Lucid dreaming has recently become a popular phenomenon because of social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. It has been said that in a lucid dream a person is able to control their dreams while remaining unconscious and dream in a domain that is as vivid and realistic as the real world itself. Robert Waggoner, an avid lucid dreamer, tells the story of his first lucid experience he had as a child. It occurred one night when he was around twelve years old. He had a vision that showed a “Native American setting overlaying the physical scene” (Waggoner 5). He was confused at such a young age so he did some research on Native American culture and discovered that they called these lucid experiences a “vision quest,” which was a ritual in their culture. At that moment, he did not know that years later he would find out that his family heritage held strong roots in Native American ancestry (Ibid 5). Scientists and researchers alike describe lucid dreaming as a way to unlock the innerworkings of the subconscious, which Robert Waggoner believes he has achieved. As of 2014 it has picked up more interest and has become such a sensation that normal people are looking for ways to self-induce themselves into a realm within their minds (Wang). Lucid dreaming has been found to link to psychosis and mental health in many studies directed by scientist across the world (Strumbrys, et al 146). It has also been discovered that lucid dreaming has many positive effects on people who have mental illnesses, for example it can improve their happiness, symptoms of their illnesses, and even their motor skills (Mota, et al). The research provided implies that there could be a correlation between lucid dreaming and mental illness, however there is not enough information to prove its existence. There should be more funding and research done on lucid dreaming so this relationship can be proven and be used as an alternative way for treating the people suffering from mental illness. 

Lucid dreaming is defined as a state where a person is asleep but they are aware of their dreams during their unconsciousness. This alertness allows them to take control of their dreams and make choices that affect them (Tadas, et al 146). Lucid dreaming occurs during the rapid eye movement (REM) stages of sleep, which is considered the deepest stage of sleep (Bray 428).  However, only 20% of the world’s population can lucid dream without any help of outside factors (Wang). Many people are so invested in the fact that they could possibly control and create their own dreams that inventors are trying to create technology that would help the process of inducing lucid dreams. However, it is almost impossible to fully control a lucid dream, which is just one of the misconceptions everyday people have about lucid dreaming. A person can contribute to the changing of a dream; however, they cannot create a dream that has not already been produced in their mind. In other words, someone can only make choices in the dreams their brain has provided and cannot fabricate any type dream they want (Waggoner 2). Now that technology is making an appearance in the lucid dreaming world, it is possible that people in the future could create and control their own dreams without any previous experience or practice with lucid dreaming

However, for now, to become an advanced lucid dreamer, one must have years of experience. The process takes hours upon hours of training and even more time reflecting and understanding what a lucid dream may have meant. The reflection of a lucid dream is what makes the difference on a person’s waking life. The author of Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self, Robert Waggoner, has been an avid lucid dreamer for over 20 years, and he has also had over 1000 lucid dreams in his lifetime. He claims that lucid dreams have helped him unlock a part of his conscious mind that has helped him in everyday experiences and even dangerous ones. For example while on a hiking trip Waggoner, his wife, and a few other hikers were out in a gorge hiking. Something inside of Waggoner’s mind told him that he and his friends were not safe, all the while not knowing that a thunderstorm was quickly approaching. His inner advisor, almost like an inner conscious, told him to “get out while he still could” (Waggoner 246). He found this inner advisor through his multiple lucid dreams over the years. Upon feeling this he told the others of the potential danger and they fled to a safe place, before a flash flood ripped through the trail they were just on (Waggoner 246). He also says that lucid dreaming has allowed him to overcome fears and identify ones he had no knowledge of having, as well as overcoming everyday obstacles. Waggoner has found the sensationalism of lucid dreaming to be incredible and believes it can do wonderful things for the human brain and in the average day-to-day life of a person. Now scientists are starting to become more interested in this topic and have done extravagant amounts of research to see if lucid dreaming does have an impact on the human brain and psyche. 

One experiment, conducted by well-known neurology and mental illness researchers, Natalia B. Mota, Adara Resende, and more began to uncover the relationship between the two topics. This experiment revolved around how lucid dreaming affects mental illnesses. The two mental illnesses that these researchers decided to focus on in their experiment were Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Their test involved forty-five test subjects, and twenty-eight control subjects. Of the forty-five test subjects, half of them were diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and the other half was diagnosed with Schizophrenia. The control subjects have had no history of being diagnosed with a mental illness. During the experiment the authors found that 73% of the Bipolar Disorder patients and 67% Schizophrenic patients were able to control lucid dreams more easily than the control group, which was only 23%. Also, around 81% of the participants with the two mental illnesses reported feeling happier and experienced less symptoms upon waking after having a lucid dream. Through these results the researchers discovered that lucid dreaming and mental illnesses both lack the general activity in the frontal cerebral area of the brain (Mota, et al.). This research could help prove the existence of the relationship that mental illness and lucid dreaming could share.

Another important test conducted on lucid dreaming was performed by Tadas Strumbrys and his colleagues. Strumbrys has been studying lucid dreaming since 2008 and researches the many practical way it can be utilized in day-to-day life. In one of his most recent studies in 2016 he and his coworkers compare the applications of lucid dreaming and the mood of a person in their waking life. For this study, he received his information via a survey, which 528 people participated in. Their ages ranged from 11 to 67 old. This showed the different amounts of experience each participant had. Through the survey, Strumbrys and his coauthors found that 78.1% of the participants reported having at least one lucid dream in their life (this percentage does not indicate the length or amount of control during the dream). The authors also found that there are multiple things people want to accomplish in a lucid dream, and these accomplishments all file under categories such as wish fulfillment and inner work, which is where people try and challenge themselves to complete mental tasks during their time asleep (it is usually used in the lucid dreams of more experienced dreamers). Most of the participants of this survey participated in wish fulfillment when they were in their lucid state. This resulted in a more positive mood overall no matter what the lucid dream was about, or what was accomplished, compared to the 21.9% of people who did not experience a lucid dream thus far in their lives (Strumbrys, et al 150). This shows that lucid dreaming has a direct correlation to how a person experiences life whether it be according to mood or mental illness. 

Lucid dreaming has also been proven to improve motor skills. This can occur when a person is experiencing a lucid dream, and if they practice a skill such as catching a ball, or trying to hit a ball with a bat, they are more likely to achieve that action in real life (Wang). In a recent study made by Daniel Erlacher, Michael Schredl and Tadas Strumbrys, it was confirmed that lucid dreaming can improve memory and motor skill functions. They divided 68 participants into four groups, and each group was given the task to replicate a finger-tapping sequence. The first group was the lucid dreaming group which practiced during a lucid dream, the second was the mental practice group that practiced when they were awake. The third group could physically practice the pattern but the last group was not allowed to practice at all, leaving them as the control group. After the sequence was taught each participant slept for a full night and tried to repeat the sequence in the morning when they awoke. The first three groups all showed improvement in performing the sequence, but the fourth group showed no notable improvement at all. Out of the first three groups the group allowed to practice through lucid dreaming did improve the most during their performance (Erlacher, et al 27-34). Through this experiment these scientists were able to prove that lucid dreaming has another correlation to the conscious mind, which could help improve many people’s day-to-day lives when performing everyday tasks.

However, there are some precautions that need to be taken when researching or performing lucid dreaming. Thalamic strokes are becoming a rising danger when it comes to lucid dreaming, but it is only found in certain circumstances. Thalamic strokes are similar to regular strokes because there is not enough blood getting to the brain. However, a thalamic stroke occurs when white matter of the brain breaks in-between the cerebral cortex and the thalamus, which is a center for pain perception (Montagna, et al 772). There have been very few cases where lucid dreaming has led to thalamic strokes however it has still happened. Most recently two people one female and one male both had thalamic strokes after having a lucid dream. The Scientists found that the two people had long histories of health issues that resulted from years smoking and drinking. Also, both patients had previously been in a traumatic experience, which played a large role in the occurrence of their strokes. Any amount of stress can send the brain into a natural frenzy, which can cause disastrous things to happen. These traumatic situations and the stress produced by them are what caused the strokes not the lucid dreaming itself (Montagna, et al 773). Clare Johnson is a well know lucid dreamer and was one of the first people to earn a PhD on lucid dreaming. She also has had over hundreds of lucid dreams herself. She believes that lucid dreaming is extremely healthy, except for when one introduces unhealthy habits, such as getting addicted to lucid dreaming, and traumatic events that could possibly cause high levels of stress. This is because lucid dreaming can elevate the effects of stress, which then leads to the stroke (Johnson). Thalamic stroke do happen but it is rare and highly unlikely. Taking the right precautions when lucid dreaming will allow everyone involved to stay safe, and continue the path for research and new discoveries. 

Lucid dreaming can be a new way of treating those who are mentally ill in a much healthier, medication free, way. The pharmaceutical approach to treating mental illness is widely used in our county. Sometimes these medications can cost more than what a low to medium income family can afford (Mota, et al). However, lucid dreaming can be utilized as a cost-free way of treating mental illnesses. It has been proven to improve daily mood and reduce the occurrence of symptoms of mental illness. The brain activity used to stimulate these illnesses are found in the same area of the frontal cerebral part in the brain. If lucid dreaming could be researched more and if more could be found out about the effects it has on mental health, there is a possibility that it could be utilized as another form of treatment for the mentally ill. However, the first step is to research lucid dreaming more and find out it’s physical relationships to, and within the brain. 

Technology will play a huge part in discovering new knowledge about lucid dreaming. New technology will allow lucid dreaming to become more accessible to the everyday person, which could allow them to treat their mental illness through a regular night’s sleep. Many phone app companies are trying to introduce new apps where a person would wear earphones and listen to sound cues as they fall asleep, which would aid them in achieving lucidity. Also, a device, almost like a head band, would be worn to bed, and as the person wearing it reaches REM it sends light ques over the wearers eyelids, which would signal them in their dreams that they are asleep. As mentioned before there has also been research conducted by the University of Bern’s Dr. Erlacher that confirmed that lucid dreaming heightens cognitive skills and improves mental health. Not only would lucid dreaming allow a healthy way, without medication, to treat mental illness but it can also help further the research about lucid dreaming (Wang). Since only a small handful of the world’s population can lucid dream, having this technology aid in the process of becoming lucid could be a huge step in finding out more about lucid dreaming and the effects it can have on the brain.

With technological advances for lucid dreaming on the rise, there are some other alternatives that could be used to help promote achieving lucidity in a dream. One test done recently was reported by Natasha Bray, a well-known researcher in neuroscience, neuropharmacology and neuroinflammation. She reported a test that was performed by Ursula Voss and her colleges. Many things are uncertain when it comes to lucid dreaming such as how it is produced. Some believe it takes a lot of practice as well as self-reflection, but from this test Bray reports that it can be produced an alternative way. Prior to this experiment it was known that lucid dreaming gives off a low range of gamma frequency around 40 Hz, nevertheless scientists did not know if this was caused or resulted from lucid dreaming. During the test the researchers applied frontal temporal transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) bands for 30 seconds on multiple individuals. There were three currents 0 Hz, ~25 Hz, and ~45 Hz. The participants were awakened five to ten seconds after the tACS stimulation. One third of the 25 Hz participants reported having a lucid dream, and over two thirds of the 40 Hz participation group experienced a lucid dream. Through this experiment the researchers found that a low and safe rage of gamma frequency was enough to induce a lucid dream (Bray 428). With this information, new technology could make lucid dreaming accessible to everyday people. This will allow researchers to find out more about the relationship between lucid dreaming and mental illness, since there is such a small population that can lucid dream without any outside help. 

There is still not enough information on the effects of lucid dreaming on the brain and mental illnesses, even though scientists are making large strides in the right direction. Considering the research that has already been conducted, there is a chance that lucid dreaming can have an impact on the lives of those who are mentally ill. Lucid dreaming could positively impact their regular live and even the treatments of their illnesses. More research needs to be conducted so researchers and doctors alike can possibly find an alternative way of treating patients with mental illnesses. Lucid dreaming could be one of the healthiest and most successful ways to do that.  
