Dream Leaf, a supplement that says it can improve dream recall and cause lucid dreams, looks like it was pulled straight from The Matrix. The black bottle contains 30 red pills and 30 blue pills, along with precise instructions on how to take them. Its website calls Dream Leaf “the world’s most advanced lucid dreaming supplement.”. This product seemed to be promising that in a cheap, quick fix.
Lucid dreams are the phenomenon where you realize that you’re dreaming and going on to manipulate and control that dream. Because reports of lucid dreams are mostly subjective and come from individuals recalling their dreams later, some academics discount them, claiming the dreamer has just mis remembered.
The blue pill contains 5-Hydroxytryptophan (also known as 5-HTP) which is an amino acid most commonly sold as an over-the-counter antidepressant, as well as the herb mugwort. According to the company’s website, mugwort has a calming effect and aids sleep, while 5-HTP creates something called an “REM rebound loop.” Dream Leaf says this means the amount of time spent in REM sleep (the type of sleep where dreams occur) is lengthened, which increases the chances of a lucid dream.
The red pill contains Huperzine-A, a herb that apparently helps the user access memories; Alpha GPC, a natural compound found in the brain that Dream Leaf says it uses to “promote rational thinking whilst in REM sleep”; and choline, the nutrient most often found in B-vitamins and which Dream Leaf say is “the single most effective ingredient in dream recall”.
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