Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing or buzzing in the ears without an objective external cause for the sound. It can also manifest as hissing or whistling, as the sound of rushing water, or even the sound of chirping crickets. Researchers from France and New Zealand, led by Robin Guillard, investigated whether this phenomenon persists during sleep, including lucid dreams.
The authors identified 195 individuals who experienced tinnitus. Among those who could recall their dreams, only 5% reported that tinnitus continued while they dreamt. The vast majority did not hear any sounds in their dreams. However, the findings indicate that the small number of participants who experienced tinnitus while dreaming tended to experience greater discomfort from it during the day as well. They also generally have higher stress levels and higher rates of other health issues, such as hearing impairments, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
The incidence of tinnitus in lucid dreams is much higher, as 38% of lucid dreamers in the sample said they heard the tinnitus in their lucid dreams. The authors believe this is related to the perception of external sounds in general. In other words, if a lucid dreamer is aware of sounds from the real world, they are more likely to perceive their tinnitus.
Do you experience tinnitus? Does it continue in your lucid dreams?
The article was published in January 2025 in the Hearing Research.
Get all the latest news about lucid dreams via our channels on Telegram, Facebook, Twitter
