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Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003100140001-2 728 S. P. LA BERGE, ET AL. intended dream actions. Because dreamed gaze and limb adtions have some- times shown very good correlations with polygraphically redorded eye move- ments and muscle activation (Rechtschaffen, 1973), it seemed plausible thar lucid dreamers could signal that they knew they were dreaming by means of intentional dream actions having observable physiological correlates. METHOD AND RESULTS Five subtjects, trained in the method of lucid dream induction (MILD) described by LaBerge (1980c), were selected on the basis iof their claimed ability to have lucid dreams on demand, and studied for 2 to 20 nonconsecutive nights (see Table 1). Standard polysomnograms (Rechtschaffen & Kales, 1968), i.e. electroencephalogram (EEG), electro-oculogram (EOG), and chin electromyogram (EMG), were recorded, as well as left and right wrist EMG (for signaling). The subjects attempted to follow a predetetmined procedure of signaling whenever they became aware that they were dreaming. A variety of signals were specified, generally consisting of a combination of dreamed eye movements and a pattern of left and right dream-fist clenches, The sub- jects demonstrated the signals during pre-recording calibrations but were asked not to practice further while awake. In the course of the study, 35 lucid dreams were reported subsequent to spontaneous awakening from various stages of sleep as follows! rapid-eye-move- ment (REM) sleep in 32 cases, non-REM (NREM) Stage I twice, and dur- ing the transition from NREM Stage 2 to REM once. ; The subjects reported signaling during 30 of these lucid dreams. After each recording, the reports mentioning signals were submitted along with the respective polysomnogram to a judge uninformed of the times of the reports. TABLE 1 SUMMARY OF LUCID DREAM SIGNALING EXPERIMENTS Subject Nights Lucid dreams reported Lucid dream signals (age, sex) recorded (sleep stage) Verified * /reported S.L. (32 yr., M) 20 17 (REM) 14/15 R.K. (28 yr., M) 4 5 (REM) 3/5 LL. (34 yr., F) 2 1 (REM) 0/0 2 (NREM—1) 0+/1 B.K. (27 yr., F) 6 6 (REM) 5/6 1 (NREM—2/REM) + + 0/0 S.P. (26 yr., M) 2 2 (REM) 2/2 *Blindly matched for correspondence between reported and observed signals. +On awakening from NREM Stage 1 sleep (2 min. after having aw: ed from REM), the subject reported performing the agreed-upon signal during a vivid! and lengthy lucid dream. However, neither her EOG oor wrist EMG showed any sign of the reported signals, as might be expected from the normal lack of correspond berween dream gaze and eye movements during descending Stage 1 sleep (Rechtschaffen, 1973). + +The subject awoke, in this case, during the transition from Stage 2 to REM. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003100140001-2