Lucid Dreaming as my Research Project?

I have been researching and reading books a lot lately on Lucid Dreaming.

I have been having trouble coming up with academic questions for a 30 page research paper in which it will be based on. The questions are what will drive the paper, and so far I have one since my teacher said I can only really choose the scientific or humanity side of Lucid Dreams.

So my question is roughly; How do we differentiate regular Dreams from Lucid dreams?

Through REM and PGO waves etc.. but I don't know if this will be enough.

I know there are lots of threads that people are writing papers on LDs.. but I really want input on the question and I haven't really found what I am looking for completely.

So i thought I would leave it up to the experts :D

Regular dreams = Dreams where we are not aware that is in fact a dream. You can be just aware as you are now in physical reality, although not aware of the fact that it is a dream, think about that.

Even though I know am going explain awareness as a substance, I don't mean awareness as in knowledge, I then mean awareness as in critical thinking. Awareness is a very ambigious word that's why this problem arises.

A slightly plausible explanation with brain chemistry: The aminiergic system (brain system that governs critical thinking is low) and the cholinergic system that "causes" dreams is high.

Lucid dream = Dreams where we are aware that we are dreaming.

The aminergic system is high. If the cholinergic is low the dream feels hazy, but if the cholinergic system is high the dream feel more real.

This is just a hypothesis.

I wrote a 40 paged project in school in Psychology about dreams and lucid dreams, although it is in Swedish so I don't think it will help you, but if you need help I might be able to aid you.

So if you need any help just ask, but for now good luck with your project! ;)

You might enjoy this paper

http://194.80.240.74/images/events/R...20Dreaming.pdf

thanks for the help so far, I have looked into aminergic system and will continue researching and reading.
The article on REM also gave me a bunch of key info, thanks a lot!

Your welcome, here is a video with further explanation as well :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93U3FHD__LY