Can lucid dreamers predict the future? Scientists put it to the test
A team of psychologists and neuroscientists is exploring whether people can dream about future events before they happen. The study, led by Dr David Luke at the University of Greenwich and Trinity College, Cambridge, focuses on lucid dreamers—those who can control their dreams and recall them vividly. Researchers are testing if these individuals can predict random events through their dreams.
The experiment involves volunteers who set an intention to dream about an unknown 'future target'. After recording their dreams, a true-random number generator selects the target. Scientists then compare the dream reports with the randomly chosen outcome to check for matches.
Dr Malcolm Dean, a psychologist at the University of Cambridge, is overseeing the precognition research. His work builds on earlier studies into predictive anticipatory cognition, where participants tried to anticipate random stimuli. The current project is part of a long-term research programme that could take years to complete. Most cognitive scientists remain sceptical, arguing that so-called future-feeling dreams are simply the brain processing memories, emotions, and coincidences. Some theories suggest dreams evolved to simulate dangerous situations, helping humans rehearse threat responses for survival. Yet, this new study aims to test whether certain individuals might show genuine precognitive abilities under controlled conditions.
The findings could challenge existing views on how the brain processes time and prediction. If successful, the research may open new discussions about the limits of human perception. For now, the team continues collecting data from lucid dreamers to see if any patterns emerge.
