Pandemic Dreaming: Using Lucidity to Combat Isolation
The COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdowns profoundly altered daily life, creating a collective sense of anxiety and disruption. This shift didn’t just affect our waking hours; it also significantly changed the nature of our dreams. With routines upended and stress levels high, many people reported an increase in vivid, bizarre, and often distressing dreams.
The Science Behind Pandemic Dreams
Research into this phenomenon quickly emerged. Initiatives like the @CovidDreams project on Twitter collected data, revealing that over a third of respondents experienced dreams directly related to the pandemic, often featuring themes of failure, isolation, and fear. Studies from Finland and elsewhere found that dreams during isolation were frequently described with words like “anger,” “sadness,” and “contamination.”
Two primary factors drove this change:
Psychological Stress: Widespread anxiety and fear became common dream fuel.
Altered Sleep Patterns: The shift to remote work and stay-at-home orders allowed people to sleep longer and on a more relaxed schedule. This increase in total sleep time, particularly in REM sleep—the stage most associated with vivid dreaming—created the perfect conditions for more intense and memorable dreams.
Lucid Dreaming as a Therapeutic Tool
This is where lucid dreaming becomes relevant. Lucid dreaming is the state of being aware that you are dreaming while still asleep, which can allow you to exert some control over the dream’s narrative.
For those troubled by pandemic-induced nightmares, lucid dreaming offers a potential self-help strategy. By using techniques like:
Reality Checks: Habitually questioning your state of consciousness during the day.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD): Setting an intention to remember you’re dreaming as you fall asleep.
Wake Back to Bed (WBTB): Waking up after several hours of sleep and then returning to sleep with the goal of entering REM sleep directly while conscious.
Individuals can learn to recognize when they are in a nightmare and consciously change its course, transforming a frightening experience into a neutral or even pleasant one.
A Form of Healthy Escapism
While professional therapy remains the best option for severe anxiety or PTSD, lucid dreaming can be a valuable complementary tool. It provides a unique form of escapism and control at a time when both feel in short supply. By consciously constructing a positive dream reality, individuals can find respite from the uncertainty of the pandemic, using their own minds to create a sanctuary during isolation. Ultimately, lucid dreaming empowers individuals to reclaim agency over their inner world, offering a therapeutic escape from external stressors.
