Lucid dreamers are able to exercise control over their dreams. But their abilities are not limited to shaping the scenario of their dreams to suit them. They could even hear and play music while they sleep, as a study reveals.
This research work, published in the journal Dreaming, was carried out by several international researchers, including Michael Raduga, CEO and founder of the Californian start-up REMspace. The latter wanted to know if lucid dreamers were capable of listening to and making music while asleep, after having experienced it himself. “When I was a teenager, I had a lucid dream during which I heard the best single by the band Rammstein (I was a fan of this band). It was of very high quality and it was without a doubt their best song. The problem was that she didn’t really exist, and I knew it. It showed me the true power of our brains. Since then, I have always wondered how to transfer the melodies of lucid dreams into reality” he explained to PsyPost.
We will rock… your dreams !
Michael Raduga and his colleagues designed an experimental protocol involving four volunteers who had already had lucid dreams. In 2020, scientists estimated that 55% of adults have already had this type of dream during their life and that 23% would have two or more every month. Participants in this study learned to play the intro to Queen’s “We Will Rock You” while they were awake and then tried to do it in their sleep. The researchers equipped them with different sensors (EEG, EOG and EMG) to monitor their muscular and brain activity during the experiment. Once awake, the volunteers also had to answer a questionnaire about what they had just experienced.
This methodology made it possible to highlight seven occurrences of lucid dreams during the experiment. In six out of seven cases, participants were able to play the introduction to “We Will Rock You” using their arm muscles as instructed by the researchers. But most attempts to record the melody “for real” have ended in failure, due to technical problems or weak electromyographic (EMG) signals.
“Sooner or later, anyone will be able to compose songs in their dreams and record them”
Although this study has significant limitations (very small panel of volunteers, etc.), it opens up interesting scientific perspectives regarding the science of dreams. While it is important not to “oversell” what you can do while sleeping, Michael Raduga is convinced that some lucid dreamers will one day be able to create music in their sleep. “Sooner or later, anyone will be able to compose original songs in their dreams and record them immediately (when they wake up)” he told PsyPost. “I am certain that every human being has ingenious potential. It is hidden in our subconscious. The best way to control it is to induce lucid dreams“.
