By definition, a "lucid dream" is one in which you are aware that you are dreaming, but that's not all: you can also exert some control over the dream's storyline and environment. Science has studied lucid dreams closely, with results that haven't always been conclusive, but that has changed thanks to the work of Dr. Denholm Aspy at the University of Adelaide, who has used the MILD technique to induce lucid dreams in more than 50 percent of cases.
Achieving good sleep quality is essential for all of us, but in many cases it's simply not enough to lie down and fall asleep. Personally, I can say that besides sleeping poorly, I have nightmares quite often. Don't ask me to describe them—I just know they're horrible. The web is full of advice, from avoiding alcohol, tea, and coffee to sleeping on an empty stomach, and nothing seems to work. This is where lucid dreams come in. The idea of modifying and controlling dreams has fascinated us for thousands of years, and science has taken it as a challenge. Could lucid dreaming be the solution to our problems?
The MILD technique
That question leads us to the University of Adelaide, where Dr. Denholm Aspy published new information on a technique to induce lucid dreams called MILD, "Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams" (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams). The first part involves a reality test, in which participants check whether they are truly awake. The second half of the process (the MILD itself) requires them to set their alarms to interrupt sleep after five hours, and upon waking they must recite "the next time I'm dreaming, I will remember that I'm dreaming" before going back to sleep.
The results
Dr. Aspy discovered that reality tests alone have no effect, but when MILD is included, 53 percent of the 169 participants reported having a lucid dream during the study, and 17 percent had them every night. These numbers surpass those obtained in previous MILD analyses, and even those of the technique's original creator, psychophysiologist Stephen LaBerge from Stanford University. What's next? Of course, further studies. Dr. Aspy is looking for more volunteers, and I suppose it's not too complicated to do at home. What do you think?
