Bodily Stimulation During REM Sleep: Effects of Muscle and Vestibular Cueing on Lucid Dreaming
Clicks: 1
ID: 320538
2026
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This
article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score —
reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
Reader Engagement
0.0
/100
1 views
0 readers
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Ranked #26 of 39 articles by views in SLEEP Advances
Most read
Least read
Bar heights use a square-root scale.
Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet mintedCreate a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.
5
SUSD
one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
Abstract Study Objectives Sensory stimulation during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been proposed as a method to induce lucidity, yet most approaches rely on distal sensory modalities such as light and sound. We explored whether bodily stimulation targeting the muscle and vestibular systems differentially influences dream incorporation and lucid awareness during REM sleep. Methods 28 participants were assigned to electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) or galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) and completed a two-week cognitive training protocol including dream journaling, reality checks, and association training, followed by two counterbalanced morning naps. One in the stimulation and one in the control condition, during which cues were delivered during REM sleep. Lucidity was assessed using external dream-report ratings and Dream Lucidity Questionnaire scores. Results Neither EMS nor GVS significantly increased direct or indirect dream incorporation relative to Control. EMS did not significantly increase lucidity. In contrast, GVS was associated with higher externally rated lucidity and higher DLQ-7 scores than Control. Lucidity rates were high across EMS conditions, suggesting possible contributions of cognitive training, expectancy, and baseline lucid dream frequency. Conclusions Targeted stimulation of bodily systems during REM sleep may differentially influence dream experience. While somatosensory stimulation showed limited effects, vestibular stimulation was associated with increased lucid awareness despite minimal explicit incorporation into dream content. These findings suggest that modulation of bodily self-processing during REM sleep may influence reflective awareness independently of direct sensory incorporation. Non-invasive vestibular stimulation may therefore represent a promising approach for investigating mechanisms of lucid awareness during sleep.
| Reference Key |
openalex_W7167903914
Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using
SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
|
|---|---|
| Authors | Emma Peters, Xinlin Wang, Johanna Heitmann, Kathrin Fischer, Nicole Bühler, Nicolas Morath, Eva Nussbaumer, Susanne Zulauf, Ralf Kredel, Simon Maurer, Martin Dresler, Daniel Erlacher |
| Journal | SLEEP Advances |
| Year | 2026 |
| DOI |
10.1093/sleepadvances/zpag074
|
| URL | |
| Keywords | Keywords not found |
Citations
No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.