Definition of lucidity

[Bobblehat]

We call a dream "lucid" if we know we're in a dream. That's always the accepted definition. However, I've been lucid all day today in my waking state without once having to reflect to myself that I'm awake or lucid. So what exactly is the difference between the lucidness of waking consciousness, and the consciousness we experience in non-lucid dreams and lucid dreams? Is it something to do with the brain being unable to access certain memories?

[Hopsin]

When you're awake there is a completely different feeling of awareness. When we do reality checks in real life we know were not dreaming but we have to seriously consider that we might be to make it effective. I believe "lucidity" is being aware that we are in a dreaming state and not awake. However the amount of consciousness can vary greatly. Coming from someone who has close to no experience in lucid dreaming and only had my first "Lucid" dream last night.

[GuyCecil]

Lucidity when used in the context of dreams just refers to whether within the dream, you are aware that you are dreaming. I think I speak for most of us here when I say when I'm awake, I know for certain I'm awake, but when I'm sleeping I'm usually pretty sure I'm awake but not entirely. The following is a mishmash of things I've heard from tutorials, people on the forum, and my own logic. The logic center is surpressed while dreaming, which explains why everything can get so screwey and why you accept or make excuses for those crazy things and not even question what's going on. When you're awake, the logic center is fully functioning and, as you look around, argues constantly to you that since everything makes sense and is consistent with reality, you can't be dreaming. Since when we're awake we always operate under the assumption that we're awake, that transfers to our dreams and until our logic center sounds an alert we continue that assumption. However since our logic center isn't completely "off" we have a little uncertainty that we really are awake. There are a lot of people who, to DILD, constantly practice awareness, observation and questioning of their surroundings in waking life, hoping that they'll continue to practice this habit in their dreams. If they stop, look around their dream, and question what's going on, they give more chances for their logic center to perk up and sound an alert.

[Bobblehat]

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.

[cytotoxicT]

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.

[Puffin]

Lucidity and logic are two completely different things, although they're probably related. To elaborate a little, I've had high-level lucids where I wasn't thinking properly, and did things such as trying to walk halfway across the world instead of opening a door to teleport. "Lucidity" is just mental clarity and awareness.

[Sageous]

We call a dream "lucid" if we know we're in a dream. That's always the accepted definition. However, I've been lucid all day today in my waking state without once having to reflect to myself that I'm awake or lucid. So what exactly is the difference between the lucidness of waking consciousness, and the consciousness we experience in non-lucid dreams and lucid dreams? Is it something to do with the brain being unable to access certain memories? Bobblehat: First, you might ask yourself this: Was I really lucid all day today? Was I really aware of who I was, where I was, where I had been five minutes earlier, who I was effecting by my actions, and that this body I was in was real? That’s asking a lot, I think! I know many, many people who are sailing through waking life without one moment of lucidity. They successfully avoid even a moment of real self awareness, much less real consideration to the things I just listed. You probably do it to some degree as well; we all do. Think about it: sure, you’re conscious, but how often do you really think about what you’re doing when you’re eating, brushing your teeth, watching TV, or any other daily event that requires little to no actual thought or real awareness? By extension, we’re all quite conscious when we dream, operating at about the same levels of consciousness that we enjoy in waking life (save details like the logic center shutting down, as GuyCecil noted, though I’m not sure that’s as important as it sounds). In the end lucidity is not about consciousness -- it’s about awareness, and self-awareness. Waking-life awareness is the thing we need to bring with us into a dream to make it lucid -- but first we have to manage to understand waking-life awareness itself, and self-awareness as well, to truly be lucid in dreams. Yes, lucid dreaming has everything to do with the brain being unable to access certain memories. Remembering is a critical function of awareness, as it provides a handhold for awareness during the dream. Please note I’m not talking about remembering the dream after waking -- I specifically mean being able to spool up functional short term memories -- like the fact that you’re really not wrangling dinosaurs at Angelina Jolie’s ranch, because five minutes ago you were asleep at home in bed, and long-term files -- like that’s not really Granny on the next raptor, because she’s been dead for ten years. Once you are able to sort out those memories, awareness is easy. Self-awareness, the root of advanced lucid dreaming, could still be unavailable, but that’s for some other thread, I suppose. Lucidity may be a somewhat poorly chosen word, but it is what we have to work with. Also, do we really care, as long as we understand that what we’re doing is bringing waking life awareness into a dream?

[Bobblehat]

Thanks Sageous. I find your posts very informative.