Lucid DreamsGroup 10 : Chi-Hang Lau, Anita Leung, Clarisse Miguel, Elisa Tsan, Alistair WongCOGS 175Dr. PinedaMarch 3, 2008

Presentation OutlineIntroduction : What are Lucid Dreams? (Clarisse)

Characteristics (Anita)

Experimental Evidence and Techniques (Elisa, Clarisse)

Induction of Lucid Dreams (Alistair)

Applications (Alistair, Chi-Hang)

Conclusion/Discussion (Together)

What is a Lucid Dream?The Conscious DreamKnowing you are dreaming, when you are dreaming.

An Alternate State of Consciousness?Becoming conscious during sleep

A Brief HistoryAristotles On Dreams

St. Augustine, A.D. 415

Tibetan Buddhists (8th Century)Dream Yoga - reaching the light

The Marquis dHervey de Saint-Denys wrote Dreams and the Means to Direct Them (1867)

Frederik Willems van Eeden coined lucid dream (1913)

Characteristics of Lucid DreamsFull awareness of dream state (consciously and perceptually)

Ability to make free decisions in the dream

Memory functions as if in waking lifei.e. Full memory of all lucid dream experiences in waking state as well as during lucid dream state

Awareness of the meaning of symbols

Important Brain Areas Involved in Lucid DreamingDorsal lateral prefrontal cortexDietrichWhile non-lucid dreaming, PET studies show a large deactivation of areas in DLContrary, in lucid dreaming, there is DL activation (Hobson 2001)Inferior parietal lobeLaBergeShowed increases in inferior parietal lobe activity in lucid dreaming, an area known to involve consciousness

Stages of SleepNREM (non-rapid eye movement)Stage 1: theta wavesStage 2: sleep spindles and k complexesStage 3: delta waves (50% total wave patterns)

REM (rapid eye movement)Tonic: persistent sleep events (striated and desynchronized muscle inhibition)

Phasic: intermittent sleep events (rapid eye movements, muscle twitches)

Polysomnographic recordingsEEG : electrical activity from brain via electrodes on scalp

EOG (electrooculogram) : resting potential of retina

EMG (electromyogram) : muscular activity

FP (finger plethysmograph): blood flow

Spectral Analysisdelta (1-4 Hz)

theta (5-7 Hz)

alpha (8-12 Hz)

beta-1 (13-19 Hz)

beta-2 (20-29 Hz)

Physiological Differences (Holzinger et al. 2006)epochs of lucid dreaming associated with more beta-1 activity than non-lucid dreaming

Beta-1 activity ratiosFrontal : parietalNon-lucid = 1.00 : 1.16Lucid = 1.00 : 1.77

Hemispheric differenceshighest increase in left parietal lobe (an area associated with semantic capacity)

Experimental InducementExperimental TrainingM.I.L.D. Technique (LaBerge, 1981)Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams

Increases occurrence of lucid dreams

Mental and verbal rehearsals upon waking and before sleeping

Incorporate into Long-Term Memory

I will have a lucid dream tonight

Recognizing a Lucid DreamHow do we know ?

Recognizing a Lucid DreamHow do we know ?REM SleepPhasic activity (LaBerge et al. 1986)

Recognizing a Lucid DreamHow do we know ?REM SleepPhasic activity (LaBerge et al. 1986)

Physiological Signals

Recognizing a Lucid DreamHow do we know ?REM SleepPhasic activity (LaBerge et al. 1986)

Physiological SignalsEye Movement (LeftRight L R)lucid dream occurring

Recognizing a Lucid DreamHow do we know ?REM SleepPhasic activity (LaBerge et al. 1986)

Physiological SignalsEye Movement (LeftRight L R)lucid dream occurring

Hand Clenching (Left and Right) (Erlacher et al. 2003)

Recognizing a Lucid DreamHow do we know ?REM SleepPhasic activity (LaBerge et al. 1986)

Physiological SignalsEye Movement (LeftRight L R)lucid dream occurring

Hand Clenching (Left and Right) (Erlacher et al. 2003)

More accurate experimental methodsMatch physiological signal to dream occurrence

Induction Techniques

Induction TechniquesDream JournalWrite down your dreams

Induction TechniquesDream JournalWrite down your dreams

Reality ChecksConsciously ask if you are in a dream

Induction TechniquesDream JournalWrite down your dreams

Reality ChecksConsciously ask if you are in a dream

MeditationFocus and intend on lucid dreaming

Applications of Lucid Dreaming

Explore subconscious mind

Overcome mental obstacles

Alleviating fears

Lucid Dream Treatment Pilot StudyConducted by Spoormaker and van den Bout in 2006

Hypothesis: Can exercises in Lucid dreaming be used to overcome sufferers of chronic nightmares?

Lucid Dream Treatment Pilot Study: Subjects23 volunteers Excluded people suffering from hypnagogic hallucinations and/or night terrorsExcluded subjects currently on medicationAll reported to suffer from Chronic Nightmares for over a yearNightmare defined as a frightening dream to directly caused a return to full consciousness (awakening).

Lucid Dreaming Treatment Pilot Study: MethodSubjects were given the Sleep-50 to evaluate sleepSubjects divided into three groups, each given a different degree of LDT.: Each subject given a one on one LDT seminar

: Subjects given group LDT seminar

: No LDT seminar was given

Lucid Dream Treatment Pilot Study: Method (cont.)

Subjects were reevaluated 12 weeks later with the Sleep-50

Lucid Dreaming Treatment Pilot Study: LDT seminar2 hour seminar

Subjects educated about Lucid Dreaming and triggering methods

Given imaging exercises the nightmare, while reaffirming them as a dream.

Instructed Subjects to try to induce nightmares before sleep to occur during sleep.

Lucid Dreaming Treatment Pilot Study: Results

Lucid Dreaming Treatment Pilot Study: Results (cont.)

Lucid Dreaming Treatment Pilot Study: DiscussionStudy had many limitations:- small sample size- limited time frame- LDT seminar limited- Sleep-50 fail to report more detailed information on subjects.- Only 6 subjects successfully reported full Lucid Dreaming

Lucid Dreaming Treatment Pilot Study: Discussion (cont.)Study Headway- Statistically significant results.- LDT did target nightmare specifically, not quality of sleep- As a pilot study, leaves much room for further study.

Discussion !Questions ?

ReferencesDietrich, Arne. Functional neuroanatomy of altered states of consciousness: The transient hypofrontality hypothesis. Consciousness and Cognition 12, 2003. pp. 231256.

Erlacher, Daniel D., Michael Shredl, Stephen LaBerge. Motor area activation during dreamed hand clenching: A pilot study on EEG alpha band. Sleep and Hypnosis. Volume 5(4). 2003. pp. 182-187.

Fisher, Leslie E., Benjamin Wallace. Consciousness and Behavior. Waveland Press, IL, 2003.

Gackenbach, Jayne, Stephen LaBerge. Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain: Perspectives on Lucid Dreaming. Plenum Press, New York, 1988.

Holzinger, Brigitte, LaBerge, Stephen, Levitan, Lynne. Psychophysiological Correlatesof Lucid Dreaming. Dreaming. Vol 16(2), Jun 2006, pp. 88-95.

LaBerge, Stephen S., Lucid dreaming: Physiological correlates of consciousness during REM sleep. The Journal of mind and behavior. Vol. 7(2-3), 1986. pp. 251-258.

References (Cont.)LaBerge Stephen S. Lucid dreaming verified by volitional communication during REM sleep. Vol 52(3), 1981. pp. 727-732.

Spoormaker, Victor I., Jan van den Bout, and Eli J. G. Meijer. Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Series of Cases. Dreaming, Vol. 13, No. 3, September 2003. pp. 181-186.

9.Wantanabe, Tsuneo. Lucid Dreaming: Its Experimental Proof and Psychological Conditions. J. Intl. Soc. LifeInfo. Sci. Vol. 21, No.1, March 2003. pp. 159-165.

10.Spoormaker, Victor I., Jan van den Bout. Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study. Psychother Psychosom 75, 2006. pp. 389394.

The Lucidity Institute. http://www.lucidty.com. (accessed February 2008).

12.Dr. Susan Blackmore. Lucid Dreaming: Awake in Your Sleep? http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Articles/si91ld.html (accessed February 2008).

*Clarisse !--Hello all. Im Clarisse and we are group 10 and our presentation will be on Lucid Dream ! Im sure all of you have experienced dreams while you were sleeping, but how many of YOU have actually experienced dreams where YOU HAVE CONTROL OF WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR DREAM??? --Well. thats exactly what we are going to talk about today!*Clarisse (15 sec.)*Clarisse (30-45 sec.)-->so first of all, what is a lucid dream?

So, when you are sleeping, you are unconscious, but when you have a lucid dream, youre actually still unconscious, but then you begin to perceive that you are aware of yourself during the progress of your dream.

-->Thats why a lucid dream can also be called a conscious dream.*Clarisse (60 sec.)

The term lucid dream was actually coined in 1913, by a Dutch man named Frederick van Eeden.*Anita (2 min.)*Anita*Elisa*Elisa*Elisa*Elisa*Clarisse (30-45 sec.)(Shift + TAB = go back one tab !)*Clarisse (60-75 sec.)******Alistair (1 min.)*Alistair*Alistair

*Alistair

*Chi-Hang (4 min.)************