Post-traumatic stress disorder contributes to nightmares and increased awareness during sleep in the absence of control over the situation. This conclusion was reached by researchers Katherine Miller, Richard Ross, and Gerlinde Harb, who studied a group of military veterans.
In a sample of 54 people, more than half confirmed that they had experienced lucid dreams, and almost all reported lucidity during nightmares. However, despite the high level of clarity of consciousness, the participants could not influence the content of the dream. They reported that they felt stuck and that their efforts to escape their lucid nightmares proved futile.
According to the researchers, as findings from their previous studies confirm, such problems can often occur in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Have you ever experienced a lucid nightmare from which you could not escape?
The article was published in August 2021 in the journal Dreaming.
