It is widely believed that motor skills cannot be improved without physical practice. To become a skilled athlete or surgeon, one must repeat the same actions over and over again. After all, practice makes perfect. However, scientists from the Netherlands, Emma Peters, Sanne Golembiewski, and lucid dreaming (LD) specialists, Daniel Erlacher and Martin Dresler, have raised the possibility of transferring this work to LD.
Similar experiments have been conducted by dividing participants into three groups: the first trains in waking life, the second in LD, and the third is the control group. The scientists choose some simple action that requires little preparation: for example, participants must toss coins into a cup or throw darts. As the findings showed, both those who practiced while awake and those who practiced in LD showed similar results, meaning that training in LD can replace regular training. Although, ideally, the two should be combined for even better results.
Who can benefit from this opportunity? First of all, of course, athletes, especially when they have to reduce activity while recovering from an injury. Training in LD will allow them to maintain their skills. In addition, some sports (like swimming or skiing) depend on the weather, which is not an obstacle in LD. However, aside from athletes, almost anyone can benefit from training in their dreams. For example, musicians, or doctors, or patients recovering from a stroke.
In addition to training in lucid dreams, the scientists have also studied other mental exercises. Even just imagining yourself performing the training action can improve your performance. However, the world of LDs provides extraordinary detail and realism. The main problem remains finding a reliable method of inducing LDs, as it is still a rather niche hobby practiced by a minority.
Have you trained motor skills in lucid dreams?
The article was published in May 2023 in the journal Medical Hypotheses.
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