If you spend time in any online lucid dreaming community, it is likely you have come across people claiming to be "omnilucid".
Omnilucidity is a slang term that refers to the purported, but unproven, ability to be lucid in every period of REM each and every night. Some even go as far as to make the highly implausible, and scientifically inaccurate claim, that they can remain lucid throughout an entire night's sleep.
But are these claims true?
Lucid Dreaming and Omnilucidity
Dreaming is an integral part of the human experience, and it can often be as rich and complex as waking life. Among the wide spectrum of dream experiences, lucid dreaming occupies a unique and fascinating place.
Lucid dreams are dreams in which the dreamer is aware that they're dreaming, often allowing for a level of conscious control over the dream environment. But is it possible for someone to have lucid dreams every night and in every single dream? The concept, dubbed 'omnilucidity,' has recently gained traction in online communities.
However, it seems to contradict established sleep science. This article delves into the intriguing world of omnilucidity and introduces the 'Omnilucid Challenge.'
What is Omnilucidity?
Omnilucidity claims to take the concept of lucid dreaming to the next level.
People who identify as 'omnilucid' assert that they not only experience lucid dreams but do so in every dream, every single night.
They report consistent awareness throughout their REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycles, which is when dreams most commonly occur. This claim of constant nightly lucidity is the essence of omnilucidity.
IMPORTANT: Omnilucidity is not a scientific term, nor has it been demonstrated as a factual or valid state. Omnilucidity remains entirely anecdotal and based purely upon assertion. There is, to date, no evidence for the omnilucid state.
Omnilucidity: Reality or Misunderstanding?
While the concept of omnilucidity may sound alluring, it stands in stark contrast to what sleep science tells us about dreaming and lucid dreaming in particular.
Scientific studies suggest that lucid dreaming is not guaranteed as an every-night event, even for the most seasoned lucid dreamers.
Lucid dreams often require specific conditions and usually result from a combination of techniques and practice.
While it is certainly possible that some experienced lucid dreamers can achieve a state of almost nightly lucid dreams (with the caveat that this requires both effort and sleeping variables to be favourable). This is not the same as being lucid during every period of REM in every night.
Furthermore, constant lucidity might even interfere with the restorative functions of sleep, as our brain needs phases of non-lucidity to process experiences, learn, and consolidate memories.
While the state cannot be entirely ruled out, as there is a great deal we do not know about sleep, and humans are incredibly diverse - there is currently simply no evidence.
Omnilucidity has yet to have been witnessed or documented in any sleep studies. Furthermore, it is unlikely that, if genuine, omnilucidity would be a favourable or desirable state.
Omnilucidity, if true, would almost certainly be classified as a parasomnia, a sleep disorder.
The Human Factor: Exaggeration and Misinterpretation
So, what might explain the claims of omnilucidity?
Two likely explanations stand out: exaggeration for attention or a misunderstanding of what lucid dreaming truly is.
Online communities, such as Discord, provide a platform for people, often children and teenagers, to share experiences, but they also have a known tendency to amplify unusual or extreme claims.
It's possible that some 'omnilucid' individuals might be overstating their experiences, consciously or unconsciously, for attention or validation.
Meanwhile, others might misunderstand the concept of lucid dreaming, equating any vivid or memorable dream with lucidity.
However, the hallmark of a lucid dream is not its clarity or vividness but a logical and active mind with the conscious recognition that one is dreaming.
Understanding 'Omnilucid': Debunking its Misleading Origins and Usage
A mere five years ago, the internet saw the unfortunate birth of "omnilucid," a term with origins as dubious as its usage.
Spawned within the chaotic confines of a poorly written Reddit thread by an anonymous user named "LordDarthAnger", the term is more a symptom of online recklessness than a contribution to scholarly discourse.
The initial Reddit post (above) was an embarrassingly unrefined attempt at creating new terminology, about as far removed from the rigor of academic or scientific practice as can possibly be.
Unsurprisingly, no respected sleep researcher has ever acknowledged or employed this baseless term. It's almost certain they never will.
Despite its poor birthright, "omnilucid" has surprisingly found an unlikely home in certain unenlightened corners of the internet. The persistence of its use among these circles serves only as a testament to their lack of scientific understanding and credibility.
In the end, "omnilucid" stands as a stark reminder of the unchecked propagation of pseudo-scientific jargon in the digital era.
The Omnilucid Challenge: Inviting Proof
The Omnilucid Challenge is an open invitation for individuals, 18 years old or above, who identify as omnilucid to provide concrete evidence of their claimed state.
If you consider yourself omnilucid, then here's what you need to do to take part in the Omnilucid Challenge:
Step 1 (MANDATORY): Express your interest in the challenge by contacting The Lucid Guide via email. This initial step is mandatory and allows The Lucid Guide to vet potential applicants and ensure that all participants are well-suited for the challenge. Following vetting, The Lucid Guide will provide those selected with the full set of challenge rules, regulations, and participant obligations. This approach ensures an orderly process and the safe handling of information. Please note that any unsolicited files received without prior agreement will be responsibly discarded. The following steps are only a brief overview of the process that successful applicants will undertake. Full details will be supplied to those who successfully pass step 1.
Step 2: Compose a comprehensive definition of lucid dreaming from your perspective. This should provide explicit details on what you consider to constitute a lucid dream.
Step 3: Capture a two-hour video documenting your sleep process. This video should visibly illustrate you transitioning from wakefulness, through Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, and into the initial stage of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. A clear close-up visual of your eyes is mandatory. During your purported lucid dream, perform consistent up-down eye signals as tangible evidence of your lucidity. These signals must be discernible in the video footage.
Step 4: Forward the lucid dreaming definition and the recorded video for assessment via our official contact email.
Step 5: Should your initial submission credibly exhibit lucidity, we will request additional examples and further tests for evaluation.
Step 6: If these subsequent submissions are successful, we will attempt to introduce you to a local sleep lab (as per the official rules and agreement that will be provided in step 1). Here, under carefully controlled conditions and under the supervision of sleep science professionals, you will be tasked to reproduce your lucid state during all periods of REM throughout the night.
This dual-step verification process serves to ensure the claims of omnilucidity are genuine, not the result of misunderstanding or exaggeration.
If an individual can demonstrate consistent lucidity in all periods of REM, they will secure themselves a place in the record books, and sleep-science history. It would be a truly remarkable achievement. Please note: this challenge demands a substantial degree of interaction and the provision of substantive evidence from the participant's end. This is not a casual engagement. Therefore, we kindly request that only those genuinely committed and serious about their claims of omnilucidty consider contacting us to express interest.
⚠️ IMPORTANT ⚠️
It's worth noting that to this current date, no one has convincingly passed the omnilucid challenge.
There remains to be no meaningful evidence for the existence of omnilucidity.
This article will be updated should such evidence be provided.
The Allure and Mystery of Omnilucidity
Omnilucidity, or the claim of experiencing lucid dreams in every dream, every night, is an intriguing and contentious topic.
Notwithstanding its burgeoning appeal among certain online communities, it's indisputable that this notion runs counter to established sleep science principles.
While we should maintain an open perspective towards yet-to-be-proven facets of human experience, in the absence of substantiated proof, omnilucidity undeniably resides within the sphere of conjecture and imagination.
Given the current understanding, the roots of such claims are most likely founded in misconceptions or embellishments, representing the most credible explanations.