New research is challenging everything we thought we knew about sleep and consciousness. Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence that lucid dreaming—a state where the dreamer becomes aware they are dreaming and can even control the dream—is not merely an intensified version of REM sleep. Instead, it represents a distinct and complex state of consciousness all its own.

The following written confession was submitted via email:I don’t know if you hear this often, but this is what happened to me. I went to sleep one night and as soon as I fell asleep I was pulled to a location. When I came to, I realized that I couldn’t move, so I look around and see that I'm on a metal table and my arms and legs are shackled. As I look around I notice that I'm located in what looks like the bottom of a roman coliseum, in the part when the gladiators fight. It was night, and as I was studying my surroundings blue flames lit in between each doorway or archway….

A California-based neurotech startup has made (brain) waves by claiming they’ve achieved the first-ever two-way communication between individuals during lucid dreaming. REMspace reports that two individuals successfully sent and confirmed a message while asleep, thanks to some specialized equipment. If this achievement holds up to scrutiny, it could shift the entire landscape of dream research.