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Scientists Induce Lucid Dreams With Electrical Stimulation
by Daniel Appel
Ultra Culture
Researchers discover how to induce lucid dreaming by stimulating the lower gamma band during REM sleep. Are actually effective commercial lucid dream-inducing devices far behind?
Lucid dreaming has long been a fascination of mankind: The ability to become lucid during a dream and gain control of the dream itself has been coveted, examined and practiced for centuries, resulting in many methods and exercises that can cultivate lucid dreams. The opportunity to consciously explore the dream-space can provide insights into the mysteries of the unconscious mind; lucid dreaming can also be used therapeutically to address traumatic memories or chronic nightmares.
This year, however, researchers made a massive step forward in understanding the physiology of lucid dreams: A team of scientists led by psychologist Ursula Voss of the Goethe University in Frankfort, Germany successfully induced lucid dreams in test subjects by stimulating specific brain regions with an electrical current. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience in May, provides some of the first data necessary to understand the biology of lucid dreaming. Voss’ past research focused on identifying levels of self-awareness within dreams through Electroencephalography (EEG) and experiential reports from participants.
Voss’ early studies found that participants’ reports of lucid dreams tended to occur during REM sleep. At the beginning of a sleep cycle, the brain slows from high frequency gamma and beta waves associated with waking, processing and alertness. The patterns of brain activity progress through slowing alpha waves to deep sleep’s delta and theta frequencies. Paradoxically, the sleep cycle apexes in REM, and the brainwaves speed up. Dreams normally occur during REM sleep, when many regions of the brain appear to be functioning as if it were awake. When subjects reported a lucid dream, there was distinct gamma activity, the highest frequency range of brainwave, in the frontotemporal region.
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Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2014/05/scientists-induce-lucid-dreams-with.html
