techniques help patients develop critical thinking about the content of their dreams.
Becoming aware that they are having a nightmare, a person can stop being afraid of any imaginary threats in their dream, realizing that they do not pose a real danger. Although patients may not always be able to change dream scenes, even belief in control helps them feel confident in their own abilities and relieve anxiety.
On the other hand, the scientists also highlighted some studies demonstrating that lack of control in a phase state could aggravate nightmares, turning them into lucid nightmares. These patients require longer therapy in combination with other psychotherapy methods.
Do you know how to control your nightmares? Let us know in the comments.
The article was published in November 2019 in Frontiers in Psychology magazine.
