Fluctuations in perception vividness in lucid dreams

Abstract

Lucid dreams (LDs) are dreams in which people recognize that they are experiencing the dream plot. Sometimes, perception vividness can be low during an LD, which can affect the practitioner’s satisfaction with, application of, and research on the phenomenon. In this study, we explore how perception level changes during an LD and what level satisfies practitioners. In this online experiment, we instructed 86 volunteers to enter an LD and perform typical tasks while paying attention to perception vividness level at the beginning and during the experience. Upon awakening, the volunteers assessed their satisfaction with the perception vividness experienced. Perception vividness remained at the same level for only 32% of participants. For other participants, perception vividness either spontaneously decreased (15%), increased (18%), or floated (35%). No participants were satisfied with a perception vividness of less than 70%. Meanwhile, half of the participants were satisfied with perception vividness ranging from 70-79%, 76% of participants were satisfied with perception vividness ranging from 80-99%, and 92% were satisfied when perception vividness exceeded 100%. There is a need to create methods that increase practitioners’ perception vividness during an LD. Also, research should explore new directions for researching LDs and their efficiency.