KPBS San Diego explores lucid dreaming and the psychology of dreams
I recently had the pleasure of joining KPBS San Diego LIVE on the radio to discuss one of my favorite topics: lucid dreaming and its power in managing nightmares.
I was joined by two renowned guests: Rubin Naiman, a psychologist and expert in integrative sleep medicine, and Kelly Bulkeley, a researcher on dreams and the psychology of religion.
Listen to the full interview here. Here are my personal highlights to whet your appetite.
Lucid Dreaming: Rapid Cessation of Recurring Nightmares
One of the key points I emphasized during the interview is how lucid dreaming can stop recurring nightmares—sometimes with immediate results. When you become lucid in a dream, you shift out of survival mode, allowing you to resolve the nightmare from a place of curiosity, compassion, and fearlessness.
While simply becoming lucid may not be enough to completely stop nightmares, just one lucid dream that applies this mindset can break the cycle. For chronic nightmare sufferers, especially those tied to trauma and stress disorders, this can be life-changing.
The Reciprocal Influence of Waking and Dreaming
Another highlight was hearing Dr. Naiman explore an idea that I've had a subtle understanding of, but hearing him articulate it made it really resonate.
He suggested that it’s not just our waking experiences that shape our dreams, but that the reverse is also true. Our dreams influence our waking thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in ways we overlook. This perspective can enrich an ongoing dream practice, shining light on how deeply interconnected our waking and dreaming lives are.
Moving Beyond Dream Interpretation
Kelly Bulkeley's interview highlighted how dream interpretation, while valuable, can overshadow the experiential value of the dream itself. He encouraged listeners to observe dreams with non-judgmental awareness, rather than focusing on analyzing their meaning. This is relevant to lucid dreaming, not just when recalling ordinary dreams. His advice is to balance letting the dream “be” as it is, without always dissecting its meaning.
I enjoy understanding the metaphors of my dreams—there’s no denying dream interpretation has its place. But there is also a certain beauty in simply experiencing the dream as it unfolds, without analyzing it.
In fact, analyzing what a lucid dream means about your life can inhibit the creativity in how you respond lucidly. I often see this when I'm treating someone with lucid dreaming therapy; what can make lucid dreaming effective is recognizing that the dream isn’t real. Projecting metaphors from your personal life onto the dream reifies the dream–leading you to treat the dream imagery similar to how you would while awake. Weaving your limiting, waking belief systems into the lucid dream can hinder your sense of safety, psychological flexibility, and ultimately, the likelihood of resolving the nightmare.
The interview covered many more diverse insights. Access the interviews on KPBS Midday Edition here or find it on your favorite podcast app. It’s called The Psychology of Dreams and it aired on July 15, 2024.
Learn Lucid Dreaming Therapy
Are you a therapist curious about integrating lucid dreaming into your practice? Join me for a 3-part series on the foundations of lucid dreaming therapy. Not only will you learn practical skills to help your clients, but you’ll also earn continuing education (CE) or continuing professional development (CPD) credits from a sponsor accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Sleep and dreams are underrepresented during most therapists' training. Discover how this innovative CE program will help you master working with the vital connections between sleep, dreams, and mental health. Learn more and reserve your spot today.
Comments