In lucid dreams, the dreamer realizes they are dreaming even as they remain asleep. What is the science behind this intriguing consciousness phenomenon? This special feature looks at the current research. Can scientists explain lucid dreams? Read this special feature to find out what researchers have learned so far.

Typically, when we dream, we are not aware that we are dreaming, and the most unlikely events, characters, and environments seem real to us. But now and again, some of us realize that we are in a dream as we are dreaming. This phenomenon is called lucid dreaming, and it has stirred the interest of researchers and the public alike.

Learning to control aspects of your dreams can be a great way of exploring activities you could never do in real life, facing and overcoming fears, and learning more about your subconscious. So if you are interested in finding out how common lucid dreams are, who is more prone to having them and why, and what happens in the brain during a lucid dream, read on.

How common are lucid dreams?

It remains unclear how many people experience lucid dreams, but researchers have provided rough estimates based on personal reports they accessed through their studies.

The same study notes that people are more likely to experience spontaneous lucid dreams in their childhood, starting at about 3 and 4 years old. However, the likelihood of lucid dreaming begins to decline in early adolescence. After the age of 25, spontaneous onset of lucid dreaming appears to be very infrequent, the study authors write.

The researchers — who hail from the Universities of Mannheim and Heidelberg, both in Germany — investigated whether or not personality traits could help predict a person’s likelihood of experiencing lucid dreams.

The study found that openness to an experience correlates positively with lucid dreaming frequency. However, agreeableness —a personality trait that often indicates a person’s level of friendliness and tact in interpersonal relationships — does not.

The study also identified that neuroticism — a personality factor that often presents as strong moods, anxiety, and depression — had associations with a higher frequency of lucid dreams.

Lucid dreams and sleep disturbances

Denholm Aspy, Ph.D., who researches lucid dreaming, spoke to MNT and suggested that certain neurophysiological or neurochemical factors may also render a person more likely to experience spontaneous lucid dreams.

Some studies have found a correlation between lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis.

More often than not, lucid dreaming occurs during the REM rapid eye movement phase of sleep, which is also when many regular dreams occur. It is possible that neurochemical peculiarities may play a role in switching on parts of our consciousness when they would generally be switched off.