Attempted induction of signalled lucid dreaming by transcranial alternating current stimulation

Abstract

Neurophysiological correlates of self-awareness during sleep ('lucid dreaming') remain unclear despite their importance for clarifying the neural underpinnings of consciousness. Transcranial direct (tDC) and alternating (tAC) current stimulation during sleep have been shown to increase dream self-awareness, but these studies' methodological weaknesses prompted us to undertake additional study. tAC stimulation was associated with signal-verified and self-rated lucid dreams-but so was the sham procedure. Situational factors may be crucial to inducing self-awareness during sleep.

Keywords: Lucid dreaming; REM sleep; Self-awareness; Transcranial alternating current stimulation.