Exploring Consciousness in Lucid Dreaming
By Amie Ahn and Caitlynn Sue Sept. 25, 2024
Although most fantasies remain as lingering ideas in the mind, there is an imaginary realm where people are able to control and experience them as if they were real life. Welcome to the world of lucid dreams, where astounding creativity momentarily feels like a reality. Despite the increased artistry, mental awareness and popularity on social media, critics feel that lucid dreams are over-romanticized and that the negative effects—such as sleep deprivation and anxiety—are ignored.
A lucid dream occurs when an individual is consciously aware that they are dreaming and can control aspects of the dream to some extent. Lucid dreams take place during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a stage where the body is temporarily paralyzed, except for the eyes. Parts of the brain that correspond to higher cognitive functions—such as the attention and memory—receive increased activity during lucid dreaming, per the National Library of Medicine. However, this occurrence does not match the brain activity during waking or normal REM sleep, indicating that lucid dreaming is a hybrid state of consciousness between the two.
“One night, I accidentally had a lucid dream that I was flying with floating whales and goldfish in an abyss that only contained water, sky and rainbows. I could not choose the subject of my dream, but I was aware of my state and could do anything I wanted, including teleporting and summoning objects. However, when I woke up, I was a bit sad because I had vivid conversations with characters in the dream, but I would not be able to see them again,” Senior Mirei Takano said.
The benefits of lucid dreaming expand beyond the simple excitement of having one. Lucid dreams can increase mental awareness and creativity, as well as reduce anxiety. For instance, many people who entered a lucid state during a nightmare were able to stop it from progressing. Additionally, some dreamers used lucid dreaming to overcome the grief of losing a loved one: in their sleep, they met with the deceased and talked to them, holding meaningful conversations to help them understand their emotions.
In fact, the appeal of being able to control fantasies in the mind garnered an increased popularity for lucid dreams among numerous individuals. Specifically, during quarantine, several tips to induce lucid dreams rapidly spread on social media—such as keeping a dream journal, doing reality checks or waking up at odd intervals. People came together to share their experiences with lucid dreaming and gave each other advice and suggestions, such as keeping a dream journal. Similarly, “reality shifting,” or the concept of being transported into alternate realities through meditative techniques, also gained attention on social media. However, unlike lucid dreaming, it is not supported by science and many viewers questioned its legitimacy.
However, there are still negative impacts of lucid dreaming, which include sleep deprivation and the worsening of certain mental issues. Having either vivid or lucid dreams often leads an individual to awaken during the night, disrupting sleep patterns. Also, lucid dreaming techniques can increase the chance of sleep paralysis, a phenomenon that occurs when someone wakes up but their body is still in the paralyzed state of REM sleep. During sleep paralysis, an individual can hallucinate terrifying figures while being unable to move.
In other cases, pre-existing mental conditions can be further agitated—such as psychosis, which affects people by stimulating a sense of detachment from their own bodies. This sensation can be encouraged and further practiced in lucid dreaming, potentially worsening the severity of an individuals’ mental illness, per Sleep Foundation journal.
“While experiencing a lucid dream for the first time, one may panic and get pushed to become alert, rather than entering a meditative state of mind. Although lucid dreaming has a healing aspect, it also possesses an anxious, confusing side,” Freshman Jiyun Yun said.
Ultimately, lucid dreams will continue to compel individuals with the opportunity to momentarily live in a different reality. However, it is vital for people to be aware that lucid dreaming has both beneficial and harmful aspects, as everyone experiences them differently.
About the Contributors
Amie Ahn
staff writer
Amie Ahn is a sophomore at Leland High School and a writer for the Charger Account. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, hanging out with friends and eating.
Caitlynn Sue
Front Page and Opinions editor
Caitlynn Sue is a Junior at Leland High School and a page editor for journalism. This is her second year in journalism and she loves writing and eating snacks during print night. Outside of journalism, she enjoys baking, violin, and dance.
Yunseo Kim
artist
Yunseo Kim is an artist. She enjoys trying out new art and this is her second year in journalism. Outside of school, she likes to do Taekwondo, and experiment with cooking.
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