Lucid dream

A lucid dream is any dream during which the dreamer is aware that he or she is dreaming.

During lucid dreaming, the dreamer may allegedly be able to exert some degree of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment.

The term 'lucid dream' was coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 article A Study of Dreams, though descriptions of dreamers being aware that they are dreaming predates the term, and is closely related to ancient meditative praxis originating in India.

History

Western history

Ancient

The earliest references to a phenomenon comparable to that now signified by the term 'lucid dream' In Western culture are found in ancient Greek writings. For example, the philosopher Aristotle wrote: 'often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream'. Meanwhile, the physician Galen of Pergamon used lucid dreams as a form of therapy. In addition, a letter written by St. Augustine of Hippo in 415 AD tells the story of a dreamer, Doctor Gennadius, and refers to lucid dreaming.

Astral projection

Astral projection (or astral travel) is an interpretation of an out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it. Astral projection or travel denotes the astral body leaving the physical body to travel in an astral plane. The idea of astral travel is rooted in common worldwide religious accounts of the afterlife in which the consciousness' or soul's journey, or "ascent", is described in such terms as "an... out-of-body experience, wherein the spiritual traveller leaves the physical body and travels in his/her subtle body (or "dreambody", or "astral body") into ‘higher’ realms." It is frequently reported in association with dreams, and forms of meditation.

Some patients have reported perceptions similar to the descriptions of astral projection, induced through various hallucinogenic and hypnotic (including self-hypnotic) means. There is no scientific evidence that there is any manifestation of a consciousness or soul which is separate from neural activity. There is no scientific evidence that one can consciously leave the body and make observations. Claims of scientific evidence of astral projection are pseudoscientific.

Lucid

Lucid may refer to:

See also

Deep Sleep

Deep Sleep is a 2012 point-and-click adventure game by Scriptwelder. It is a free browser game in which players attempt to navigate a dream world inhabited by shadow people. It was designed for and won first place in the 2012 Jay Is Games Casual Gameplay Design Competition.

Game Plot

Interested in lucid dreams, a researcher constructs a world in his mind to explore. However, the world in his dream quickly turns nightmarish, and the researcher becomes trapped. He needs to wake up, which is explained when the player finds a telephone saying he "must wake up". Shadowy figures haunt this world and attempt to restrict the player from guiding the researcher to freedom. At the beginning of the game, the player appears to be in a bedroom. To escape, the player must first find a key, then go into the next room and use the key on a locker. A cube with a keyhole in it appears, and the walls of the room melt down. The player will then have to explore his or her surroundings, and use acquired items to escape. The main obstacle in the game are locked doors, and cannot be opened unless certain items are acquired. After a long period of time, the player finally escapes the building he is in, but still has not woken up yet. Near the end of the game, shadowy figures start to appear and will advance towards the player. The player will then have to escape, as it is impossible to kill them. Running away, the player reaches a lighthouse with a Shadow Figure inside. The player then turns the light so it directly faces the Shadow Figure, and it vanishes. The game then ends, as the player "wakes up". However, the character is curious about the Shadow Figures he encountered and declares that he wants to visit them again.

Dream

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur usually involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest, throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology.

Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable.

The length of a dream can vary; they may last for a few seconds, or approximately 20–30 minutes. People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, and some may have up to seven; however, most dreams are immediately or quickly forgotten. Dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM.