Unmuting lucid dreams: Speech decoding and vocalization in real time.

Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 12(4), Dec 2025, 491-505; doi:10.1037/cns0000353

Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to communicate with people in lucid dreams (LDs), during which it is possible to maintain consciousness. Previously, dreamers could hear sounds from reality and respond with some simple signals, but they could not speak back. In this study, facial surface electromyography (EMG) was tested as a proof of concept for unmuting people in LDs. Remmyo, an EMG distinctive constructed language, was used. The software was developed to translate facial EMG impulses into Remmyo sounds and letters, translate words into English, and digitally vocalize the final text in English. Four LD practitioners were trained to pronounce a short phrase or a word in Remmyo and were then asked to achieve the same task in LDs under polysomnographic observation. LDs were verified by preagreed eye movements in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Four volunteers tried to speak in Remmyo in 15 LDs. Due to software failures, mispronunciations, and missing sounds, the decoding efficiency in real time or in recordings ranged from 13% to 81%. The first phrase and word heard from sleeping people were “no war” and “freedom.” The later was automatically translated and vocalized in English in real time for 11 times. Despite controversial results, the study shows that, with further development, people could possibly talk in LDs and could be heard in reality with the help of EMG sensors. To achieve this goal, a range of possible obstacles is discussed. This technology could provide opportunities for LD studies and their practical applications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)

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Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol 39(7), Nov 2025, 607-619; doi:10.1037/adb0001094

Objective: Previous research with U.S. Hispanic college students tends to find that higher levels of acculturation are associated with elevated alcohol use and that these effects are likely to be stronger for women than men. It is now important to consider the extent to which these associations remain once theoretically proximal predictors of alcohol use (e.g., drinking motives) are accounted for in multivariate models. Thus, we examined how multiple domains of acculturation were associated with alcohol use, high intensity drinking, and negative alcohol consequences, and whether direct associations and potential gender moderation of these relationships remained after drinking motives were included in the model. Method: Hispanic undergraduates from 12 universities who reported current alcohol use (n = 1,131; M_age = 20.47, SD = 1.85, range = 18–25) completed self-report questionnaires online. Results: After accounting for demographic variables and drinking motives, U.S. cultural practices were negatively associated with alcohol use, and ethnic identity was negatively associated with high intensity drinking. Heritage cultural practices were positively associated with high intensity drinking among women only. Finally, enhancement motives were positively associated with alcohol use and high intensity drinking, while social and coping-depression motives were positively related to negative alcohol consequences, even after accounting for demographic variables and multiple acculturation domains. Conclusions: The present findings paint a nuanced picture of the effects of ethnic identity and engagement with cultural practices on drinking behaviors, particularly among Hispanic college women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)

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Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol 19(6), Dec 2025, 1311-1320; doi:10.1037/aca0000607

War photography is not only used illustratively in news media but also displayed as controversial art objects. The ethics and impact of aestheticization in war photography have long been debated. In three studies (N₁ = 243, N₂ = 251, N₃ = 254), we contribute empirically to this debate by testing the impact of aesthetics in war photography (i.e., aesthetic style and context) on emotionalization and behavioral activation. While viewing war photography was, overall, emotionalizing (especially regarding negative affect and moral outrage), we did not find any behavioral activation (i.e., donation intention and behavior or general willingness to act against war). Neither aesthetic style nor aesthetic context made a difference in affective or behavioral responses. However, a salient aesthetic context (Study 3) led to higher aesthetic judgments of war photographs. Overall, these results question whether aesthetics in war photography have a particular power for evoking emotional and behavioral responses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)

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Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol 19(6), Dec 2025, 1301-1310; doi:10.1037/aca0000612

We asked whether adults have accurate self-awareness of their musical ability, and whether such self-awareness relates to other individual differences. Participants (N = 256) rated how musical they were compared to their friends, colleagues, family, and the general population. They subsequently completed self-report measures of musical behaviors (Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index [Gold-MSI]) and personality, as well as objective tests of cognitive (matrix reasoning problems) and musical (Musical Ear Test [MET]) abilities. Participants considered themselves to be more musical than their colleagues and family but not than their friends and the general population. Correlations with Gold-MSI scores provided evidence for the construct and content validity of the self-ratings. Musicality self-ratings were associated with better performance on the Melody (but not the rhythm) subtest of the MET, higher levels of openness-to-experience and extraversion, and gender: men rated themselves as particularly musical even though there were no gender differences in objective musical ability. Cognitive ability was not associated with self-ratings although it predicted MET scores and the accuracy of self-ratings. In short, individuals exhibited self-awareness for pitch-based aspects of their musical ability. Their evaluations were associated with their personalities and tended to be exaggerated, however, particularly for men and for participants with lower cognitive ability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)

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