New Research Says Lucid Dreaming Is Neither Fully Asleep Nor Being Awake — It’s Something Entirely Different

Dreams are a series of thoughts and images that we see while we are sleeping. They can be very vague and vivid, while sometimes it could he hyper realistic and very confusing. Dreams are often based on what is currently happening with your life, but they could also be just fanatical and a representation of your imagination.

There are all kinds of dreams; however, have you ever dreamed a dream where you are aware of yourself and you can control your actions? A lot of people have experienced this phenomenon called lucid dreaming.

What Is Lucid Dreaming?

Lucid dreaming happens when you know you are dreaming and have some form of control over yourself during those dreams. This is a special kind of dream where you can dictate what happens to a certain degree, unlike regular dreams.

For example, you could be flying in your dream, and since you are aware of it, you can fly in the direction you want to go. Sounds magical, right? It almost feels like a new state of reality or consciousness. Well, that is actually why scientists are constantly studying this mental phenomenon that happens while you are asleep, but still aware.

Read more: The Journal of Neuroscience

What Did Scientists Discover?

Dr. Matt Walker: The Science of Dreams, Nightmares & Lucid Dreaming | Huberman Lab Guest Series

Scientists have studied which part of the brain is responsible for giving us awareness and control during lucid dreaming. The answer is the same brain region that is responsible for this, even when we are awake; the right side of the brain, which is linked to thinking and self-awareness.

They detected that the right central lobe has higher activity during lucid dreaming. This explains why we have more control and awareness during this type of dream. This is because that part of the brain is crucial for self-recognition and high-order consciousness.

This ultimately means that we are not completely asleep during lucid dreaming, and we are not completely awake either. Scientists suggest that it might be a new state of consciousness, or at least something completely new.

Read more: Daily Galaxy

Why Is This Important?

Lucid dreaming is one of the most unique states of our minds, and scientists will learn a lot more about our brain and consciousness by successfully understanding what happens to us during this type of dream.

Some applications of lucid dreaming, once we fully unlock its capabilities, could be helping people who keep having nightmares or difficulty sleeping. Scientists also said it might be useful for managing anxiety or as a tool for therapists to help their patients gain control of their minds.

Adventures in Lucid Dreaming | Dr. Matthew Walker of "Why We Sleep" Fame | The Tim Ferriss Show

Author's Final Thoughts

Being able to control yourself in a place where everything could theoretically happen is both fascinating and scary. Just think about a world where we could go to sleep and enter a new realm that aligns more with our imagination and how the world should be, in our opinion.

Once humanity fully controls this aspect of our mind, maybe more people will prefer to sleep and lucid dream instead of spending time in the real world. Learning more about this is the only way to find out.

Read more: Scientists Say the Universe Will End by Tearing Itself Apart, ‘The Big Rip’ — Ripping Us, Atoms, and Everything Else