Stephen LaBerge

Stephen LaBerge is a psychophysiologist and a leader in the scientific study of lucid dreaming. He began researching lucid dreaming for his Ph. D at Stanford University. He developed techniques to enable himself and other researchers to enter a lucid dream state at will, most notably the MILD technique (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams), which was necessary for many forms of dream experimentation.^[1] In 1987, he founded The Lucidity Institute, an organization that promotes research into lucid dreaming, as well as running courses for the general public on how to achieve lucid dreaming.^[2]

His technique of signalling to a collaborator monitoring his EEG with agreed-upon eye movements during REM became the first published, scientifically-verified signal from a dreamer's mind to the outside world. The first confirmed signal came from Alan Worsley under study in England; however his group did not publish their results until later. ^[3] Though the technique is simple, it opens broad new avenues of dream research and pushed the field of dream research, or oneirology, beyond its protoscientific and largely discredited psychoanalytic roots, establishing it as a fruitful and respectable discipline.

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Research results

Main article: Lucid dreaming

Interesting results from LaBerge's lab and others^[4] include:

• comparison of subjective sense of time in dreams versus the waking state using eye signals
• comparison of electrical activity in the brain when singing while awake, and while in a dream
• various studies comparing physiological sexual arousal and in-dream sex, and most interestingly, orgasm.

Lucid dreaming education and facilitation

LaBerge developed a series of devices to help users enter a lucid state while dreaming. The original device was called a DreamLight, which was discontinued in favour of the NovaDreamer. At the time of writing (2007) it is not possible to purchase any of these devices from the Lucidity Institute website. An improved version of the NovaDreamer is allegedly under development.^[5]

All of the devices consist of a mask worn over the eyes with LEDs positioned over the eyelids. The LEDs flash whenever the mask detects that the wearer has entered REM sleep. The stimulus is incorporated into the wearer's dreams and can be recognised as a sign that they are dreaming^[6].

Stephen LaBerge currently lectures at Universities and other professional institutions, and hosts lucid dreaming sessions at various locations.

Bibliography

LaBerge has produced several books about lucid dreaming.

• 1985 Lucid Dreaming: The power of being aware and awake in your dreams
• 1987 Controlling Your Dreams (audio cassette)
• 1990 Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, with Howard Rheingold
• 2002 KISS guide to dreams, with Lisa Lenard
• 2004 Lucid Dreaming: A Concise Guide to Awakening in Your Dreams and in Your Life (a short book bundled with a CD)

References