Research Suggests Lucid Dreaming Could Benefit Trauma Survivors — Here's Why

For people who frequently lucid dream or are aware they're dreaming while they're dreaming, they'll tell you it's fun, you can practice certain skills, or even access your creativity. But could lucid dreaming offer healing benefits beyond simply controlling your dreams for fun?

For this study, researchers wanted to investigate the potential for lucid dreaming to be used as a healing modality for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To do so, they had 49 adults with chronic PTSD symptoms complete a six-day online lucid dreaming healing workshop. The participants reported their symptom severity and any nightmares, as well as their mood and how well they felt overall. Saliva samples were also taken from four of the participants to look for patterns of stress reduction.

Following the six days, 37 of the 49 participants were able to achieve at least one lucid dream (76%), and over half of them achieved a healing lucid dream. "Compared to baseline values," the study authors write, "significant improvements were observed in self-reported PTSD symptom scores, nightmare distress, and well-being. A decrease in negative affect was also noted."

It's fascinating, indeed, to think that we have the potential to heal ourselves while sleeping through the act of lucid dreaming—but it can take practice to get the hang of it.

According to research2, only 50% of people have had a lucid dream, while 20% have lucid dreams on a monthly basis, and roughly 1% have lucid dreams several times a week. But it is possible to improve your lucid dreaming skills with a little extra attention.