Detecting lucid dreams only by submentalis electromyography.

People can intentionally signal from within a lucid dream by moving their chin muscles, even though the body is otherwise paralyzed during REM sleep. In a laboratory study, four out of five volunteers who achieved a lucid dream successfully opened their jaws three times as pre-arranged. These chin movements were detectable via a single electromyography sensor, suggesting that muscle atonia does not block voluntary signals from the submentalis area. This finding points toward a simpler, cheaper, and potentially wearable lucid-dream verification protocol that could accelerate research and enable new applications in psychology, motor training, and human-computer interaction.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Lucid dreams (LDs) occur when people become aware that they are dreaming. This phenomenon has a wide range of possible applications from the perspectives of psychology, training physical movements, and controlling computers while asleep, among others. However, research on LDs might lack efficiency because the standard LD verification protocol uses polysomnography (PSG), which requires an expensive apparatus and skilled staff. The standard protocol also may reduce LD-induction efficiency. The current study examines whether humans can send phasic signals through submentalis electromyography (EMG) during muscle atonia via pre-agreed chin movements (PACM). This ability would manifest both REM sleep and consciousness, which are the main features of LDs. In laboratory conditions volunteers were instructed to open their jaws three times while in an LD right after the standard verification protocol to achieve the research goal. Results: 4 of 5 volunteers proved to be in an LD using the standard protocol, and then all of them made PACM. The outcomes show that dream signals cannot be blocked in the submentalis area during muscle atonia. Also, this finding can be considered to develop a simplified, reliable LD protocol that needs only one EMG sensor. The cost of this protocol could be only a small percentage of the current protocol, making it more convenient for researchers and volunteers. It can also be used remotely by inbuilt in wearable gadgets. Considering PACM could speed up LD research and provide many discoveries and new opportunities. Also, it can be used in sleep paralysis studies.