Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming is when you're awake in a way during a dream. In a lucid dream, you know what's happening and can alter features inside the dream. It's roughly calculated that 55 percent people as one or two lucid dreams in their life, but repeated lucid dreaming is rare and extremely hard to master.

History of Lucid Dreaming

Awareness of dream conditions played a part in Eastern religions, including Buddhism. The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote the first record of a lucid dream. While lucid dreams were described centuries ago, scientists didn't research deeply about it until the 19th century. Then, in the 1970s, people discovered that lucid dreams were related to REM (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep) sleep, the deepest level of sleeping.

Technology's development allow us to look more closely at our brain during sleep, though the mysteries still remain at large. 

Benefits of Lucid Dreaming

1. Enhanced creativity

2. Less anxiety

3. Finer motor skills

4. Control nightmares

5. Improve problem-solving skills

Studies suggest lucid dreaming can all boost your functions like these, and reports prove people with lucid dreams come up with new ideas, sometimes with help from the personas in the dream!

Drawbacks of Lucid Dreaming

1. Less sleep quality

2. Confusion, hallucinations

Vivid dreams can cause you to wake up and it's not easy to fall back to sleep. Researchers also show when people with mental disorders focus on lucid dreams, it's hard for them to recognize what's real and what's not.