New Method For Achieving Lucid Dreaming And Taking Control Of Dreams

Cynthia McKanzie – MessageToEagle.com – Lucid dreaming is the somewhat awkward state of being aware of that you’re dreaming. When it happens, you can take control of your dreams and perform various actions.

It cannot be denied that lucid dreams are rare and difficult to simulate, but as previously mentioned on MessageToEagle.com, there are several techniques you can try to experience lucid dreams.

Lucid dreaming may sound like something that is just fun to experience, but it also offers valuable health benefits. Being able to control dreams can help people to overcome trauma and fear for example.

Lucid dreaming has long been a poorly understood condition, but scientists are unraveling the mystery behind this state. It has previously been discovered that lucid dreams tend to occur during periods of increased physiological activation during REM sleep, and that measures of phasic central nervous system activation, such as increased eye movement density, are associated with lucid dreams.

According to a new study performed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Lucidity Institute in Hawaii, a drug called galantamine can help to experience lucid dreams.

Galantamine is a drug normally used to treat Alzheimers as well as muscular dystrophy and other disorders of the central nervous system. However, scientists have discovered its effectiveness might be related to its effects on cholinergic receptor activity during REM sleep.

“A study using lucid dreaming practitioners had some dramatic results.

Without galantamine, using a placebo, 14 percent of users reported having lucid dreams. After a 4 milligrams dose of the drug that number rose to 27 percent.

Incredibly, after an 8mg dose of galantamine, 42 percent of participants reported having lucid dreams,” CNet reports.

“The scientists also suggest that the drug’s propensity to increase memory function might also be part of the reason why users are more likely to have a lucid dream using galantamine.”

See also:
René Descartes’ Dream Argument – How Do We Know We Are Not Dreaming?

Entering Person’s Dream And Changing Its Direction Is Possible: But Should We Interfere With The “Dreaming World”?

Dreams About Spiders: What Do They Really Mean?

More About Mind And Brain

“Lucid dreams overall,” reported the study, “were associated with significantly higher levels of recall, cognitive clarity, control, positive emotion, sensory vividness and self-reflection on one’s thoughts and feelings compared to non-lucid dreams.”

“This new method finally has the success rate we need to be able to properly do research on lucid dreaming,” psychologist Denholm Aspy from the University of Adelaide in Australia, who wasn’t involved in the study, explained to New Scientist.

Scientists warn that no-one should experiments with galantamine on their own, but once more research is done, this could open the door to limitless world of imaginary fun and adventure.

“As I ran my hand along a brick wall… I could feel the coarse texture and the outline of individual bricks,” said one of the team, cognitive neuroscientist Benjamin Baird from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, recalling his own experience of galantamine.

“It’s like going into the holodeck in Star Trek where you can have any imaginable experience you choose.”

The findings are reported in PLOS One

Written by Cynthia  McKanzie – MessageToEagle.com Staff Writer