False awakenings in lucid dreamers: How they relate with lucid dreams, and how lucid dreamers relate with them

False awakenings in lucid dreamers: How they relate with lucid dreams, and how lucid dreamers relate with them. Buzzi, Giorgio. Dreaming, Vol 29(4), Dec 2019, 323-338. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2019-78466-004

Abstract: In this article, some previously unreported findings from an old web survey about false awakenings (FAs) in 90 lucid dreamers will be discussed. FAs have been told to be frequent concomitants of lucid dreams, but objective data are lacking. In the present study, a positive correlation was found between the reported frequencies of FAs and lucid dreams, r = .51, p < .001, and 56 (62%) subjects reported experiencing habitual transitions from FAs to lucid dreams (or/and vice versa). These findings confirm previous anecdotal reports with objective data and suggest a similar neurophysiologic basis for the two kinds of experience. FAs appear to be characterized by a strong propensity of the experients to exercise a metacognitive judgment upon their state by means of reality checks (76% of respondents). Reality checkers reported that lucid dreams were a habitual termination of their FAs significantly more often than nonreality checkers (p < .001). This appears to be the first empirical datum in support of the frequently self-reported ability of lucid dreamers to turn “actively” their FAs into lucid dreams. Given the similarity between FAs and sleep paralysis in terms of possible state overlap, getting practice in performing reality checks could be a useful tool to manage some cases of recurrent sleep paralysis as well.

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From False Awakenings in Lucid Dreamers. Michelle Carr. Psychology Today, Dec 29 2019. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/dream-factory/201912/false-awakenings-in-lucid-dreamers:

Fifty-six subjects (62%) reported that they noticed anomalies or bizarre situations during False Awakenings — for example, details out of place or devices not working properly (e.g., light switches or digital clocks).

“Usually (my False Awakenings) start with me waking up in bed. I get up and go check on my children to see if they are sleeping. I may go into the living room or back into the bedroom ... then I go back to sleep and when I wake up for real I realize that some things were out place and that I had yet another false awakening”

Sixty-eight subjects (76%) actively tested the dream to confirm whether they were awake or asleep, and 45 claimed that they used false awakenings as a bridge to lucidity:

“...a good way of inducing lucid dreams as I often perform reality checks during False Awakening.s”

“...hold my nose and breathe through it (you can if you’re dreaming).”

“...turn something on; if it’s a dream it usually comes with mechanical failure.”