History of Lucid dream in Timeline

A lucid dream, studied in oneirology, is a dream state where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming. This awareness can be developed as a cognitive skill. While dreamers may gain some control over the dream's elements, this control is not the defining characteristic of lucid dreaming. It's distinct from vivid or prelucid dreams, though prelucid dreams often precede lucid ones, and lucid dreams can be particularly vivid. Furthermore, lucid dreaming differs from other lucid states occurring around sleep, such as hypnagogia or hypnopompia.

1913: Lucid Dream Term Coined

In 1913, Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden coined the term "lucid dream" in his article A Study of Dreams.

1913: Frederik van Eeden Coined "Lucid Dream"

In 1913, Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik (Willem) van Eeden coined the term "lucid dream" in an article entitled "A Study of Dreams".

1932: Death of Frederik van Eeden

In 1932, Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik (Willem) van Eeden, who coined the term "lucid dream," passed away.

1968: Celia Green Analyzed Lucid Dream Characteristics

In 1968, Celia Green analyzed the main characteristics of lucid dreams, reviewing previously published literature and incorporating new data, concluding they were distinct from ordinary dreams and associated with REM sleep. Green also linked lucid dreams to false awakenings.

1973: Training Subjects to Recognize REM Dreaming

In 1973, the National Institute of Mental Health reported researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, trained sleeping subjects to recognize REM dreaming and signal this by pressing micro switches on their thumbs.

April 12, 1975: First Message Sent From Lucid Dream

On April 12, 1975, Dr. Keith Hearne and Alan Worsley succeeded in recording a pre-defined set of eye movements signaled from within Worsley's lucid dream using an electrooculogram (EOG). This was the first time a message was sent directly from a dream to the waking world.

1980: LaBerge Developed Lucid Dreaming Techniques

In 1980, Stephen LaBerge at Stanford University developed lucid dreaming techniques as part of his doctoral dissertation.

1985: LaBerge's Pilot Study on Time Perception

In 1985, Stephen LaBerge performed a pilot study showing that time perception during a lucid dream is similar to waking life. Dreamers counted ten seconds, signaling with eye movements measured by electrooculogram recording.

1990: Publication of "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming"

In 1990, "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold discussed creativity within dreams and lucid dreams, including testimonials from people who used lucid dreaming to solve creative issues.

1992: Deirdre Barrett Study on Lucid Dream Corollaries

In 1992, a study by Deirdre Barrett examined whether lucid dreams contained four "corollaries" of lucidity.

2003: Investigation of Lucid Dreaming Treatment

In 2003, Spoormaker, Van den Bout, and Meijer investigated lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares by testing eight subjects who received a one-hour individual session of lucid dreaming exercises. Results showed a decrease in nightmare frequency and slight increase in sleep quality.

2004: Confirmation of LaBerge's Results

In 2004, German researchers D. Erlacher and M. Schredl confirmed the time perception results that Stephen LaBerge demonstrated in 1985 regarding lucid dreaming.

2004: Study on Lucid Dream Frequency and Personality

In a 2004 study on lucid dream frequency and personality, a moderate correlation between nightmare frequency and frequency of lucid dreaming was demonstrated.

2006: Study on Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares

A 2006 study performed by Victor Spoormaker and Van den Bout evaluated the validity of lucid dreaming treatment (LDT) in chronic nightmare sufferers, revealing that nightmare frequency decreased in the treatment groups.

2006: Pilot Study on Lucid Dreaming Therapy

A pilot study performed in 2006 showed that lucid dreaming therapy treatment was successful in reducing nightmare frequency, though the specific aspects of the treatment responsible for the success were unclear.

2015: Meditation and Lucid Dreaming Study

A 2015 study by Julian Mutz and Amir-Homayoun Javadi showed that people who had practiced meditation for a long time tended to have more lucid dreams.

2016: Meta-Analysis of Lucid Dreaming Studies

In 2016, a meta-analytic study by David Saunders and colleagues demonstrated that 55% of a pooled sample of 24,282 people claimed to have experienced lucid dreams at least once. About 23% reported experiencing them regularly.

2016: Publication of "The Dreams Behind the Music"

In 2016, the book "The Dreams Behind the Music" by Craig Webb detailed lucid dreams of musical artists, including their ability to compose, mix, arrange, practice, and perform music while conscious within their dreams.

2017: Lucid Dreaming as Hybrid State of Consciousness

In 2017, Julian Mutz and Amir-Homayoun Javadi published a review in Neuroscience of Consciousness claiming that "Lucid dreaming is a hybrid state of consciousness with features of both waking and dreaming".

2018: Galantamine and Lucid Dreaming

In 2018, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that galantamine led to up to a 42 percent increase in the ability to lucid dream in some participants, with ten people experiencing a lucid dream for the first time.

2018: Study on Lucid Dreaming and the Prefrontal Cortex

In 2018, researchers at the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness conducted a study that concluded individuals who lucid dream more frequently have a more active and well-connected prefrontal cortex.