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Can videogames be a cure for nightmares?

According to the Association for the Study of Dream playing video games before bedtime may give people an unusual level of awareness and control in their dreams. Allowing children to play videogames would give them the ability to deal with most kinds of fear and stop their own nightmares. But should parents follow this advice? What type of videogames could improve your ability to lucid dream?

Seeking Fact Gaming 3 years ago
Laura Celada admin
Laura Celada’s Editorial intern
London, GB

1 parent has answered

Britny Gill
Britny Gill Web Developer US

Although it sounds a bit weird, gamers have an increased sense of control and stability in dream. If you've ever been in the middle of a dream when you suddenly realized you were dreaming and could actually control what happened you experienced a lucid dream. So according to the research, playing video games before bedtime may allow children to report higher instances of lucid dreaming and regularly have a greater degree of control over themselves and the dream environment.

Additionally, many gamers are able to ward off nightmares because otherwise those are often perceived as fun challenges to overcome. The essence of a scary dream is the dreamer's inability to respond to threatening situations like zombie hordes or phobias. But gamers are able to fight back in their dreams, which lowers the general threat level.

The lead researcher, Jayne Gackenbach, said that video games can train the mind to take control of a fantasy situation. So when you are asleep and enter a dream state, your brain immediately thinks that it's a videogame and you find yourself able to take control of the dreamscape.

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Fact 3 years ago

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