Reading Comprehension (RC) | Research has discovered that lucid dreamers

Research has discovered that lucid dreamers, people who are aware that they are asleep when they are dreaming, have better problem-solving abilities in the waking world than those who remain unaware of their dreams until they wake up. Studies have also shown that since lucid dreamers are aware of dreaming while dreaming, they can even play an active role in their dreams. Neuroscientists hypothesize that the reason behind these special skills of lucid dreamers could be their special brain structure.

On comparing the brain structures of frequent lucid dreamers and participants who never or only occasionally have lucid dreams, neuroscientists have found that the anterior prefrontal cortex, i.e., the brain area controlling conscious cognitive processes and playing an important role in the capability of self-reflection, is larger in lucid dreamers, suggesting a link between lucid dreaming and metacognition, which is defined as cognition about cognition or knowing about knowing. The theory has found more supporting evidence in the brain images of test subjects, which were taken while these subjects were solving metacognitive tests in their awake state. The images show that the brain activity in the prefrontal cortex was higher in lucid dreamers than in non-lucid dreamers, indicating that lucid dreamers have a higher level of insight than non-lucid dreamers.Neuroscientists say that it is this level of cognitive ability in lucid dreamers that enables them to spot incongruities within their dream, signaling their brain that they are in a dream, since the events in the dream would not make much sense otherwise, and making it possible for them to take an active part in their dreams. The same insight also transcends in to the waking world when it comes to finding solution to a problem by spotting hidden connections or inconsistencies.