Can the sleeping mind help us process trauma to improve our well-being?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychiatric condition triggered by traumatic events, and is often characterized by nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance, and emotional shutdown. To overcome PTSD, we need to process the emotions and reframe the traumatic experiences in a healthy way. As you can imagine, this critical recovery process can feel incredibly difficult to do while experiencing a heightened emotional state.
Standard treatments include using Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and group support. SSRIs and SNRIs help reduce anxiety and depression experienced during PTSD by balancing the brain chemicals affecting mood, alertness, and stress. Therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and group support help patients reframe traumatic experiences, learning to view them in a less triggering and more empowering way. However, individuals may not have access to PTSD medications due to costs, stigma, or personal preference. Additionally, CBT often sees high dropout rates, with long-term recovery remaining a challenge for many patients.
For people living with PTSD, healing feels just out of reach. The heightened emotional states and even stigma can make traditional therapies feel overwhelming or inaccessible. But what if we could use the power of sleep itself to offer individuals with PTSD a new path?
How and Why Dreams Might Help
Sleep is a core process in our daily routines and is critical for rest, recovery, and our overall well-being. It is also a more complex and dynamic process than most of us may realize, and there is still much to learn in sleep research. But, we do know that one of the most unique aspects of sleeping is the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle.
During REM, the levels of stress-related chemicals like norepinephrine drop off dramatically, allowing the brain to process emotions with less reactivity. The REM cycle is also where most of our dreaming occurs. Thus, REM is a natural state that may mirror the combined effects of the common medications and therapies used to treat PTSD.
Adding another layer to this phenomenon is the concept of lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming describes a dream in which we are aware we are dreaming and can influence the outcomes of that dream. When it comes to PTSD, this may mean we could potentially revisit painful memories from a place of safety and empowerment. Individuals suffering from PTSD may be able to process emotions and discover emotional healing—all while asleep.
Lucid Dreaming as Therapy
Several small studies have shown that dreamwork—especially lucid dreaming—can help reduce PTSD symptoms. Our standout pilot study had 49 veterans participate in an intensive 6-day lucid dreaming workshop. More than 90% reported a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms and nightmare distress, with sustained improvements at one-month follow-up.
Our new study, “Decreased PTSD symptoms following a lucid dreaming workshop: A randomized controlled study“, published in the European Journal of Trauma and Dissociation expands on that pilot study.
Researchers added a control group, which helps validate whether lucid dreaming is truly the source of improvement in individuals suffering from PTSD. Our study included both combat and non-combat adults experiencing chronic PTSD. Individuals were provided the PCL-5 checklist, which is a validated self-reporting survey tool researchers and clinicians use to measure the presence and severity of PTSD. The participants who reported experiencing PTSD were accepted into the study and randomly assigned to either an active workshop or a control group.
In the active group, participants joined a 22-hour immersive online workshop led by professionals trained in mindfulness-based psychotherapy. They practiced dream journaling, sleep hygiene, and dream incubation techniques, and received support from therapists and peers. Surveys were provided to the participants to take before and after the workshop. The results helped researchers evaluate the changes in PTSD symptoms, well-being, and dream content.
Promising Results
Nearly two-thirds of participants in the active group reported experiencing healing dreams, compared to just 38% in the control group. Participants reported that their PTSD symptoms and nightmares had decreased significantly, from well above a standard lower limit cutoff for PTSD to well below that threshold, after the weeklong workshop. Furthermore, these improvements were maintained even at a 1-month follow-up.
Researchers had also introduced a new method to investigate the intensity of lucid dreams. While the findings showed that lucid dream intensity did not directly predict PTSD symptom improvement, participants still experienced meaningful reductions in pain and distress.
These findings suggest that structured, remote, dream-based workshops can offer therapeutic value. For some individuals suffering with PTSD, the ability to explore trauma safely within a dream may feel much more empowering than revisiting it in waking life. Furthermore, people who commonly experience lucid dreaming may benefit even more from these techniques, and the workshop also appeared to help participants even when lucid dreams didn’t occur.
Looking Ahead
While more rigorous studies are needed—including those that monitor dream states in lab settings rather than relying solely on self-reported findings—this research opens new doors.
Our researchers plan to further expand the study, by refining the workshop, developing training modules for therapists, and exploring broader population samples. As the program expands, its accessibility and flexibility may make it especially promising for people facing barriers to care, whether from stigma, cost, or geographical location.
Could lucid dreaming one day become a mainstream part of trauma therapy? Perhaps. While we can’t predict the future, the research is truly promising—and as we dive deeper into exploring the potential of the dreaming mind, we may continue uncovering powerful, more accessible avenues for healing.
Read the publication this blog is based upon
