Lucid Dreaming And DMT


The comparison of dreams with psychedelic states shows that both consciousness states share some similarities. First, they are characterized by vivid imaginary experiences which predominantly involve the visual domain. Although the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are yet unclear, there is evidence that visual experiences in these states share some features of bottom-up perception and top-down mental imagery. Second, both states activate emotional memories and affects, mostly in the direction of elevated mood states, and frequently paired with retrieval of fear memory. Imaginary exposure to fear-conditioned memory may be a crucial function in both states. Third, cognition in dreams and psychedelic states may both decrease logical and increase associative reasoning, similar with creative thinking. This may be related to deactivations in prefrontal control regions such as DLPFC. And fourth, changes in the sense of self occur in both states, leading to depersonalization, loss of self and body boundaries, and nondual awareness. The similarities between psychedelic states and dreaming are summarized by Grinspoon and Bakalar: “There are good reasons for applying the term ‘oneirogenic', producing dreams, to psychedelic drugs. In its imagery, emotional tone, and vagaries of thought and self-awareness, the drug trip, especially with eyes closed, resembles no other state so much as a dream”.

There are also some differences between these two states. First, elementary percepts such as geometric forms and abstract movements - which frequently occur in psychedelic states - only rarely occur in normal REMS dreams, but do occur in lucid dreams. This is supported by recent evidence indicating that psychedelics strongly activate primary visual regions, correlating with psychedelic imagery. Second, although both states enhance mental imagery, there are at least gradual differences between psychedelic states where external stimuli from the body and the outside world are still influencing conscious experience (especially during eyes-open conditions), and dreams, where consciousness is decoupled from the environment, generating intrinsic simulations of the world and the body-self. And third, typical REMS dreams are 'single-minded' and lack meta-cognition, whereas lucid dreams and psychedelic states are characterized by 'clear consciousness', which means a very nuanced, emotional and intellectual clarity of mind, as well as remembrance and reflection of current and past circumstances and relationships. Taken together, although both dreams and psychedelic states share a common phenomenological and neurobiological basis, there are also some differences between them, which are mainly due to greater perceptual influences from the external environment, clarity of consciousness and metacognitive abilities in psychedelic states compared to REMS. Lucid dreams, however, show a comparable degree of perceptual clarity and meta-cognitive capacity. Therefore, both psychedelic states and lucid dreams may be conceptualized as hybrid states of consciousness, sharing features of both dreaming and waking consciousness.

The broad overlap between dreaming and psychedelic states supports the notion that psychedelics acutely induce dreamlike subjective experiences which may have long-term beneficial effects on psychosocial functioning and wellbeing. The potential therapeutic effect of psychedelics is supported by recent clinical studies of psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca treatment in depression and anxiety. Future clinical studies should examine how therapeutic outcome is related to the acute dreamlike effects of psychedelics. It is plausible to assume that the lucid dreaming mindset may enhance core processes of psychotherapy such as self-understanding and psychological insight, and may therefore facilitate psychological change – a prerequisite of symptom reduction and behavioural adaptation.

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