Lucid Loop: Exploring the Parallels between Immersive Experiences and Lucid Dreaming

Abstract

Lucid dreaming is the awareness of being in a dream, allowing dream control and living out fantasies. It also has benefits for growth and well-being. Yet, lucid dreaming is not accessible to most people. So, we created Lucid Loop - a neurofeedback-augmented immersive experience that utilizes AI-enhanced visuals and spatial audio in a virtual reality device for simulating lucid dreaming. We interviewed nine lucid dreamers who tried Lucid Loop and helped us propose design considerations: dreaming allusions, reality checks, focus points with neurofeedback, people in the scene, and immersion. Lucid Loop was like lucid dreaming because of its capacity for emotionality and fluidity between self and environment. Participants also noted several differences where technology might be limited. Lucid Loop appears to accurately simulate lucid dreaming, with implications for enhancing well-being and future applications for lucid dream training. Our research generalizes to technologically-mediated simulations of other emotive or internal experiences.