I've been pondering this for a while now and an experience I had this weekend seems to validate this.

For the past few months, I've been reading Carlos Castaneda and am amazed at how closely the Natice American Shamanic teachings and lucid dreaming are coupled. According to their teachings, there is really no difference between waking reality and dreaming reality, it is a matter of where we chose to focus and hold our attention. In fact, in Carlos' books, lucid dreaming is one of the main tools used to practice and develop abilities in the waking reality, but I digress.

This Saturday, my wife and I were mowing the yard, she waved at me to come and take care of something for her. When I got there, she pointed out a medium sized toad that was sitting next to a rose bush. Being the soft hearted person she is, she wanted me to move him before he got hurt.

Normally, you have to make a couple of attempts to catch a toad. They usually don't like to be picked up and will pee on you. Not this one though. I reached down and picked him up.

He made a funny noise, kind of like toads do at night, but softer, deep in his throat, and sort of modulated, like he was asking me not to hurt him. I lifted him to eye level and held him in my open hand. My wife and I were looking at him and discussing how beautiful he looked, especially his bright golden eyes. He chirped again softly as if to say "Thank you!".

I carried him to another flower bed and gently placed him on the ground, again, he chirped and crawled under some of the flowers.

At no time did he act wild or afraid or try to jump, it was kind of like we were on the same wavelength and communicating at some level.

So, I guess what I am asking here is; Are Lucid Dreamers somehow more connected to nature and the univers than non-lucid dreamers, and can animals sense this connection and react to it?