Exploratory study of non-ordinary states of consciousness during sleep show distinct electrophysiological features from wakefulness and canonical sleep stages.
Scientific reports September 29, 2025 Nerea L Herrero, Yohann Corfdir, Aylin A Vázquez-Chenlo et al.
During sleep, consciousness can re-emerge as non-ordinary states such as lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, and false awakenings. In an exploratory study, overnight brainwave recordings were taken from people who frequently experience these states, capturing ten episodes. Eye movement markers identified periods of lucidity. Analysis of brainwave power showed that these states are distinct from wakefulness but share features with both stage 1 and REM sleep. The findings suggest that these non-ordinary states have unique neurophysiological signatures that blend characteristics of different sleep stages.