Condições de trabalho e saúde na perspectiva de bem-estar um estudo realizado entre os profissionais de saúde da policlínica

This study had like general objective analyzed the relation observed between working conditions and healthy, in the welfare perspective, by the Policilínica Zona Oeste´s healthy professionals. Were used like theoretical bases the categories of working conditions of Borges et al. (2013): working conditions and contractual legal; physical working conditions and materials; working conditions and characteristics of the work processes and working conditions and social management. For the analise of personal wellness in the job, were used the categories of Dessen and Paz (2010): friendship relations, relationship with the organization, growth opportunity, relations with customers , valuation and realization. For this, this research use the descriptive statistic and Bardin (1977) ´s content analysis besides the help of Manyeyes software, using the word clouds and trees words. Was possible identify that the working conditions have strong relations with the health of the health professionals of Policlínica, mainly about the physical and materials conditions that are precarious and influences the other dimensions of working conditions and conditions health. The welfare professionals is spoiled in the dimensions of realization and growth opportunity and influences the professional´s health

Nego veio é um sofrer : uma etnografia da subalternidade e do subalterno numa irmandade do Rosário

The object of this work is a fellowship of São Sebastião e Nossa Senhora do Rosário in the city of Jardim do Seridó (RN), that is, a black catholic fellowship on the sertão potiguar. The devotion to Nossa Senhora do Rosário, in colonial Brazil, organizes itself through black catholic men as fellowships. They blossomed in Brazil until the abolition, getting support from the Catholic church, from owners of slaves and from the population in general − unlike others afro-Brazilian religious expression. Today, these fellowships remain active, against the sentimental pessimism of the folklore studies, and they also have a highlight position in the calendar of many cities in Brazil, and in particular in Seridó. The research s foothold is the apparent valorization of the fellowship by the local elite, attitude that hides asymmetric relationships between the group of negros do Rosário and the local authorities, having as its consequence that the members occupy a subaltern position inside their own fellowship. This subalternity take place, mainly, in the public area, where the negros do Rosário cannot represent themselves neither political nor discursively. To discuss this idea, it s done a brief historical of these catholic institutions as well as a description of the relationship between the negros do Rosário and the elites of the city. Then, the phenomenon is analyzed as folklore and/or religion , under the perspective of many agents that participate in this process. In other moment, it is going to be presented how the group formulates their own representation of the history, of the devotional forms and of their own political-religious experiences. In this sense, an ethnography of the subalternity is understood as an analysis of the process that leads the negros do Rosário to become a subaltern group. It s also outlined the perception that the group has of its own position, through an ethnography essay of the subaltern subject. The research, focused in the group of Rosário, was done between August 2010 and January 2012 and includes other agents (like treasurers, priests and intellectuals). Besides that, as a methodological complement, there are documental research, photography, as well as shoots of the party days and public presentation

Entre o mar e estrela, um lugar para se bem viver : a problemática da expansão urbana da Cidade de Baía Formosa/RN

The urban expansion problem of Baía Formosa, a southern edge city of de Rio Grande do Norte eastern coast, which has been presented in other coast Brazilian towns, specially on those with tourist activities increase. Therefore, this situation brings huge concerns to their inhabitants, to their technical /scientific community and to the governments, because of the conflicts of interest and of the growth of urban problems that this has been created. At Baía Formosa, the situation is aggravated because the city is confined, once around it, there are large private proprieties, environmental preservation area and the sea, at the eastern edge. The objectives of this study are the analyses of this city expansion process in order to obtain adequate alternatives and defining methodology to apply in other urban nucleus that are subjected to similar situations. Of course, presents social relations, environmental conditions and promoting local population insertion should be considered in order that enjoin this process and contributing to a better social balance. This case study has used bibliography research, field data, maps and soil occupation recorders and photographs of the area, besides the primary data gathering by surveys carried out with many social actors. The present analysis shows that the urban expansion observed today is featured by a recent unsustainable model, which attacks the environment and brings either farm conflicts. On the other hand, the ecological tourism can represent an alternative in order to achieve an adequate expansion form, without forgetting the several structural parameters necessary to support the sustainable activities

A experiência humana como estratégia : a comunicação como jogo & o jogo como comunicação

En la interface de las Ciencias Sociales y de la Comunicación, la tesis expone una discusión sobre la Comunicación Social como área de conocimiento y discute las bases fenomenológicas de la producción de significado utilitario sobre el mundo. Para dar cuenta de esa reflexión se tiene como referencia la película Slumdog Millionaire? del director Danny Boyle. La experiencia vivida por el personaje principal llamado Jamal Malik sirve de apoyo a su éxito en un programa de TV cuyos desafíos consigue vencer uno a uno y transformarse en un millonario. El film, y en consecuencia la trayectoria de Jamal, es el operador cognitivo para que se presente la estrategia del personaje que transforma su conocimiento experimental en conocimiento pertinente, objetivo. La investigación sirve de base para ofrecer el argumento central de que solo existe conocimiento por medio de la experiencia vivida. A partir de esa concepción, la comunicación es vista en este ensayo como entrecruzamiento de caminos y nudos que se asemejan a un rizoma donde cada construcción de sentido, cada palabra que gana significación representa diversos enlaces de esos nudos sistémicos. Aseguramos que la comunicación es una condición sine qua non a los humanos y puede ser comprendida por la paradoja natural-artificial. Es de esta paradoja, que presentamos una contribución de la complejidad de la comunicación creyendo de forma dialógica que sí, hay una condición innata de la comunicación (y así mismo post humana) concomitantemente con la hipótesis de la artificialidad comunicacional. Corroboramos así, la idea de que el conocimiento fenomenológico de la comunicación es un juego de la construcción científica y, por lo tanto, un juego de la humanidad. En este mismo juego podemos comprender la comunicación por intermedio de algunos macro conceptos de la compleja actividad de comunicar (retroalimentación, recursividad y holograma) constelando así una estrategia de ligazón/estímulo/respuesta que nos permite conocer bien y saber organizar mejor el conocimiento adquirido en la práctica. La tesis tiene como interlocutores principales Claude Lévi-Strauss, Edgar Morin, Jean-Marie Pelt, Norval Baitello Junior y Vilém Flusser, entre otros

O direito à saúde e a política nacional de atenção oncológica: uma análise a partir da crescente judicialização dos medicamentos antineoplásicos

The 1988 Federal Constitution of Brazil by presenting the catalog of fundamental rights and guarantees (Title II) provides expressly that such rights reach the social, economic and cultural rights (art. 6 of CF/88) as a means not only to ratify the civil and political rights, but also to make them effective and practical in the life of the Brazilian people, particularly in the prediction of immediate application of those rights and guarantees. In this sense, health goes through condition of universal right and duty of the State, which should be guaranteed by social and economic policies aimed at reducing the risk of disease and other hazards, in addition to ensuring universal and equal access to actions and services for its promotion, protection and recovery (Article 196 by CF/88). Achieving the purposes aimed by the constituent to the area of health is the great challenge that requires the Health System and its managers. To this end, several policies have been structured in an attempt to establish actions and services for the promotion, protection and rehabilitation of diseases and disorders to health. In the mid-90s, in order to meet the guidelines and principles established by the SUS, it was established the Política Nacional de Atenção Oncológica PNAO, in an attempt to sketch out a public policy that sought to achieve maximum efficiency and to be able to give answers integral to effective care for patients with cancer, with emphasis on prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. However, many lawsuits have been proposed with applications for anticancer drugs. These actions have become very complex, both in the procedural aspects and in all material ones, especially due to the highcost drugs more requested these demands, as well as need to be buoyed by the scientific evidence of these drugs in relation to proposed treatments. The jurisprudence in this area, although the orientations as outlined by the Parliament of Supreme Court is still in the process of construction, this study is thus placed in the perspective of contributing to the effective and efficient adjudication in these actions, with focus on achieving the fundamental social rights. Given this scenario and using research explanatory literature and documents were examined 108 lawsuits pending in the Federal Court in Rio Grande do Norte, trying to identify the organs of the Judiciary behave in the face of lawsuits that seeking oncology drugs (or antineoplastic), seeking to reconcile the principles and constitutional laws and infra constitutional involving the theme in an attempt to contribute to a rationalization of this judicial practice. Finally, considering the Rational Use of health demands and the idea of belonging to the Brazilian people SUS, it is concluded that the judicial power requires ballast parameters of their decisions on evidence-based medicine, aligning these decisions housing constitutional principles that the right to health and the scientific conclusions of efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency in oncology drugs, when compared to the treatments offered by SUS

Histórias de idosos: sementes para cultivarmos uam educação para uma velhice bem-sucedida

We understand that the successful old age is not confined only in the analysis of quantitative aspects concerning the economic situation of the subject that gets old, but this special way of aging is related to other values, such as dignity, happiness, self-esteem, willingness, autonomy, independence, social involvement with family and friends, among others. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the human aging process, considering the history of life of ten seniors who fit the profile of successful old age, seeking to identify elements that contribute to educational thinking in order to get a successful aging. In this perspective, we argue in this study, the idea that we need to learn to engage in experiences that more than providing satisfaction and well-being in the moment in which we conducted, serve as a potentiating to a successful old age. Thus, throughout this thesis we question: what are the present indicative in the histories of life of elderly people, considered successful, which may contribute to an education that people experiencing their age more satisfactorily. This is a qualitative study, that took as universe a methodological oral history, in which we used as a technique of research a semistructured interview as a part of their life history, with emphasis on consideration of the following categories: diary routine, with emphasis on social harmony in the family, at work and in friendship groups of leisure and physical activity, self-knowledge and the learning experiences throughout life. To get the objectives outlined, as well as lectured on the categories analyzed, we support our reflection on the theory of the course of life, which includes human aging as a historical and cultural contextual reality. Our research revealed, among other things, that successful aging is coupled to an active lifestyle, where the involvement in physical activities, recreational and social experiences throughout life is important for increasing self-esteem, autonomy and joy of living, conditions that enable successful old age. Our study also revealed that the educationfor successful old age is linked with the consumption along the life, educational activities which broaden the possibilities of social interaction between people, even among different generations, since the interaction is important to learn and accept our possibilities and limits.

Apolo, Nariso e Dionísio: o corpo masculina na Revista Mens Health

Esta pesquisa aborda a relação entre o corpo e a estética, compreendida como padrão corporal, com o objetivo de analisar o corpo masculino na Revista Men‟s Health. A Revista em pauta é uma publicação mensal da Editora Abril, estando presente em mais de 43 países. A metodologia utilizada é a análise de conteúdo como proposta por Bardin (1979), visando identificar sentidos sobre o corpo masculino divulgado nessa mídia, especificamente na seção Fitness. O corpus de análise foi composto por 12 edições da revista, veiculadas de janeiro a dezembro do ano 2011. Elaboramos fichas de identificação para todas as matérias contidas no sumário da Seção Fitness e, em seguida, fizemos os perfis das matérias construindo cinco categorias temáticas: Aparência, Investimentos no corpo, Individualismo, Consumo, Bem-estar. A Men‟s Health, através de suas imagens e discursos, apresenta vários conselhos e recomendações que apontam caminhos e atitudes a serem seguidos, influenciando o homem a ser jovem, belo e saudável. A partir da análise realizada, pode-se afirmar que na Revista Men‟s Health a aparência encontra-se ligada a uma ideia de um corpo magro e musculoso. Para a obtenção do corpo propagado pela revista, são necessários vários investimentos e práticas de consumo. Nota-se ainda que o discurso do bem-estar e da felicidade utiliza a publicidade para incentivar os leitores a comprar as novidades lançadas pela sociedade de consumo

Vivendo o bem estar no desconhecido: experiência da mulher com a presença do acompanhante no processo de parto

The humanization of the birth process is a current health policy priority. Within that perspective, the presence of a partner during the birth is a benefit guaranteed by the Law 111008/05. The purpose of this study is to comprehend the woman s experience with the presence of a birth partner as a legal right. It is a qualitative descriptive study based on Symbolic Interactionism and conducted using the grounded theory methodology. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews conducted during August to December 2006, with women that had the presence of a partner during their birth experience and that were in the first 24 hours of puerperium. Data analysis resulted in the identification of the phenomena: FEELING GOOD, RECOGNIZING THE BOND WITH THE PARTNER, RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EXPERIENCE and NOT KNOWING THE RIGHT. These enabled the identification of the central phenomenon LIVING THE WELL-BEING IN THE UNKNOWN. The study demonstrated that the birth experience with the presence of partner is a positive one, resulting in benefits such as tranquility, support, and assurance, which, in that context, signify well-being. However, the women do not visualize the experience as a right, therefore remaining alienated from their civic practice. The understanding of the experience was enabled by the conceptual construction obtained from the categories of the interactions between the women and their birth partners during the event. The explanation of the phenomenon LIVING THE WELL-BEING IN THE UNKNOWN reflects the theoretical structure obtained from the integration of the identified concepts. The study points out the need for health professionals to improve the information given to women during the birth process and to work the civic duties of the women in reproductive health

Beirando a vida, driblando os problemas: estratégias de bem viver

The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategies used by families living in at-risk-and-vulnerable situations registered with the Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) ( Family Health Strategy ) as they face their daily problems. This is an investigation of a qualitative nature, using interview as the main tool for an empirical approach. Ten women from the Panatis location in northern Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, whose families live in precarious social-economical situations were interviewed. The interviews occurred between the months of April and June, 2007. The reports revealed that a mixture of improvisations and creativity was used as strategies for overcoming the privations and necessities of daily life. We also reached the conclusion that these families sought solutions for their problems through religiosity and a gift reciprocity system as resources for obtaining personal recognition and support in adversity. The results, in addition, point to ESF as one of the strategies used by these families in the search for attention and care. From this perspective, ESF has proven to be a place for listening and the construction of ties that are consolidated through home visits, organized groups, in parties and outings that are promoted in the community, reestablishing contact and support among people and signaling a way out of abandonment and isolation. Holders of knowledge constructed through life experiences, the participants of the study led us to induce and infer the need to amplify space that will allow them to express meanings, values and experiences, and consider that becoming ill is a process that incorporates dimensions of life that go beyond the physical. As health professionals, we need to be aware of the multiple and creative abilities used in the daily lives of these families, so that we can, along with them, reinvent a new way of dealing with health

Experimentação, inovação cultura oganizacional: estudo de caso em uma indústria

A experimentação industrial é um método científico de aprendizagem que visa aprimorar conhecimentos sobre o funcionamento de sistemas, almejando redução de variabilidade e incertezas nos processos produtivos. Em inovação, constitui-se como uma oportunidade de teste e pré-implementação, permitindo à empresa aperfeiçoar seus projetos de inovação antes de levá-los ao mercado. Contudo, para que empresas obtenham sucesso em inovar, faz-se necessário um ambiente favorável à inovação, considerando que a cultura organizacional impacta diretamente no potencial inovador. Uma cultura de inovação bem desenvolvida demanda o envolvimento de todos os líderes da empresa atuando como facilitadores do processo. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa tem como propósito avaliar o perfil da cultura organizacional visando o uso de experimentação no processo de inovação em uma indústria do ramo alimentício no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Para tanto, busca-se, por meio de fundamentação teórica, ampliar a compreensão da relação existente entre os temas experimentação, inovação e cultura organizacional, e tem-se como método de pesquisa, uma abordagem quanti-qualitativa em um estudo de caso. Os dados para análise da pesquisa são coletados por meio de entrevistas e aplicação de questionários. Para avaliar a cultura organizacional, utiliza-se como instrumento o questionário baseado no Modelo de Valores Competitivos, desenvolvido por Cameron e Quinn (2006), aplicado com os líderes na empresa em estudo. Este instrumento, denominado OCAI (em inglês Organizacional Culture Assessment Instrument), permite diagnosticar o perfil da cultura organizacional e da cultura da qualidade no cenário atual e no contexto ideal, a partir da percepção dos líderes da organização. Para análise dos dados, utiliza-se a técnica de análise de agrupamento, que permite avaliar a homogeneidade das opiniões dos líderes. Os resultados apontam, conforme a visão dos líderes, a necessidade de mudança no perfil cultural organizacional da empresa em estudo, de uma cultura em que predominam elementos da cultura de mercado (cenário atual) para uma cultura com maior ênfase em elementos da cultura clã e inovadora (cenário ideal), bem como uma cultura de qualidade que estimule a inovação, favorável à geração de ideia e conhecimento, a melhoria contínua e a busca por soluções criativas

Augusto Matraga: um hérói além do bem e do mal - uma perpectiva trágico-ntológica

The present dissertation analyses the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and the short story written by João Guimarães Rosa (1908-1967), A hora e vez de Augusto Matraga (1946) seeking to point out the possibility of the philosophic application of some Nietzschean ideas to enlarge the aesthetic value of the short story. It has been especially aimed at applying the concept of the noble superior being described by Nietzsche, the ubermensch, to the hero s ontological nature, Augusto Matraga. Nietzsche s postulates of the will to power, the elements suggested of the trial between Dionysus and Apollo and the ascetic ideal, will be especially relevant to this work, which intends to establish until what point the hero can be conceived as a good ascetic person, in so far as his noble ontological nature trespass the Christian morality, bringing him closer to the man who, according to Nietzsche, is beyond good and evil. Some Heideggerian concepts will also be relevant in order to reinforce the idea that the judgment created about Matraga is just an appearance that does not contemplate his essential Being, contributing to veil his real tragic-ontological valour, what implies that the aesthetic power of the short has been under valued

A moral kantiana entre deontologia e teleologia

This dissertation examines the Kantian moral in a teleological perspective. It consists of a reconstruction of philosophy practice that departs from the investigation of the categorical imperative, the concepts of duty, will, good will, as well as an approach on the ways of investigation of nature, which will enable the foundation to engage in the teleological argument, investigating the organized human beings, the harmonious system, its relationship with the ultimate and most important purpose, always flexing the analysis of these concepts the idea of purpose. Subsequently we will establish an argument about the end terminal and the implication of this concept to think about the real idea of the system in Kant and his relationship or support for moral theory. In essence this paper approaches the moral point of view of ethics, outlining the insufficiency of this field for the foundation of architectural moral, which will enable the final touch or the indispensability or the teleological argument as fundamental to the Kantian moral Theory

Reflexões filosóficas em torno da constituição do sujeito religioso-moral no pensamento de Freud

The present research deals with a philosophical reflection about the constitution of the subject religious and moral in the thought of Freud, starting from of question of religion while one of the various spaces concretion of the individual morality. Our hypothesis is that religion presents itself as a space of revival of the primary relationship with the mother of the subject and as a moral agency. That primary relationship corresponds to the period before the Oedipus complex. The cut caused in the Oedipus complex sake in the an emptiness the subject, leading him to a situation of helplessness. In trying to fill the emptiness and consequently out of the situation of displeasure occasioned by the helplessness, the individual seeks diverses means, between which, the religion. The religion, that sense, quest for one part, that support be filling of the existential emptiness, triggered in the Oedipus complex, and on the other, works as a staunch ally of the Superego, which for turn is direct heir of the Oedipus complex and whose function is to require of the subject to moral living, as is established by the social body, where the individual is inserted. Therefore, we seek to draw this subject starting from general ideas of the philosophy, about the moral, as well as some theoretical elements of freudian thought, since his idea of the origin of the culture, morality and religion the more specific elements that pertain to the individual subject, ie, the psychism

Sair curado para a vida e para o bem: diagramas, linhas e dispersão de forças no complexus nosoespacial do Hospital de Caridade Juvino Barreto (1909-1927)

This work has as object of study the Hospital de Caridade Juvino Barreto, nosocomial institution located in the city of Natal (RN), between the Praia de Areia Preta and the Monte Petrópolis, focusing on the period from 1909, the year in which the new hospital building was constructed and opened, and 1927, the date of the transfer of administration of the public domain to the newly created Sociedade de Assistência Hospitalar (SAH). We study the conditions of possibility of the emergence of this hospital space in the urban environment of the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, seeking to understand the different tactics and strategies implemented by the historical subjects involved in the formation of this institution nosocomial. Starting from a corpus of documents consisting of medical memories (with Dr. Januário Cicco as privileged observer), information present in newspapers (the Republic and the Christmas Journa l), photo collection and extensive administrative and legal material (Speeches, Exhibitions, Reports, Laws and Resolutions), we analyzed in detail the medical geography of HCJB, relating the discourses of medicine and geography in choosing the spatial location of the hospital as we examine the architecture of the hospital, its inner spat iality, divisions, forms of space control, and, finally, we discuss the medical practices that took place within it, leading us in this regard, from the experiences of clinical hospital chief, Dr. Januário Cicco, especially the discussion on "ethics" in hospital work. The perception of HCJB as medical nosoespaciality always on the move, incorporated under taxonomic principles based on difference and dispersion forces, led us to articulate it theoretically from the conceptual-methodological arsenal of philosopher Michel Foucault, particularly his reflections of genealogical phase, focusing on the phenomenon of power, a position that allows us to enhance our space-hospital construction, invention, product of power relations, which give the unfinished aspect nosocômio, apparent, always at stake, perpetual non-modeling possibility has previously defined array, establishing it at the field of possible, of virtuality, of power: hospital that could have been and that it was not. Indeed, the investigation of various aspects/elements of hospital space Juvino Barreto revealed us new dimensions of hospital space, far more complex than the simple and the current idea of a place to shelter patients: plasticity and fluidity of space, which is not made to circumscribe the limits of empeiria, engraving up to strength relations fought between different subject; its Constitution as a transitional space, Heterotopic, doing live inside modern elements with premoderns (professional doctors working with religious thought, skeptical of positivist medicine living with the religious faith of the nuns of Santana); the impossibility of thinking hospital space of HCJB while homogeneous unit, static, transistoric, making the spatiality, without considering the profound differences, fractures and dislocations that animated his own existence, multiplying their expressions of identity

Aspectos epidemiológicos, cognitivo-comportamentais e neurofisiológicos do sonho lúcido

Lucid dreaming (LD) is a mental state in which the subject is aware of being dreaming while dreaming. The prevalence of LD among Europeans, North Americans and Asians is quite variable (between 26 and 92%) (Stepansky et al., 1998; Schredl & Erlacher, 2011; Yu, 2008); in Latin Americans it is yet to be investigated. Furthermore, the neural bases of LD remain controversial. Different studies have observed that LD presents power increases in the alpha frequency band (Tyson et al., 1984), in beta oscillations recorded from the parietal cortex (Holzinger et al., 2006) and in gamma rhythm recorded from the frontal cortex (Voss et al., 2009), in comparison with non-lucid dreaming. In this thesis we report epidemiological and neurophysiological investigations of LD. To investigate the epidemiology of LD (Study 1), we developed an online questionnaire about dreams that was answered by 3,427 volunteers. In this sample, 56% were women, 24% were men and 20% did not inform their gender (the median age was 25 years). A total of 76.5% of the subjects reported recalling dreams at least once a week, and about two-thirds of them reported dreaming always in the first person, i.e. when the dreamer observes the dream from within itself, not as another dream character. Dream reports typically depicted actions (93.3%), known people (92.9%), sounds/voices (78.5%), and colored images (76.3%). The oneiric content was related to plans for upcoming days (37.8%), and memories of the previous day (13.8%). Nightmares were characterized by general anxiety/fear (65.5%), feeling of being chased (48.5%), and non-painful unpleasant sensations (47.6%). With regard to LD, 77.2% of the subjects reported having experienced LD at least once in their lifetime (44.9% reported up to 10 episodes ever). LD frequency was weakly correlated with dream recall frequency (r = 0.20, p <0.001) and was higher in men (χ2=10.2, p=0.001). The control of LD was rare (29.7%) and inversely correlated with LD duration (r=-0.38, p <0.001), which is usually short: to 48.5% of the subjects, LD takes less than 1 minute. LD occurrence is mainly associated with having sleep without a fixed time to wake up (38.3%), which increases the chance of having REM sleep (REMS). LD is also associated with stress (30.1%), which increases REMS transitions into wakefulness. Overall, the data suggest that dreams and nightmares can be evolutionarily understood as a simulation of the common situations that happen in life, and that are related to our social, psychological and biological integrity. The results also indicate that LD is a relatively common experience (but not recurrent), often elusive and difficult to control, suggesting that LD is an incomplete stationary stage (or phase transition) between REMS and wake state. Moreover, despite the variability of LD prevalence among North Americans, Europeans and Asians, our data from Latin Americans strengthens the notion that LD is a general phenomenon of the human species. To further investigate the neural bases of LD (Study 2), we performed sleep recordings of 32 non-frequent lucid dreamers (sample 1) and 6 frequent lucid dreamers (sample 2). In sample 1, we applied two cognitive-behavioral techniques to induce LD: presleep LD suggestion (n=8) and light pulses applied during REMS (n=8); in a control group we made no attempt to influence dreaming (n=16). The results indicate that it is quite difficult but still possible to induce LD, since we could induce LD in a single subject, using the suggestion technique. EEG signals from this one subject exhibited alpha (7-14 Hz) bursts prior to LD. These bursts were brief (about 3s), without significant change in muscle tone, and independent of the presence of rapid eye movements. No such bursts were observed in the remaining 31 subjects. In addition, LD exhibited significantly higher occipital alpha and right temporo-parietal gamma (30-50 Hz) power, in comparison with non-lucid REMS. In sample 2, LD presented increased frontal high-gamma (50-100 Hz) power on average, in comparison with non-lucid REMS; however, this was not consistent across all subjects, being a clear phenomenon in just one subject. We also observed that four of these volunteers showed an increase in alpha rhythm power over the occipital region, immediately before or during LD. Altogether, our preliminary results suggest that LD presents neurophysiological characteristics that make it different from both waking and the typical REMS. To the extent that the right temporo-parietal and frontal regions are related to the formation of selfconsciousness and body internal image, we suggest that an increased activity in these regions during sleep may be the neurobiological mechanism underlying LD. The alpha rhythm bursts, as well as the alpha power increase over the occipital region, may represent micro-arousals, which facilitate the contact of the brain during sleep with the external environment, favoring the occurrence of LD. This also strengthens the notion that LD is an intermediary state between sleep and wakefulness