Thread: Definition of lucidity

I have this weird feeling - and it may be utterly wrong - that we're missing something simple about becoming lucid in dreams.

I've done a lot of experimenting lately. There were certain behaviours/actions I wanted to do in non-lucid dreams and I was certain these actions would make me lucid in dream. One of these was visualising someone from my past. I did this in a non-lucid and I can still remember the clear image of the person I visualised. I was nowhere near to becoming lucid!

A couple of nights ago I carried out a process in a non-lucid that involved me needing eleven pound coins to buy something. I knew there were some counterfeit coins around so I went to ask my wife how I could spot them. She told me what to look for and I memorised the information in the dream. I counted out the coins, 1 to 9, examining each to see if it was a forgery. I even eliminated a couple of coins because they were clearly forgeries. Then I spotted a two pound coin and realised I could use that to take my amount to £11. To my knowledge, I was nowhere near to becoming lucid. I can't believe I could do such an organised, logical process in a dream without becoming lucid.

I think the word is just used differently in the different settings. In real life, doctors will analyze people with head trauma or dementia for lucidity. If someone cannot think clearly, is disoriented, or cannot recognize people they should know, they are described as "not lucid." So it is used to assess general awareness and cognitive abilities. In regards to dreaming, we commonly use "lucid" to describe the sole belief that we are dreaming. I dont think it follows the strict definition of lucid, but that is what it has come to mean.