Why on Earth would apple juice cause someone to have vivid dreams or lucid dreams?
What is the basis for this seemingly wild assertion?
All the claims seem to centre in on this 2006 study - which shows that - in mice - consumption of a diet high in apple juice boosted the production of acetylcholine - a neurotransmitter associated with memory. From this, the wily observers concluded that apple juice could help improve or sustain memory function, even going as far as to suggest a possible future application in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Two major problems.
Firstly, the study itself is ridiculously flawed. I won't bother creating a detailed critique, but in essence the study's control group is a horde of mutant mice fed nothing but a nutrient-deficient diet. No wonder they were excited to get hold of a few bits of apple!
Secondly - and most importantly for our purposes - the study has absolutely nothing to do with dreaming! The word dream isn't even mentioned.
So, it appears that some less than rational individuals have over-stretched the conclusions of the study. Nobody in their right mind would be able to conclude from that study that there is a link between apple juice and dreaming.
I could not find a single other study that has anything to do with apple juice and vivid dreams!
I was expecting to have to wade through reams of studies and theories, to sift the fact from the fiction. But alas no. There is an abject absence of material on this mysterious assertion.
What I did find online is a whole bunch of folks claiming to have imbibed apple juice and then experienced incredible dreams. Look, whilst we shouldn't disregard anecdotal evidence, the whole thing to me has the distinct aroma of the placebo effect and not much else.
One other somewhat tenuous connection, is that some brands of concentrated apple juice have a vitamin B6 additive. As we know, Vitamin B6 does have an effect on dream recall. It could plausibly be that people are experiencing effects from the vitamin additives in the raft of mass produced commercial apple juice.
So, I'm afraid I’ll be consigning the apple juice and dreams assertion to the myth basket for now - until someone can provide me with some vaguely plausible evidence.
But look, if you're really searching for something you can swallow down to give you vivid or lucid dreams, just buy a reliable dreaming supplement!
A lot has happened in the last 5 months. But how did we go from business as usual to changing the face of the entire lucid dreaming supplements industry? It’s a story that I think will interest you – and you might even learn a thing or two in the process. When I was first taken on-board as Chief Lucidity Officer in 2016, one of the first things I was tasked with was taking a good look at our operations and giving things a bit of an overhaul.
Want to become a skilled and knowledgeable Lucid Dreamer by taking a Mindful approach? Awaken the potentials of your mind and integrate with your dreams through the guided meditations in this truly awesome app. Lucid Dreaming and Mindfulness actually share the same origin.
To lucid dream, I recommend being able to remember at least one vivid dream per night. That will boost your self awareness in dreams (making lucidity more likely) and also means you can actually remember your lucid dreams. Which is nice. Here are four detailed tips on how to remember your dreams more frequently. And if you don't think you dream at all - trust me, you almost certainly do. It takes an extraordinarily rare sleep disorder to deprive someone of dream sleep.
Years ago, before I had my first lucid dream, I had a very specific idea about what a lucid dream would feel like. I thought it would be intense and magical and a little bit spooky. This turned out to be a pretty accurate representation. Becoming aware in the dreamstate is like entering another world. One where physical laws can be manipulated (there is no spoon, Neo) and your fantasies can come true in an instant. There's definitely something magical about that - and it's as if the lucid dream world is a living, breathing organism that can react to your very thoughts.
Experts agree that everyone is capable of having lucid dreams. Dreaming itself is a normal function of the mind. We all dream every night, even if we don't remember. And we all achieve conscious awareness while awake every single day. So what does it mean to combine these states? Why, the amazing ability to have conscious - or lucid - dreams. Sounds simple, doesn't it? So why do I keep hearing from people who say they can't achieve their first lucid dream?
It is estimated that these wise and wily Indians have been using mugwort in their healing and ritual practices for 13,000 years, where it is known as the ‘dream sage’. They use the herb to promote good dreams, which they consider an essential aspect of normal human functioning! But that’s not all...