people who are aware they are asleep when they are dreaming have better than average problem-solving abilities, new research has discovered.
Experts from the University of Lincoln, UK, say that those who experience 'lucid dreaming' -- a phenomena where someone who is asleep can recognise that they are dreaming -- can solve problems in the waking world better than those who remain unaware of the dream until they wake up.
The concept of lucid dreaming was explored in the 2010 film Inception, where the dreamers were able to spot incongruities within their dream. It is thought some people are able to do this because of a higher level of insight, meaning their brains detect they are in a dream because events would not make sense otherwise.
This cognitive ability translates to the waking world when it comes to finding the solution to a problem by spotting hidden connections or inconsistencies, researchers say.
The research by Dr Patrick Bourke, Senior Lecturer at the Lincoln School of Psychology, is the first empirical study demonstrating the relationship between lucid dreaming and insight.
He said: "It is believed that for dreamers to become lucid while asleep, they must see past the overwhelming reality of their dream state, and recognise that they are dreaming.
"The same cognitive ability was found to be demonstrated while awake by a person's ability to think in a different way when it comes to solving problems."
The study examined 68 participants aged between 18 and 25 who had experienced different levels of lucid dreaming, from never to several times a month. They were asked to solve 30 problems designed to test insight. Each problem consisted of three words and a solution word.
Each of the three words could be combined with the solution word to create a new compound word. For example with the words 'sand', 'mile' and 'age', the linking word would be 'stone'.
Results showed that frequent lucid dreamers solved 25 per cent more of the insight problems than the non-lucid dreamers.
Dr Bourke was assisted with the study by student Hannah Shaw who has since graduated.
The research, called "Spontaneous Lucid Dreaming and Waking Insight," was published in the American Psychological Association's journal, Dreaming.
GMT 19:09 2017 Saturday ,25 March
Hygiene comes firstGMT 14:53 2017 Monday ,06 March
5 tips for maintaining fresh breath all dayGMT 15:14 2017 Wednesday ,22 February
Skin care for your wedding dayGMT 11:25 2017 Thursday ,16 February
Don’t lose yourself in a happy relationshipGMT 07:56 2017 Thursday ,09 February
Get glowing skin at homeGMT 09:02 2017 Wednesday ,08 February
Could going meat-free help you lose weight?GMT 11:47 2015 Sunday ,25 October
12 ways women unknowingly sabotage their success outGMT 11:14 2015 Saturday ,25 July
5 bedtime routines to make your mornings so much easierMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor