Picture of Stephen LaBerge
Many scientists who study consciousness focus on it in terms of an individual being awake. However, psychophysiologist Stephen LaBerge does not focus on consciousness in this manner. Rather, LaBerge focuses on the role of lucid dreams in consciousness.
LaBerge studies consciousness in terms of lucid dreaming. He defines consciousness as the state of simply being aware (“Stephen LaBerge,” 2019). LaBerge believes that individuals are not only aware, and therefore conscious, when they are awake but can also be when they are asleep. This is called lucid dreaming, or the state of being aware that one is dreaming (“Stephen LaBerge,” 2019). When an individual has this awareness, they can essentially control their own dreams. During lucid dreaming, the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that is responsible for functions like decision-making and planning, is found to be more active during lucid dreams, leading LaBerge to believe that consciousness may be influenced by the prefrontal cortex.
LaBerge's focus on lucid dreams has significant implications for human life. For one, they suggest that we may have more awareness than we initially may have thought. Additionally, LaBerge's work suggests that we have the ability to manipulate our conscious experiences and that how we plan and make decisions can influence our awareness. Overall, LaBerge's work on lucid dreams helps provide an interesting insight into how consciousness can function in sleep.
References:
Stephen LaBerge: Lucid Dreaming. (2019, June 25). Donders Sleep & Memory Lab | Martin Dresler. https://dreslerlab.org/laberge/
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