We published results from first ever experiment, in which 151 volunteers tried to transfer pain from lucid dreams into wakefulness. The research findings will go toward developing new form of pill-free pain management.
151 volunteers were instructed to enter a lucid dream, and there to picture themselves experiencing pain in their arms, following which they were required to wake up immediately. Of the participants, 74% achieved pain during lucid dreaming and 21% felt pain even after awakening. The study was conducted at Project Elijah, a Phase Research Center branch devoted to the investigation of lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, etc. It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Dreaming, 30(3), 246–256. Authors: M.Raduga, Z.Zhunusova, A.Shashkov, & N.Sevcenko.
The fact that a dreamer could induce pain consciously, without the presence of a physical cause, and then transfer it into a real, physical sensation indicates that the source of pain is the human brain itself and it can therefore be controlled through our consciousness. Furthermore, the psycho-physiological connection found between dreams and wakefulness could lead to new treatments for pain relief. Our study provides hope for people living with chronic pain, because the results may lead to the development of new, revolutionary types of pain management, totally free of pharmaceuticals.
