Does Lucid Dreaming Work?

A lot of us are seeking different ways to alleviate stress and the anxiety caused by the pandemic. Some watch movies and tv shows, while some start a new hobby. It seems that lucid dreaming is something we can also try, given the amount of time we can sleep nowadays! Lucid dreaming has its benefits, as USA Today details: 

Lucidity Institute psychophysiologist Stephen LaBerge, who has spent decades researching the science behind awakening in your dreams, points to studies where the visual imagery produced during lucid dreaming could improve physical and mental health. For example, someone who solves a problem or confronts a fear while lucid dreaming can wake with a sense of empowerment and courage, according to the Lucidity Institute FAQs.

“People aren't relying on alarm clocks in order to wake them up, so there’s less interference to help them recall dreams, and recall is key to lucid dreaming,” says Kristen LaMarca, a clinical psychologist in sleep medicine and writer of a concise new dream book, “Learn to Lucid Dream”. 

And since people are more isolated and without their normal routines, she says, it gives them “more room to have more of an inward reflective focus.”

image via USA Today