Cannabis & Lucid Dreaming: Can THC Enhance the Dream Experience?

According to a report by Science Direct, 55% of people have experienced one or more lucid dreams in their lifetime. A meta-analysis of 50 years of research on lucid dreaming spanning from 1966 to 2016 finds that 23% of people experience lucid dreams at least once a month. 

A lucid dream is one in which the individual becomes aware that they are dreaming while they are still asleep. In some cases, they can even affect the course of the dream, gaining control over its content. 

Lucid dreaming likely dates back to the dawn of time. Aristotle referenced it in his 4th-century BCE treatise On Dreams. As virtual reality and other immersive media have grown, interest in lucid dreaming is surged in recent years. Those wanting to induce more lucid dreaming try all types of things, from meditation to external triggers to techniques like “wake back to bed,” to increase their chances of experiencing regular lucid dreams. 

But what about tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) intake? Can that help regulate or enhance the lucid dreaming experience? We have the answers.

The Science Behind Lucid Dreaming 

Let’s start with some of the science behind lucid dreaming. While experts are still unsure exactly what causes lucid dreaming (hence, the variety of ways people try to induce it), research has given us a vague idea of what’s happening in the brain during dreams. 

Lucid dreaming typically happens in REM sleep (the stage of sleep where most dreaming, lucid or otherwise, occurs). It’s also more likely to happen during the last hours of the night or naps, points when the body is teetering between fully asleep and awake. A study published in Sleep suggests that lucid dreaming might be more of a dissociated state (where the brain is exhibiting both signs of wakefulness and sleep) rather than a fully unconscious one.

This dissociated state theory stems from the discovery that, unlike in typical REM sleep, the lateral prefrontal cortices, specifically the DLPFC, appear to be active during lucid dreams. And our lateral prefrontal cortices are responsible for functions like self-awareness, planning, reasoning, and decision-making— all things that play a role in lucid dreaming.

The Impact of THC

Many people include cannabis in their nighttime routines. Many people praise its anti-anxiety and relaxation benefits, saying it helps them unwind after a long day or switch from prescription medications.

But studies, like this one published by the Canadian Pharmacists Journal, show that THC has mixed effects on our sleep. At low doses, it can help you fall asleep faster and easier, can improve slow-wave sleep, and can increase overall sleep time. High doses, on the other hand, are shown to reduce deep sleep, with fewer REM sleep cycles and lower REM sleep density.

Given that lucid dreams are thought to happen during REM sleep, it’s reasonable that increased cannabis use could have a negative effect on lucid dreaming. If you aren’t ever entering REM sleep, or are only having short, shallow REM cycles, it simply may not be possible for your brain to reach that dissociated state required for lucid dreaming.

But all is not lost for those who simply aren’t interested in giving up their nightly dose of THC. Another study finds that heavy cannabis users (defined here as those who consume 10mg of THC or more a day) may build up a tolerance to the adverse effects of high THC use on their sleep. Meaning that it’s still possible for lower-dose, regular cannabis users to have lucid dreams. 

READ: What Happens When You Sleep High? Debunking Cannabis & Dreams

The CBD Effect

Interestingly, all the studies we looked at for this report agreed that a combination of low-dose THC and CBD likely has a positive effect on sleep.

Cumulative data on clinical sleep studies find that high doses of CBD can improve insomnia on its own and mitigate the negative effects of THC on sleep. It appears that high doses of CBD can increase slow-wave sleep time and lessen the number of waking events when compared to those given low doses of CBD or no CBD. 

The 2023 clinical review also highlights that 4 out of 7 CBD-dominant studies showed positive results for insomnia. Meanwhile, 12 of 16 studies report positive results when using a nearly equal ratio of THC to CBD. The authors suggest that “…CBD alone or with equal quantities of THC may be beneficial in alleviating the symptoms of insomnia.” While also addressing how more robust, validated research is needed here. 

Furthermore, the 2022 report in the Canadian Pharmacists Journal also notes that THC and its derivatives, whether used alone or with CBD, improve self-reported sleep scores. It’s likely, then, that a combination of low THC and high CBD could put you in the sweet spot for lucid dreaming— REM cycles that aren’t too deep, but are long enough for your mind to relax into a dream state.

The Bottom Line

Researchers do not yet fully understand how THC and CBD affect sleep, but they appear to work best when balanced together. They also appear to be quite nuanced, meaning individuals will have different reactions based on several factors, including length and frequency of cannabis use, the existence of previously existing sleep disorders (like insomnia), and underlying conditions like anxiety or depression.

Self-reported data found online on places like Reddit or cannabis forums reflect this. Many users say that cannabis use has negatively affected their ability to have lucid dreams, while others swear it’s an essential part of their lucid dreaming practice. So far, it appears that dose, tolerance, and individual factors can influence these experiences. 

Perhaps the only way to know whether to regulate or enhance your lucid dreaming occurrences is to try it. If nothing else, cannabis users report that their dreams are more wild and inventive after consuming THC than before. If you want immersive, impossible-in-real-life experiences, start with a THC-induced dream where you walk underwater or talk to an animal.