STUDY OBJECTIVES:

To investigate the neural correlates of lucid dreaming.

DESIGN:

Parallel EEG/fMRI recordings of night sleep.

SETTING:

Sleep laboratory and fMRI facilities.

PARTICIPANTS:

Four experienced lucid dreamers.

INTERVENTIONS:

N/A.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS:

Out of 4 participants, one subject had 2 episodes of verified lucid REM sleep of sufficient length to be analyzed by fMRI. During lucid dreaming the bilateral precuneus, cuneus, parietal lobules, and prefrontal and occipito-temporal cortices activated strongly as compared with non-lucid REM sleep.

CONCLUSIONS:

In line with recent EEG data, lucid dreaming was associated with a reactivation of areas which are normally deactivated during REM sleep. This pattern of activity can explain the recovery of reflective cognitive capabilities that are the hallmark of lucid dreaming.