A PhD student of the University of Adelaide is currently looking for participants for his study that will test how vitamin B6 helps induce lucid dreaming.
Denholm Aspy is part of the School of Psychology Office. In his university staff profile, he listed lucid dreaming, meditation, and dream recall as some of his keen interests.
Some studies have already established the link between lucid dreaming, or a kind of dream where the person is aware of what's happening, and vitamin B. However, for his project, he will compare vitamin B6 with the other B vitamins among a diverse group, a first in this area of research.
His attention to vitamin B6 in particular is brought by its supposed ability to produce a more vivid, emotional, and colorful dreams. Also referred to as pyridoxine, this specific B vitamin contributes to the creation of norepinephrine and serotonin, a chemical that is produced in many different areas of the body including the blood platelets and the brain. It is associated with the regulation of mood. People who are diagnosed with clinical depression are likely to have lower levels of serotonin.
The vitamin B study will be in addition to a separate study he's undertaking about lucid dreaming. According to Mr Aspy, his research in lucid dreams is about helping people make the most of their dreaming state. A number of researches have linked lucid dreaming to management of stress, trauma, and phobia. It may also improve problem solving and motor skills.
However, to produce lucid dreams, the person must be able to remember them, and thus, these dreams should be more regular and vivid. For this, taking B vitamins, especially B6, may improve memory recall and produce more vivid dreams.
For this study, his recruits need to participate in a 10-day trial where they will be provided with three types of capsules: placebo, vitamin B6, and a combination of other B vitamins. Every morning during the period, they will also have to answer a questionnaire, which will then be subjected to analysis.