Lucid nightmares are defined as dreams with strong negative emotions, in which a dreamer is aware that he/she is dreaming but cannot change the terrifying events unfolding in the dream or consciously wake up. Phase nightmares are not uncommon, yet very little is known about this phenomenon.
A recently published study by Michael Schredl and Kelly Bulkeley sought to examine the frequency and content of lucid nightmares among US adults (aged 18 and older).
A representative survey sample of 408 participants (248 women, 160 men) found that out of 160 nightmares, 67 could be classified as lucid nightmares, with two-thirds of dreams involving the inability to wake up. However, the inclusion of nightmare elements in lucid dreams was not associated with the study participants’ age, gender, education, or ethnicity.
Overall, the study’s findings show that a significant proportion (about 16%) of most recent lucid dreaming experiences can be categorized as lucid nightmares, including the inability to wake up. At the same time, the study of sleep control techniques and the development of such skills is an important step in the research of phase states as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of nightmares.
The study was published in October 2020 in the International Journal of Dream Research.
