Would you like your lucid dreams (LDs) to always be clear and vivid and for all experiences to feel as real as if you were awake? While most lucid dreamers strive for this, is it really necessary? Researchers from REMspace, Andrey Shashkov, Michael Raduga, and Zhanna Zhunusova, have determined the level of sensory vividness required for successful lucid dreaming practice. Spoiler: it’s not the level of wakefulness.
The authors recruited 130 volunteers and instructed them to induce LDs using any method and rate the vividness of their perception on a scale from 0 (complete darkness and emptiness) to 100 (the level of wakefulness). They were also asked to note any fluctuations. However, participants were prohibited from intentionally influencing the realism of sensations.
Predictably, better sensory vividness correlated with higher satisfaction among lucid dreamers. Overall, satisfaction with lucid dreaming began at 70%. For three-quarters of practitioners, 80% realism was sufficient. Interestingly, some participants reported 100% vividness without enthusiasm, likely due to fluctuations in perception. Practitioners prefer a consistently rich and clear LD world to one with variations. This clearly indicates a demand for methods that help lucid dreamers immerse themselves more deeply in their dreams.
Only a third of participants reported stable perception, while others experienced “floating” sensations. Interestingly, fluctuations occurred more frequently when the initial level of perception ranged from 60-79%. This conditionally average value provided many opportunities for increasing or decreasing vividness. If the level of sensation fell below 60%, it was too early to be disappointed, as such situations often resulted in an increase. Good news also came with wakefulness-level vividness, as distinct LD worlds captivated practitioners, and the level of vividness usually remained unchanged.
What level of sensory vividness do you find sufficient in LDs?
This article was published in October 2023 in the International Journal of Dream Research.
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