Non-Lucid dreams showing evidence in dream awareness and lucidity progress?

[Trinsonian]

Lately, in my non-lucid dreams, I've noticed that I've had more realistic reactions to certain circumstances. I would react in a way that I would've in real life. Example; I dreamed I was with my girlfriend, and I wrapped my fingers around her chin looked at her in her eyes and said "You're so gorgeous". That's all I remember of the dream. Nothing like this has happened before. This was a non-lucid dream. I never talk to DCs. So even though this wasn't a lucid decision, its still something I would've naturally done. Could this be evidence that my mind is changing in terms of dream awareness and lucidity overall?

[kevinmwhm]

Absolutely - It was with me anyway. I've also been more aware of "normal" dreams. Dreams where I'm in realistic situations. The couple of times I've gone lucid from those have been intense.

[Hugh]

All of my dreams, even after training myself to achieve lucidity, have either been very unpredictable, or completely out of context with what I experience in waking life. I rarely have dreams nowadays that have any sort of logic or meaning behind them, by meaning I'm talking about correlation with events that have occurred recently in my waking life. Hopefully due to the context of my dreams I'll be able to utilize DILD a little bit more, as the types of dreams I have pretty much shout out for reality checks to be utilised - I just need to burn there usage into my a head a little bit more. Though, it all depends on what you expect to dream about, what you want to dream about, and what's on your mind before you go to bed. False awakenings are a perfect example of a dream replicating a near-waking life situation, so of course having dreams that create situations very much like the ones you experience in your waking life would of course be possible.

[Trinsonian]

Just so there isn't a misunderstanding, I have had dreams that could've happened in real life. But what im getting at is my reaction. The thing I hate most about not being lucid, is that I make terrible decisions in my dreams. I dont take advantage of the opportunities my dreams present to me. I wake up often times thinking, "Why did I do it that way? If only I had been lucid..."

[Trinsonian]

Hopefully due to the context of my dreams I'll be able to utilize DILD a little bit more, as the types of dreams I have pretty much shout out for reality checks to be utilised... I think I know exactly what you mean. My dreams are so crazy, it utterly baffles me that I don't realize that I'm dreaming... "Aww come on! How did I not realize I was dreaming? I wasn't even human in that one!"

[NyxCC]

Indeed Trinsonian, I think realistic dreams are a sign of progress. In the past year I have noticed an increase in real life situation dreams, where I am actually discussing real life issues openly. I think that practicing ADA for example may change your attitude and actions and affect both real life and dreams. Sweet dreams!

[Zoth]

Most of my dreams are super realistic. They include me acting like I am, talking to DC's pretty normally, being in familiar places and all that. Don't think that means I'm closer to lucidity. Remember that your behavior in dreams is mostly influenced by your memory. Even though certain parts of it are practically gone, others still work.

[Scionox]

Not necessarily a sign of increased awareness, but still a good sign, because that you actually react the same as you would in waking life might be that your waking life memory is good in the dream, in which case when you get lucid you might be more likely to recall goals and everything properly.

[Trinsonian]

Not necessarily a sign of increased awareness, but still a good sign, because that you actually react the same as you would in waking life might be that your waking life memory is good in the dream, in which case when you get lucid you might be more likely to recall goals and everything properly. I'll take it as a good sign then, cause my waking life memory has never been good in dreams. I've seen several DCs that were dead in real life alive in the dream and those have only induced lucidity once. So a better waking life memory is called for Isn't that a step for getting better at dream-stabilization?

[JoannaB]

I think greater vividness in dreams is a step in the right direction, which is a promising precursor to lucid dreaming. If dreams are more hazy, likely awareness is low, and thus chances of lucidity lower. Although I have in the past occasionally become lucid in dreams that were hazy, and then the vividness suddenly improved, so that's possible too. I remember some lucid dreams that started in realistic settings and I noticed something off, and others that started in a setting that was not realistically at all (for example: a dream where I was in a mansion which I believed was my home, but suddenly I realized that in waking life I do not live in a mansion), so there are no hard rules I think. When in doubt though I would interpret any change in dreams as a progress toward lucid dreaming if possible, because believing that increases chances of lucid dreaming.

[LucidAcademy]

It's a good idea to look at lucid dreaming in terms of degrees. Most everyone focuses so strongly on the type of lucid dream where complete clarity occurs, you say "I am dreaming" and then take the action you intended to take. However, I've found when teaching others to lucid dream that there are more stages along the way. Some people here have mentioned vividness, which is a good sign. A lower level of lucidity is one where you simply do things you can't do during waking life. That means you are more in your dreaming body, and aren't so tied to the laws of the physical. Another degree higher than this is when you discover you can do something like fly, or jump really high. It's like discovering a secret ability and you explore it. The higher cognitive reasoning doesn't occur where you realize why this is happening, but you are nonetheless exploring with some consciousness the dream world. It's a very good thing to recognize these steps along the way to the "classical" lucid dream.