The Phenomenon of Lucid Dreaming

This chapter aims to outline lucid dream research. A lucid dream is a dream in which the person becomes aware during the dream that he or she is currently dreaming. This makes it possible, for example, to control the events of the dream. Since this opportunity does not always arise, it is initially important to define the term lucid dream well. The frequency with which lucid dreams are experienced depends on various influencing factors (e.g., age, gender). Lucid dreams differ from normal dreams in that the dream events can be consciously controlled, resulting in various applications (e.g., overcoming nightmares). In the sleep laboratory, specific psychophysiological aspects (e.g., hand movement and EMG) can be studied. The development of reliable induction techniques is currently one of the biggest challenges in lucid dream research.