Controlling your Dreams

We have all woken up at some point in a state of distress, confusion, or fear, which usually culminates in a ‘what did I just dream’ reflection. Whether we remember one or every detail about it, often the ridiculous and far-fetched nature of our dreams can have a profound effect on our thoughts after waking. While it is a common occurrence to wake up either relieved or frustrated about our passiveness during the dream scenario, it is more infrequent that we wake up knowing we did have control over the where, who, and how of what we just dreamt. The latter refers to lucid dreaming, the realisation (while asleep) that you are dreaming, and not in the physical realm. This knowledge acts as a return to metacognition, the awareness and understanding of your thoughts, or the concept of ‘thinking about your thinking.’ While obvious and extremely plausible in conscious and waking hours, the notion of being in a metacognitive state while asleep can appear odd.

According to neuroscience, dreams are generated via active and neural processes, activated during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This depth of sleep usually accounts for 25% of total sleep, in which brain waves resemble waking states. REM sleep is characterised by muscle atonia (temporary muscle paralysis) and is crucial for memory consolidation, mood regulation and learning. Driven by brainstem activation, dreams can yield vivid and emotional experiences through the amygdala and hippocampus. Other key brain regions involved include the visual cortex, translating neural signals into ‘cinematic’ images, and the default mode network, a large-scale network active in passive states, i.e. daydreaming. Comparing lucid versus non-lucid dreams, autonomic nervous system arousal (heart rate, respiration rate) is typically found to be higher during lucid REM sleep than non-lucid REM sleep. However, it is important to note that active awareness that one is dreaming creates opportunity for varying levels of dream control, existing on a spectrum, not an all-or-nothing principle. Some people at the further end of this spectrum can alter the plots of the ongoing dream, change the dream environment and transform their physical appearance — this is not the case for everyone. 

It seems reductionistic to discuss dreams without referencing the central theorist of these, Sigmund Freud, who identified them as the via regia (royal road) to the subconscious self. He attributed a highly symbolic manifestation to dreams, viewing them as insights into repressed desires, fantasies and memories that belonged to the most obscure parts of ourselves. Resting on the assumption that the subconscious (or id) acts as a container for our instincts, Freud believed that dreams acted as a ‘discharge’ for wish-fulfilment of such urges, which could not be accepted by the conscious mind. Many contested Freud’s views, including psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut, who introduced the concept of ‘self-state dreams,’ or reflections of the state of self rather than expressions of the repressed self. 

It is instinctively plausible to believe that the dreams we have are in some way expressions of desires, whether that be dreaming about someone you are in conflict with or who you have not seen in a long time. We have all experienced a dream that fit reality a bit too accurately, despite its sometimes-absurd elements. In the case of lucid dreaming, control over the events of the dream can, in fact, serve as a method to overcome fears, work towards an objective or face daily-life problems — the subject can attempt different acts of free volition. The most common and unrealistic scenarios for a lucid dreamer boil down to wish-fulfilment, most frequently taking the form of reaching out to a loved one who has passed away. This may be a comforting thought for many, but can lucid dreaming even be induced? The answer is yes. 

Research into lucid dreaming has also highlighted the role of neurochemistry, particularly through the effects of Galantamine, a drug commonly used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Galantamine functions as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, increasing levels of Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in REM sleep, memory, and cognitive activation. Studies have shown that this increase can significantly enhance the likelihood of lucid dreaming by around 42% compared to a placebo. By artificially boosting the brain systems associated with awareness and memory, galantamine appears to ‘switch on’ aspects of conscious thinking during dreams. 

This reinforces the view that lucid dreaming represents an interaction between neurobiological mechanisms and the subconscious mind rather than a purely unconscious phenomenon, as formerly believed,  making the notion of dream control rather attractive. 

Image from Wikimedia Commons