Catch Yourself in a Dream
Have you ever known you're dreaming while you're asleep? Our guests try practices to help induce lucid dreams, and we hear what they can teach us about consciousness.
\n\nLink to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/y4z8suca
\n\nEpisode summary:
\n\nHow do you know you\u2019re awake? Are you sure? Practicing lucid dreaming means taking a step back to question your very consciousness \u2014 throughout your day, and even when you\u2019re asleep. It\u2019s no wonder lucid dreaming is associated with mindfulness. In this episode, journalists Marylee Williams and Michaeleen Doucleff try a practice to induce lucid dreaming, and researcher Benjamin Baird explains what lucid dreaming is teaching scientists about consciousness, plus how it might benefit our well-being. Lucid dreaming appears to help foster creativity and can boost your mood when you wake up.
\n\nTry Lucid Dreaming
\n\nThere are a few different ways to induce lucid dreams. All of them take time and practice. Find a brief summary below and more information at this link: https://tinyurl.com/2m86pw7p
\n\n(i) Reality Testing (RT), a technique that involves checking your environment several times a day to see whether or not you\u2019re dreaming;
\n\n(iii) MILD, a technique that involves waking up after five hours of sleep and then developing the intention to remember that you are dreaming before returning to sleep, by repeating the phrase \u2018The next time I\u2019m dreaming, I will remember that I\u2019m dreaming;\u2019 you also imagine yourself in a lucid dream;
\n\n(iv) SSILD, a technique that involves waking up after five hours of sleep and then repeatedly focusing your attention on visual, auditory, and physical sensations for 20 seconds each before returning to sleep; this technique is similar to mindfulness meditation but involved repeatedly shifting your focus;
\n\nMore Resources:
\n\nLucid Dreaming FAQ by The Lucidity Institute: https://tinyurl.com/2m86pw7p
\n\nLucid Dreaming at TEDx: https://tinyurl.com/ywkymhs2
\n\nLearn about the cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming from today\u2019s expert Benjamin Baird: https://tinyurl.com/mr3anzer
\n\nMore sleep resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
\n\nWhy Your Brain Needs to Dream: https://tinyurl.com/yc3makhp
\n\nThe Influence of Dreams: https://tinyurl.com/p6cfh8n4
\n\nHow Mindfulness Improves Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/39tk85m9
\n\nYour Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow: https://tinyurl.com/2p8zvbjz
\n\nDear Christine: Why Can\u2019t I Sleep? https://tinyurl.com/yb88a5z6
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Today\u2019s guests:
\n\nMichaeleen Doucleff f is a science reporter for NPR and author of the book Hunt, Gather, Parent.
\n\nCheck out her reporting: https://tinyurl.com/5de2kyt7
\n\nRead her book: https://michaeleendoucleff.com/
\n\nFollow Michaeleen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FoodieScience
\n\nMary Lee Williams is an editor and producer on a morning news show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
\n\nCheck out her website: http://www.maryleewill.com/about
\n\nFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marylee_will
\n\nBenjamin Baird is a Research Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, where he focuses on consciousness, including lucid dreaming.
\n\nCheck out Dr. Baird\u2019s website: https://www.benjaminbaird.org/
\n\nTell us about your experiences and struggles with lucid dreams by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.
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