Thread: Control without lucidity

There's a difference between super powers and control. But I think I know what you mean. Yes, it's very possible to have conscious dream control without lucidity. For example, many a nightmare sufferer has squashed bad dreams using conscious dream control without ever becoming lucid.

A lot of people here assume that dream control and lucidity necessarily go together but that is not the case.

I my experiences control power and lucidity rarely come hand in hand.
It happens to me a lot that I have much control power over a non lucid dream, even before I actually started reading about dreams.

I also had many lucid dreams in which I didn't use any control powers at all for one of two reasons:
- All I had planned to dream to begin with is already there, so there was no reason to control anything.
- I became lucid unintentionally and didn't know what I should control in the first place.

Have you noticed any difference between 'normal' dreams from before you got involved in lucid dreaming vs dreams you have now?

Bobot_Butler, mine are much more vivid.
That and I can remember much more of them than I could
when I wasn't learning about lucid dreaming.

The ability to control such things could be the greatest blessing ever as it sounds like one kick-butt dream sign.

My most recent control-without-lucidity involved me using a needle to become the next Buddha. "The needle is a pathway to peace and enlightenment," I told some gangsters. I proved it by hovering in the air in meditation. Whatever.

Inversely, I have lucids without control. It's alright with me to not be able to change things in a lucid, as long as I still have enough control to 'defend myself' if needed.

I've had a few dreams like you. We're usually too stupid in our dreams to gain lucidty from superhuman actions. Many a time I've flown around, or jumped incredibly high with no doubt it was reality, so yeah, people get this, as GH said, lucidity and control do not always go together.

Cool, I've had lots of non-lucid dreams with extremely good control, I think everyone has it, but in a lot of them I sort of goof off or get too focused on one little detail

Let me just add a note on what I personally mean by control. I don't mean only the ability to decide what to do next in (in this case) a non-lucid dream. That is control in the purest sense. But what I mean by control in a non-lucid dream is the ability to perform a pre-planned task or response to a given situation.

For example, in the classic nightmare "cure" scenario, the subject can very well learn that the next time he/she faces a certain threat that they should stand their ground and take the threat head-on. This can be a simple way to end the curse of nightmares.

That example is one where excellent control over a dream may be exercised without the subject ever becoming lucid. In other words, dream control without the conscious knowledge of being in a dream.

That more specifically describes what I refer to when talking about non-lucid dream control - the ability to follow a plan (a guideline or general course of action/reaction) which was formulated in waking life. When considered in that capacity, it's easy to see why many people assume that such a feat necessarily leads to - or is resultant from - lucidity in the dream state.

By control power, I mean, I can change about anything at will, ie. let scenes/things/DC appear at will and even force them to do what I want. I do those spontaneously then, as I don't have a plan, and I don't even think about remembering any, when I'm not lucid.

I didn't notice a difference in my non lucid dreams now and before I was reading about dreaming. But then again, I don't remember many dreams before that.

What I meant was the same as GH's take on it... I never realized there could be dffernt takes on it until you guys brough it up [typical me... not thinking over things]

Originally Posted by Lucidbulbs

What I meant was the same as GH's take on it... I never realized there could be dffernt takes on it until you guys brough it up [typical me... not thinking over things]

Right. And I only pointed out the distinction because, to me, any other style of non-lucid "dream control" is just "dreaming". It's the stuff of so-called regular dreams.

I often have some kind of control or knowledge without actually being lucid.

For instance, I always seem to know during a dream that I cannot be killed or get hurt. Which is nice. It wasn't always like that. Even though I know I can't be killed, the knowledge usually doesn't make me lucid.

But this knowledge of invincibility seems to increase my dream control.