Stephen LaBerge is an American psychophysiologist, the founder and head of the Lucidity Institute, and the author of books that are widely read by lucid dreamers around the world. In 1980, he received his doctorate, presenting a dissertation on lucid dreaming (LD) at Stanford University.
Eight years later, the Los Angeles Times called him “Dr. Dreams” at a time when LD was a “little-understood subject.” “Once I know it’s a dream, I’m aware that the rules of the real world no longer apply, and I’m free to do all kinds of impossible things,” the researcher said. At that point, he was working in a small room full of computers and other electronic equipment, while in the next room were beds occupied by dreamers hooked up to devices.
“Had I been able to get funding, I would have stayed solely a researcher,” LaBerge added. The lack of financial support forced him to write books, give lectures, and conduct seminars. The scientist also created the first devices for stimulating LD: DreamLight and NovaDreamer.
Another method he developed to increase the frequency of LD was MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams), or, more simply, creating the intention to become conscious in a dream. In addition, LaBerge advises the following methods:
– Reality checks
– Keeping a dream journal (with an emphasis on recurring plots)
– Sleep interruption technique (which requires getting up an hour earlier than usual and staying awake for 30–60 minutes, after which the subject can go back to sleep with the intention of becoming aware)
The scientist also has published a study confirming that LD is not a “hybrid state”—a mixture of sleep and wakefulness. Previously, a group of researchers recorded increased activity in the frontal zones at 40 Hz frequency during lucid dreams. LaBerge, together with colleagues, proved that these bursts occur due to eye movements: when a lucid dreamer actively looks at everything around them or confirms the presence of consciousness. To this day, the scholar remains a key figure in research on this practice as well as its popularization.
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