For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222
Call 1-800-351-0222
LUCID DREAMING.
Term Paper ID:20793
Essay Subject:
Nature of conscious dreaming, research, incidence, psychological purpose & significance, biology, sexuality, controversies, future.... More...
9 Pages / 2025 Words
10 sources, 17 Citations,
APA Format
$36.00
More Papers on This Topic
Paper Abstract:
Nature of conscious dreaming, research, incidence, psychological purpose & significance, biology, sexuality, controversies, future.
Paper Introduction:
Lucid Dreaming
Introduction
Van Eeden first reported in 1913 that some people are able to remember the circumstances of waking life rather freely, to think clearly, and to act deliberately upon reflection, while at the same time experiencing a dream world that also is vividly real (Bootzin, Kihlstrom, & Schacter, 1990, p. 109). His viewpoint contrasted with the conventional opinion that dreams usually reflect a state during which the dreamer has no awareness or true volition. It is the purpose of this paper to define lucid dreams, ages of likely occurrence, the stages of sleep of lucid dreams, the manipulation of lucid dreams, what research shows about lucid dreams, and the therapeutic value of lucid dreams. This discussion will be followed by a summary and
Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.
Ordinary dreamwork is generally confined toretrospection upon awakening with the admitted limitations of memory andlanguage ability. (1992). 36). Journal of Mental Imagery, 16 (1-2), 131-145.McKellar, P. Dreams, meaning, and prolucidity: Aninformation processing view. Sexual activity is a commonly reported theme oflucid dreams, and an interesting study undertaken by LaBerge, Greenleaf,and Kedzierski determined the extent to which a single subject could reportsexual activity during REM lucid dreaming. Journal of Mental Imagery, 16 (1-2), 185-227.Ahsen, A. The experimental design called for the subject tomake specific eye movement signals when she realized she was dreaming, whenshe began sexual activity in the dream, and when she experienced orgasm.The data analysis revealed a high correlation between her subject reportand the physiological indications of sexual arousal (Bootzin, Kihlstrom &Schacter, 199 , p. (1992). T. Journal of Mental Imagery, 16 (1- 2), 97-1 2.Brylowski, A. That is,within the dream one can decide to move the dream in a different way, sayto remove one from a dangerous situation. Haskell of the University of New England suggests that Ahsen'swork on prolucid dreaming shows a breadth of scholarship but a sacrifice ofdetail. The subject had adiagnosis of borderline personality disorder and major depression.According to Brylowski's presentation, she reported benefits in other areasas well as a decrease in the severity and distress from nightmares.Implications for Further Research Information appears sketchy at the present time regarding exactapplications for lucid dreaming. 1 9). Journal of MentalImagery, 16 (1-2), 3-13.Ahsen, A. It has become knownthat research subjects can themselves report various events within thelucid dreams while they are happening. Prolucid perspectives: Alternate physiologies,myths as filters, and essences. R., Kihlstrom, J. The knowledge of the lucid dreaming process may have some applicationin patients who suffer from nightmares. It is the purpose of this paper to definelucid dreams, ages of likely occurrence, the stages of sleep of luciddreams, the manipulation of lucid dreams, what research shows about luciddreams, and the therapeutic value of lucid dreams. At the Sixth Annual InternationalConference of the Association for the Study of Dreams held in London in1989, Andrew Brylowski of the Department of Psychiatry at the SouthwesternMedical Center in Dallas presented the case of a 35-year-old woman whoreported the reduction of nightmare frequency, intensity and distress as aresult of using lucid dreaming techniques (1992, p. Lucid dreaming has some features of the waking state andsome features of the rapid eye movement (commonly termed REM) stage ofsleep, and therefore is a hybrid state.Discussion The paradox of lucid dreaming is normally a rare experience. The logic of dream sequences. This discussion will befollowed by a summary and conclusion.Definition Lucid dreaming is the unique state of dreaming during which one isconscious of dreaming while still dreaming (Bootzin, Kihlstrom & Schacter,199 , p. In this work, sixteen channelsof physiological data, including EEG, electrooculogram, EMG, respiration,skin conductance level, heart rate, vaginal EMG, and vaginal pulseamplitude were recorded. McKellar also comments that if dreaming goeson all of the time during sleep, then what is remembered by most people isonly the tip of the iceberg. Dreaming skill is largely left to chance, and it is the exceptionalindividual who seeks out information about ways to understand and influencethe dreaming process. Journal ofMental Imagery, 16 (1-2), 1 9-117.Honeck, R. Lucid DreamingIntroduction Van Eeden first reported in 1913 that some people are able toremember the circumstances of waking life rather freely, to think clearly,and to act deliberately upon reflection, while at the same timeexperiencing a dream world that also is vividly real (Bootzin, Kihlstrom, &Schacter, 199 , p. Mark Blagrove of the University ofWales examined the similarity between prolucid dreams as described by Ahsenand REM dreams in general, emphasizing the presence of metaphor in both.His conclusions relate more to the psychological aspects of dream work thanthe physiological criteria emphasized by other researchers (Blagrove, 1992,p. 119). (1992). In the area of perception and spinal involvement, dream images areusually much less vivid than actual perception. The purpose of this process is togather as much dream material as is possible for conscious interpretation(Ahsen, 1992, p. 3). Predetermined actions can besignaled to the laboratory researchers, and lucid dreamers can carry outdiverse dream experiments making the exact time of particular dream events. They contend that lucid dreamingshould be understood in the same contexts as the transpersonal traditionsof meditation. Work has just begun with these possibleapplications, and the future may hold promise for other uses of the processof lucid dreaming. His viewpoint contrasted with the conventionalopinion that dreams usually reflect a state during which the dreamer has noawareness or true volition. 174). When one experiences feelings of anxiety or ecstasy in the dreams,the actual emotions of anxiety or ecstasy are experienced at the time. Lucid dreams can be dream-initiated or wake-initiated. In general all of the skeletal muscle groups, exceptthose of the eyes and breathing, are found to be inhibited during the stateof lucid dreaming. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.Gackenbach, J., & Hunt, H. Mostpeople can recall having a lucid dream at least once during their lives,but some people, about 2 percent of the population, report having a luciddream once a month or more often (Bootzin, Kihlstrom & Schacter, 199 , p.1 9). In the waking state nothing impedes the person from walking orspeaking, but most people have had instances of dreams during which onecould not move or could not speak up or shout out loud (Bootzin, Kihlstrom& Schacter, 199 , p. His new structuralism of dreams is explored in terms ofdream theory, metaphor, myth, and themes in literature (Ahsen, 1992, p.15). He also objects to mere anecdotal evidence (Honeck,1992, p. The authorsmake a comparison between the skill of language acquisition and the skillof dreaming. 131). 113). 1 9). The method of prolucid dreaming. F., & Schacter, D. Introspective acuity and retrieval: Filteringback losses from dreamlife. Psychologists and other scientists who study lucid dreams face majorchallenges. Other therapeutic values are possible in dealing with generalstress.Summary and Conclusions Lucid dreaming has been found to indeed exist as a definitephenomenon that can be researched. Another critic of Ahsen's work contends that the study fallsshort of the basic standards for scientific acceptability. It has been found that lucid dreamers can control variousphysiological responses during their dreams. Due to the existence of contradictory research evidence, somebelieve that what is called lucid dreaming is actually an incident of aslight arousal from the state of sleep, a "microawakening." This opinionwas prevalent until recent years. How many people would speak if they were not taught to speak. More of the work as of a physiological and psychologicalorientation. 123). Subjects are used who are skillfulreporters, and the research is often limited to physiological measures.However, all do not agree on this limitation, and some would prefer tofocus on a purely psychological approach. When one isawake, sensory input produces a high level of activation, and imaginationproduces a rather low level of activation. Hunt of the University of Northern Iowaargue that Ahsen's attempted link between lucid dreams and content analysisof the dreams is rather inappropriate. P. Lucid dreaming may have potential as a technique for persons whosuffer distress from nightmares, post traumatic stress disorder, generalstress, or childhood trauma. Gackenbach and Hunt believe that lucid dreams andmeditation involve the same cognitive processes because they both show thesame depth of somatic arousal and variations in alpha waves. In connection with lucid dreams, the emotions felt are real. Much of the most recent dream research is in response to Ahsen's workwith the prolucid dreaming approach. The research, so far, inthe area of lucid dreaming seems to be rather conservative, and perhapsrightfully so. Wake-initiated lucid dreams mayarise when a person moves into the dream state gradually, from a state ofmeditation or with a specific scene or question in mind. His approach to dream research combineselements of lucid dreaming with conventional dreamwork and imagery filtersin consciousness. 121). Journal of Mental Imagery, 16 (1-2), 15-84.Blagrove, M. During the tonic phase, the phasic events temporarily subside.The REM period is reported to occur late in the sleep cycle (Bootzin,Kihlstrom & Schacter, 199 , p. Most recently the work of Ahsen has stimulated much response in theprofessional journals, and it is not yet known the significance of hisdevelopment of prolucid dreaming. In the most active phase, called thephasic phase, the muscles may twitch, and the eyes move rapidly under theeyelids. Most of the research is confined toverifiable physiological indications, and psychological interpretationsare, at this point, possible conjecture. L. (1992). Brylowski's work shows promise forpossible further application with subjects who exhibit post traumaticstress disorder due to war, holocaust, childhood incest, or other personaltrauma. Laboratory experiments have found thatlucid dreamers know that they are dreaming and they also know that they areasleep. Prolucid dreaming: A content analysis approach todreams. Ahsen is interested in using parental images as activation filters torestart the dormant dreaming process which might be blocked during arecalled dream. According toHoneck of the University of Cincinnati, Ahsen shows no evidence that dreamshave a unique logic or that even waking logic conforms to Aristotelianlogic in most people. Psychiatric Journal of theUniversity of Ottawa, 15 (2), 79-84.Haskell, R. Upon awakening, lucid dreamers report total immersion in the dreamworld and no sensory contact with the external world. Subjective reports aredifficult to verify objectively, and introspective is quite a biasedprocess. (1992). (199 , June). Theevents may be illusory, but the feelings in response to dream content arereal. Ahsen's outline of the basic process for going intoprolucid dreaming is as follows: recalling the dream, interpreting thedream, thinking of one's mother while recalling the dream, and thinking ofone's father while recalling the dream. 185). In REM sleep a type oftemporary paralysis takes place in the spine. His case studies involve subjects who are dealingwith performance and test anxiety. Research does not reveal information about lucid dreaming inchildren, and the studies do not generally make a distinction between thegenders. Nightmares in crisis: Clinicalapplications of lucid dreaming techniques. Imaging processes and cognitive structure:On Ahsen's prolucid dreaming approach to content analysis. Evidence of voluntary control of the muscle groups also exists.LaBerge, Nagel, Dement, and Zarcone found in 1981 that a sequence of leftand right dream-fist clenches could correspond to various occurrences inthe dream state. Most of the studies concur that the lucid dreams happenduring the REM stage of sleep, the heterogeneous state during which thedreamer exhibits considerable variation in physiological activity, usuallydistinguished by two distinct phases. LaBerge reported in 1985 that subjects could report various stages oftheir lucid dreams with fingertip movements, and LaBerge and Dement foundin another study in the 198 s that lucid dreamers could voluntarily controltheir rate of respiration (Bootzin, Kihlstrom, & Schacter, 199 , p. E. Most of the latest journal research reports on the work of AkhterAhsen of the Image Institute in Yonkers, New York, who has developed aprocess called prolucid dreaming. (1992). LaBerge maintains that lucid dreaming is a learnable skill but that,unfortunately, in this culture people are not taught to dream. How real something seemsis probably a function of the intensity of neural activation. 84). 97). Journal of Mental Imagery, 16 (1-2), 167-174.----------------------- 2 Gackenbachhas done work with long-time meditators to compare their reports with luciddreamers (Gackenbach & Hunt, 1992, p. He reports thatmuch may be learned about the personality from the study of dreams, and theretrieval of what is lost is quite important. Sleepand cognition. Two strategies have been developed as an attempt to counteractthese problems in dream research. Journal of MentalImagery, 16 (1-2), 87-96.Bootzin, R. (1992). He is concerned that Ahsen's writing suggests indecision aboutwhether he is a cognitivist using clinical data or a clinician attemptingto fit cognitive concepts into the therapeutic experience (Haskell, 1992,p. In one article, Ahsen refers to a special class of myths which serveas filters to dreams, images that have traditionally been called essences(Ahsen, 1992, p. (1992). This is not to say that there isnot great potential in psychological application. Ahsen's prolucid technique allows for increasedawareness with the method or recall using parental filters (McKellar, 1992,p. R. (199 ). Lucid dreaming as a transpersonal(meditational) state: A potential distinction from dream-work methods. 87). E. It is possible that this techniqueallows the dreamer to recall more content from the dream, giving thesubject and analyst more information to work with in dream analysis.Psychology and psychiatry have generally agreed since the times of Freudand Jung that dreams hold much information that can be useful to thedreamer if it is properly remembered and analyzed. ReferencesAhsen, A. The most direct account of the phenomena occurring in theperson's mind is his or her own subjective report. Jayne Gackenbach and Harry T. The response of Peter McKellar is more favorable. Apparently Ahsen's techniqueof using parental images as a retrieval method increases the parts ofdreams that are remembered. The muscles of locomotionand vocalization fail to completely execute the action orders programmed bythe brain. Itis also assumed that if one is engaged in motor activity during the dream,such as walking around the room, the motor areas of the brain would beactivated in the same pattern that is activated in actual walking, althoughpossibly to a lesser degree. Empirical evidence began to appear in the late 197 s suggesting thatlucid dreaming was, in fact, a phenomenon that occurred during sleep,during the REM stage of sleeping. Because of theirabsence of sensory input from the outside world, the researchers concludethat the subjects are asleep. One can determine that it exists; it is definable; and thatcertain physical symptoms accompany the lucid dreams. In 1981 Foulkes wrote thatpsychophysiological correlation research offers such a low rate of returnfor effort that it is not a wise focus for limited resources available fordream research (Bootzin, Kihlstrom, & Schacter, 199 , p. 118).
If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:
or
We can write a Custom Essay just for you.
Browse Essays by Subject