Thread: how real is a lucid dream

What exactly are you asking?

is it as being in the moment of the action seing things as they are now with the realness (my lucids are so dreamlike not so real )

Originally Posted by wana

is it as being in the moment of the action seing things as they are now with the realness (my lucids are so dreamlike not so real )

i.e: are dreams as real as real life.

Some can be very real, just like real life. There's always a bit of unstability though and things change quickly. You don't notice it that easily if you don't look for it.

Lucid dreams for me often vary in realism. There are lucid dreams where everything is unstable and nothing is vivid. I've also had lucid dreams where everything was completely realistic and it felt like I had some knowledge or connection with the surroundings. Those can be more vivid than waking life. On average for me lucid dreams tend to be slightly less realistic than real life, due to small inconsistencies. Saying things such as "increase lucidity now" or "increase detail" have always improved dream vividness and realism for me when lucid.

For me, my lucid dreams are very real. My normal dreams are very dull. I guess it varies for everyone.

Look around the room. It's like that.

I'm pretty sure they are fairly realistic. I once had one by accident, me riding on a motorcycle chasing a thief, and I could feel everything normally, although my vision was distorted a bit. Anyways, me and my 3 friends have been studying the brain lately, and I think, from the information I've put together, as long as you concentrate on your dream, everything will be pretty realistic. (I'm not saying focus on the fact of dreaming ITSELF, I mean if you want it to feel more real, then think about what your doing, but not too much, that will wake you up!)

More real than real.

Sometimes hyper-real, as if I'm viewing things in high-definition with sharp edges and crystal clear vision. Most of the time, however, it's like my surroundings in real life with a bit of fuzziness and a lack of ability to be 100% aware.

Originally Posted by Puffin

Sometimes hyper-real, as if I'm viewing things in high-definition with sharp edges and crystal clear vision. Most of the time, however, it's like my surroundings in real life with a bit of fuzziness and a lack of ability to be 100% aware.

Just wondering: Are you describing the pure visuals of the dream or just the entire atmosphere of the dream. I haven't had a lucid yet but can they seriously be that visually engaging?

Originally Posted by Quantiq

Just wondering: Are you describing the pure visuals of the dream or just the entire atmosphere of the dream. I haven't had a lucid yet but can they seriously be that visually engaging?

I'm not puffin, but I think can answer... YES, they can be that visually engaging. But so can non-lucid dreams. I've had LDs (and non) where everything is SUPER sharp, like the difference between normal TV and HDTV. I've had LDs where everything is lush and with more texture, like the movie 'What Dreams May Come' where you are in a painting. Often though, as Puffin mentions, it's more like normal with a slight fuzziness around the edges. Almost like you are looking through a lens. Also, as Puffin alludes to, this fuzziness often extends to your overall awareness.

The possibilities in a lucid dream are literally LIMITLESS. That pertains to the atmosphere, visuals, sound, touch, taste, events, and everything else.

Originally Posted by Quantiq

Just wondering: Are you describing the pure visuals of the dream or just the entire atmosphere of the dream. I haven't had a lucid yet but can they seriously be that visually engaging?

Yes, the visuals of dreams can be incredible. It really just depends on the luck, what dream you end up becoming lucid in, but stabilizing a ton and really thinking about how detailed items can get also helps. Some dreams just tend to be more clear than others, too.

All my lucid dreams are very realistic. When I wild, they stat in my bedroom and I just walk off from there, to see what idiotic things are breaking the laws of physics. All my dreams feel very real, until I am just able to think of something and its there.

Dreams can feel very realistic and have it feel like your physically there, despite the madness of it all.

Sometimes its blurry, sometimes its more real than real life. I find that taking valerian root before going to sleep makes dreams much more vivid. I wanna get my hands on some dream herb (Calea Zacatechichi) one of these days.

I see this question a lot. Personally I think it varies night by night. You know how some nights you have an amazingly vivid dream, while others are kind of blurry? If you happen to get a lucid on a night where you are having a very clear and lifelike dream, then you got lucky. That's how I see it, anyway. I'm sure using stabilization techniques can also help, but I never remember to stabilize.

Originally Posted by b12

Look around the room. It's like that.

really? man i wish i could ld

As everyone has said, it varies.

Lots of the time, the crazy unreal stuff is what helps people realize it's a dream.

Often when I realize it's a dream and everything seems normal, things go all wonky upon attaining lucidity.

It goes both ways, for me.

Sometimes I find a catch 22 - if I try too hard or get too active, the vividness fades a bit and I have to gently ask it to come back. If I'm a bit more relaxed about enjoying the dream it gets or stays more vivid.

Originally Posted by Mud

Lots of the time, the crazy unreal stuff is what helps people realize it's a dream.

Often when I realize it's a dream and everything seems normal, things go all wonky upon attaining lucidity.

It goes both ways, for me.

Maybe its always the same, just once the logic kicks in what seemed normal before is acctually very odd.

It feels exactly like real life (a good one does) but you know it's a dream, so that adds an effect you can't really imagine. Like you can imagine a really lifelike dream, but you can't imagine the feeling you get from knowing it's a dream.

Well, It's not so much they're blurry, It's that when I wake up they start to become distant memories, And then the more I think about it, The more I forget about the dream... That's why it's good to have a dream journal! And I think I'm the first person on the forum on my first ever lucid to actually last up to a hour.

Although I did stop for a few months because strangely every time I lucid dreamed and I was in a cold environment, I would wake up with a Cold or sore throat.

I'm back in the game now

I commend your hour long lucid, but I doubt you are the only one on here to achieve that. I haven't, but this site is over 7 years old I believe, with many many people on here. Not trying to belittle you or anything, but there have been quite a few documented super long lucid dreams.

Aside from some guys you may have heard about who say they dreamed for weeks or even years, which unless it's a timeskip dream, is unlikely.

That's funny how you end up in a cold environment... ever consider that you ended up there because you got a cold or sore throat that night, and then dreamed of cold places?