Control but not lucid?

**Jayme** · 10-11-2010 02:20 AM

So I have a friend, and sometimes she asks me to interpret her dreams which I have no problem with. She told me about a nightmare she had recently, where she didn't know she was dreaming but still had complete control over the dream.

What could an explanation be for this? Sorry if its not in the right area, I figured Dream Control so...

**Puffin** · 10-11-2010 03:33 AM

"Controlling" your dream while not actually being lucid is a fairly common occurrence. Four out of five dreams I have involve at least some form of dream control, such as flying, shapeshifting, invulnerability, etcetera. I can also control what dream characters and stuff do sometimes.

This happens to some people more than others.

**dakotahnok** · 10-11-2010 04:42 AM

Well you define what you think of as "control"

**juroara** · 10-12-2010 03:14 AM

This happens a lot to me. Some of my funnest dreams are control dreams without lucidity.

I guess you can say when that happens you're aware of your dream-self and you're aware that this is a reality that's very free and fluid. But you don't really realize that this is your dream, and you're usually sucked into the dream story. With just a little more awareness, control dreams easily turn into lucidity.

**bendix** · 10-16-2010 03:53 PM

When she's talking about controlling her dreams, does she then mean, that she can decide what is going to happen next?

**Kolten** · 10-16-2010 04:14 PM

This is off topic, but why do you have stuff about moss remover and floor paint in your sig bendix?

**Nikola** · 10-18-2010 06:32 AM

Well, this is confusing.
I don't think I ever had a dream where I had complete control without being aware it's a dream. And even if my lucidity is low, it is the moments when I realise I'm dreaming that I gain control.
Could somebody please explain a little bit more on the topic? I would just call all that a low level of awareness.

**Puffin** · 10-18-2010 12:57 PM

The dreamer pretty much just (non-lucidly) acts like anything's possible in the dream, like they're in a movie. They can shoot fireballs or fly, or whatever.

**Nikola** · 10-18-2010 02:06 PM

Without being aware it's a dream?! Sounds impossible to me. Probably just because I never had this kind of experience, or maybe I just don't remember it.

**Puffin** · 10-18-2010 03:57 PM

Yeah. It's probably just because it's never happened with you. It's like, you know in a non-lucid that you're able to walk, but in these dreams you're able to do much more than that.

**thomulf** · 10-31-2010 06:08 PM

nobody said that you have to be lucid to have control. You could have a perfectly normal dream about having special powers and thus controlling stuff- that doesn't necessarily have to do with lucid dreaming.

**Waterknight** · 11-01-2010 12:55 PM

Ive had normal dreams before in which I had complete control. In fact it is a little easier to control powers if you dont know you are dreaming because then you truly believe you have the abilitie to do what you want by the laws of nature. The only downside to controlling non lucids is holding yourself back for fear of doing something that will affect the real world in a bad way.