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.