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Scientists have found a promising new approach to lucid dreaming, combining virtual reality (VR), meditation and traditional dream-training techniques. The method could help people recognise when they are dreaming and potentially gain greater control over their dream experiences.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology on September 28, 2026, explored whether immersive VR experiences could improve people’s ability to experience lucid dreams.
Lucid dreaming occurs when a person becomes aware that they are dreaming while the dream is still happening. Some people can even influence what happens next, turning an ordinary dream into an experience they can consciously explore.
How virtual reality helps train the brain
The research involved 38 participants who completed a five-week training programme. They were divided into three groups, each following a different approach.
The experimental group combined traditional lucid dreaming exercises with eight VR sessions and guided meditation. Participants first practised open-monitoring meditation before entering immersive virtual environments designed to simulate dream-like situations.
During these sessions, they learned to recognise unusual situations, question their surroundings and develop the habit of checking whether their experiences were real.
The results were particularly interesting. Participants in the VR and meditation group reported 26 lucid-like dreams, compared with 11 in the traditional training group and just four in the group using unrelated VR experiences.
Researchers also found that 84.6% of participants in the experimental group experienced at least one lucid-like dream during the study.
Why meditation is important
The researchers believe meditation may play an important role in the process.
Open-monitoring meditation encourages people to observe their thoughts, emotions and physical sensations without immediately reacting to them. This may strengthen metacognition — the ability to reflect on and monitor one’s own mental state.
The idea is to develop this awareness while awake so that similar mental habits can become active during sleep.
Importantly, simply wearing a VR headset was not enough to produce the same results. The combination of dream-focused virtual environments, meditation and regular reality checks appeared to be the most promising approach.
Could VR change the future of sleep technology?
Although the findings are encouraging, researchers stress that the study involved a relatively small group of participants. Larger studies will be needed to establish how effective the technique is and whether its results can be reproduced.
Nevertheless, the research highlights an interesting connection between immersive technology, mindfulness and human consciousness.
As virtual reality continues to develop, it may find applications beyond gaming and entertainment — including the study of sleep, awareness and the human mind.
For now, learning to control dreams remains a challenge, but combining VR with meditation could bring scientists one step closer to understanding how people can become conscious inside their own dreams.
