2026-10-07T23:01:29Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34009209 2026-09-28T05:36:12Z category_173 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Supplementary file 1_Virtual reality as a metacognitive training tool for lucid dreaming.pdf Andrea Signorelli (25119822) Francesco Tormen (25119825) Bruna Dal Bianco (25119828) Nicola De Pisapia (310256) Applied Psychology cognitive training dream consciousness lucid dreaming lucid dreaming induction metacognition open-monitoring meditation reality monitoring virtual reality Introduction<p>Lucid dreaming (LD) involves awareness of being in a dream during REM sleep and depends on the reactivation of metacognitive and reality-monitoring processes. This study tested whether a virtual reality (VR) intervention designed to rehearse lucid-dream-relevant metacognitive routines increases LD rates beyond baseline training, and whether generic VR exposure produces similar effects.</p>Materials and methods<p>Thirty-eight participants with low previous LD experience completed a 5-week program of daily dream diaries and reality checks, assigned to: VR-experimental (n = 13), standard training plus eight LucidDreamingVR sessions preceded by brief open monitoring (OM) meditation; VR-control (n = 12), standard training plus eight LD-unrelated VR sessions; or Control (n = 13), standard training only. Dreams were classified as ordinary, semi-lucid, or lucid; semi-lucid and lucid dreams were treated as lucid-like.</p>Results<p>VR-experimental participants reported the highest number of lucid like dreams (26), followed by Control (11) and VR-control (4). A Poisson model with total recalled dreams as offset showed that lucid-like dream rates were significantly higher in VR-experimental than in VR-control, RR = 8.60, 95% CI [3.00, 24.64], p_Holm <0.001, and Control, RR = 4.00, 95% CI [1.97, 8.09], p_Holm <0.001. Responder rates showed a convergent pattern, with at least one lucid-like dream reported by 84.6% of VR-experimental participants, 61.5% of Control participants, and 33.3% of VR-control participants, showing that VR exposure alone was insufficient.</p>Discussion/conclusion<p>Dream-oriented VR training preceded by OM meditation may facilitate LD by scaffolding metacognitive monitoring from wakefulness to REM sleep.</p> 2026-09-28T05:36:12Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1924370.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_file_1_Virtual_reality_as_a_metacognitive_training_tool_for_lucid_dreaming_pdf/34009209 CC BY 4.0