Lucid dream and consciousness

     Despite the advanced neurological imaging technology, clear and full visualization of what goes on in the brain when our mind makes a transition from unconsciousness to consciousness is difficult to create. Luckily, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, from the Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, and from Berlin figured out the way to locate the seat of meta- consciousness in the brain by using fMRI and EEG recordings during the sleep, and by taking advantage of the abilities of lucid dreamers. Lucid dreamers are individuals who are aware of the fact that they are dreaming and they might be able to control their dreams, depending on the degree of consciousness. These people know that they are dreaming, thus they have access to memories; they can even do what they were asked to do, remaining in the dream state. In this particular experiment, four subjects were told to move their fingers and eyes as a indicator that they enter into lucid dreaming phase. The goal of the experiment was to compare brain activities during normal dream and lucid periods. It was observed that neural basis during normal and lucid dream are similar. Although, the brain activity during lucid dream increases rapidly, and it is significantly stronger in the areas of the cerebral cortex (right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontopolar regions, and precuneus). We know the function of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; it plays an important role in consciousness, decision making, working memory. The frontopolar regions are relevant in evaluation of our thoughts and feelings, and precuneus is also associated with self-consciousness.

All these brain areas are components of networks that are responsible for integration of sensory inputs to make higher levels of consciousness possible.

     This study not only confirmed what has been believed to be the neural basis of consciousness but also for the first time, this research made possible to visualize the neural basis of consciousness. This is exciting news for scientists interested in studying treatments for people with dream disorders (recurrent nightmares, hypnagogic hallucinations, etc.). 

     I have found this article interesting because I am myself a lucid dreamer sometimes, and I know how aggravating it is to know while dreaming that dream is just a dream, even though you wish it was not. This happened to me many times when I dreamed about someone being alive and I normally interacted with that person in a dream. The reality was different, the person passed away long time ago. In my dream I knew it; I was literally telling myself not to get happy because it is just a dream. Anyways, when I woke up, that dream made me feel wonderful for the rest of the day.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120727095555.htm