It upsets all the laws of science of course, and official science is very much against this point of view. And that is a particular bias we have to fight, in this field. I have studied Chris for years and I have been absolutely amazed at some of the things he has come up with. He actually went to an army camp and got himself arrested, because he says, there is going to be an event here soon. And it happened very soon. It has made me change my whole attitude to science, essentially and this is rather mind boggling, if premonitions exist then we can’t live in a physical universe because they can only exist in a non physical universe, so, really premonitions are saying we live in a dream world. - Dr Keith Hearne

Dr Keith Hearne - lucid dreams and premonitions YouTube playlist...

Dr Keith M. T. Hearne (BSc MSc PhD) Psychologist, Composer, Writer

LUCID DREAMING DAY – 12 April each year

On 12 April 1975, English psychologist, Keith Hearne, discovered (in his PhD research, completed in 1978) a way of enabling lucid-dream subjects in the sleep-lab to signal out from within the dream by making coded eye-movements.

This circumvented the profound bodily paralysis of dreaming 'rapid eye movement' (REM) sleep, which had previously prevented such communication.

Lucid dreams are an unusual type of dream in which you become perfectly conscious, with full critical faculties, within the dream state.

This advance opened a huge new area of dream research, into ‘inner space’.

Daniel Love suggested in his book, Are You Dreaming? Exploring Lucid Dreams: A Comprehensive Guide (see more below) that the date should be internationally recognized each year as 'Lucid Dreaming Day'.

The date 12 April 2015 was celebrated as the 40th anniversary of Hearne’s discovery.

Keith Hearne's pioneering PhD research into lucid dreams
​
Dr Keith Hearne conducted the world's first sleep-lab research into 'lucid' (conscious, controllable) dreams for his PhD at Liverpool University, England.

Hearne:

• obtained the first eye-movement signals from a subject within the lucid dream state, in April 1975
• discovered the 'pre-Iucid' REM burst, and 'light switch effect' in dreams
• discovered the basic physiological parameters of lucid dreaming
• invented the world's first 'dream machine'

Download a (free [authorised by Dr Hearne]) copy of Keith Hearne's Lucid Dreams PhD (high resolution file / low resolution file)
​

Background to the first PhD in the world on Lucid Dreaming and the original discovery of the ocular-signaling technique from lucid dreams by Dr Keith Hearne

After obtaining a BSc in psychology from Reading University, England, in 1973, Keith Hearne went to Hull University in the Autumn of that year, intending to conduct research for a PhD on hypnotic dreams, following discoveries he had made in 'hypno-oneirography'. He decided instead to use newly acquired computer equipment to research electro-physiological aspects of visual imagery*.

During that time he became skilled in running a sleep laboratory. He became interested in 'lucid' dreaming (the paradoxical conscious awareness of dreaming within the dream itself) and reasoned that it must be possible for a lucid dreamer to communicate to the world of wakefulness. A problem, though, was the inherent muscular paralysis of REM sleep.

In 1975 it suddenly occurred to Hearne that since the eye musculature is not inhibited in REM sleep, it might be possible to get subjects to signal by making deliberate ocular movements.
On the morning of 5th April 1975, Hearne wired up a lucid dream subject who was instructed to make a sequence of left-right eye-movements on becoming lucid. A lucid dream was reported at about 8 am, but unfortunately, the monitoring equipment had just been switched off. A week later, on the morning of 12th April 1975, the same subject had another lucid dream. The first signals in the world from a lucid dream were thus recorded.

Hearne continued to obtain more records over the next months. He wound up the work on visual imagery, submitting it for an MSc* and moved to Liverpool University, where he was offered a sleep-laboratory, to research lucid dreams for this PhD, using paid subjects.
During the course of this work he discovered the basic electro-physiological features of lucid dreams, including the pre-Iucid REM burst. Hearne also discovered the 'light switch' phenomenon, and invented the first ' dream machine'.

In 1975 Hearne informed psychology departments at American universities of his findings including Stanford (W. Dement) and Chicago (A. Rechtschaffen).

* Hearne, Keith M.T. (1975). Visually evoked responses and visual imagery. MSc thesis. University of Hull, England.

Dr Hearne's original chart-record of the first ocular signals from a lucid-dream, and his 'dream-machine' invention are now on permanent display in the Science Museum, London.

A book, The Dream Machine, by Dr Hearne, fully describes his research into lucid dreams:

Download a (free [authorised by Dr Hearne]) copy of The Dream Machine by Keith Hearne (high resolution file / low resolution file)

Other books by Keith Hearne...

Related books...

MORE ABOUT JOHN L PETERSEN — futurist, strategist, and large-scale change agent

http://www.johnlpetersen.com

John L. Petersen is considered by many to be one of the most informed futurists in the world. He is best-known for writing and thinking about high impact surprises—wild cards—and the process of surprise anticipation. He edits and publishes an internationally acclaimed e-newsletter, FUTUREdition, which highlights weak signals and early indicators of significant futures. John conceived of, designed and developed the world's first national surprise anticipation center for the country of Singapore. 

His current professional involvements include investing in and developing resources for both large, international projects and breakthrough technology start-up companies that have the potential of significantly changing the world.   He is also the developer of a multi-use real estate project.  .

John has led national non-profit organizations, worked in sales, manufacturing, real estate development, and marketing and advertising, mostly for companies he founded. A graduate electrical engineer, he has also promoted rock concerts; owned and produced conventions; and worked as a disc jockey – among other things.

Mr. Petersen's government and political experience include stints at the National War College, the Institute for National Security Studies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council staff at the White House. He was a naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve and is a decorated veteran of both the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. He has served in senior positions for a number of presidential political campaigns and was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. He was twice the runner-up candidate to be the Secretary of the Navy.

In 1989 Petersen founded The Arlington Institute (TAI), a non-profit, future-oriented research institute. TAI operates on the premise that effective thinking about the future is impossible without casting a very wide net. The “think tank” serves as a global agent for change by developing new concepts, processes and tools for anticipating the future and translating that knowledge into better present-day decisions.

An award-winning writer, Petersen's first book, The Road to 2015: Profiles of the Future was awarded Outstanding Academic Book of 1995 by CHOICE Academic Review, and remained on The World Future Society's best-seller list for more than a year. His second book, Out of the Blue: How to Anticipate Wild Cards and Big Future Surprises, was also a WFS best-seller. His coauthored article, “The Year 2000: Social Chaos or Social Transformation?” was published in six different publication and was one of the most highly acclaimed writings on Y2K. His 1988 book-length report “The Diffusion of Power: An Era of Realignment” was used at the highest levels of American government as a basis for strategic planning. He has written papers on the future of national security and the military, the future of energy and the future of the media.  John's third book, A Vision for 2012: Planning for Extraordinary Change, presents a template for individuals and organizations for dealing with highly uncertain futures. 

Petersen is a past board member of the World Future Society, writes on the future of aviation for Professional Pilot magazine and is a member of the board of directors of the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation. He is a network member of the Global Business Network and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. A provocative public speaker, he addresses a wide array of audiences around the world on a variety of future subjects.

John is a licensed pilot who enjoys aerobatic flying and an amateur radio operator.  He lives in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia with his wife, Diane.

P. O. Box 861, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, USA
jlp at johnlpetersen dot com

Playlist of interviews with Chris Robinson, Professor Gary Schwartz, and others, in connection with 'The Arizona Experiments' in 2001, in which Robinson was tasked to dream of ten destinations over ten days (1st to 10th August inclusive) before each day's destination had been chosen. The results were extraordinary.

View 'Premonition Man-The Arizona Experiments—Interviews' playlist on YouTube

In April 2001, The Premonition Man, Chris Robinson, in a further bid to have his dream premonition gift tested scientifically, contacted Professor Gary Schwartz of the University of Arizona.

Schwartz is a published and respected scientist who specialises in individuals who appear to have psychic abilities.

The academic was sceptical of Robinson's claims but eventually agreed to do some experiments.

Schwartz conducted 'The Arizona Experiments' in 2001, in which Robinson was tasked to dream of ten destinations over ten days (1st to 10th August inclusive) before each day's destination had been chosen.

​The results were extraordinary.

This playlist is an introduction to The Arizona Experiments.

View 'Premonition Man: The Arizona Experiments—Documentary' extracts on YouTube