Was I Really Lucid Dreaming? Or Am I Just Fooling Myself?

**queryboxinput** · 08-14-2013 04:15 AM

Today I had a dream. I have my suspicions that it may not have actually been a lucid dream.
I'll explain why I have my doubts about it at the end of my dream log:

[dream]
I was in my house.
I realized that I was lucid dreaming.
Immediately upon noticing I was in a dream state, I tried to jump around.
Jumping around was easy and I fell through the air slowly.
However, I wanted to float in the air -- not fall through it.
Floating in the air proved to be harder than slowly falling through it.

I was starting to float around better.
I was getting more "hang-time".
Everything seemed to be moving very slowly so I had a decent amount of time to react to everything.
I had a lot of time to think when I was in the air.

After a few floaty leaps, I tried to push off my table (with my feet) backwards.
My back arched through the air as I rotated backwards.
At that moment, while slowly twisting backward, I thought, "I want to land face first in a pool of shimmering blue water."

At that moment, things went black.
I may have shut my eyes in order to block out the current visual I had of my house.
I think I was hoping that when I opened my eyes my head would be plunging into the pool.
But my head did not plunge into any liquid.
I just saw was blackness.
And that was the last thing I remembered.
[/dream]

So that was my dream.
It was very interesting and I definitely want to do more lucid dreaming.

However, I have a question about it:

Was I actually lucid dreaming?
I mean, I remember feeling that I was in a dream.
And I remember trying to do things that I thought should be possible in a dream.
But was I actually aware that I was in a dream?

What I'm saying is, what if my dream was actually just myself simply imagining that I became aware I was in a lucid dream.
Was I dreaming normally about being lucid?

Another important question would be this: Is there even a difference between actually becoming lucid and having a dream that you have become lucid?

Could this be chalked up to a difference in dream awareness?

I would really love some feedback from some lucid dreaming veterans here.
I just can't shake the feeling that I wasn't really aware that it was a dream.
I feel like I was just pretending that I was in a lucid dream.
But then again, maybe there isn't any subjective difference.

Thanks for letting me drag you along through all this speculation!

query.

**dolphin** · 08-14-2013 06:04 AM

You were indeed lucid dreaming. You became aware that you were dreaming so you tried to exert a bit of dream control. If you weren't aware you were dreaming you wouldn't even try to float around your house because you know that isn't possible in real life.

The key to deciding whether it was a lucid dream or not is deciding if you were aware you were dreaming. Generally, you are aware you're dreaming if you're trying out things that are not possible in real life.

A false lucid is one where a reality check fails (you dream about becoming lucid), yet due to low awareness you go about the dream as if it were real life. This would be a non-lucid because you wouldn't be aware you're dreaming.

**TranquilityTrip** · 08-14-2013 06:48 AM

This definitely sounds like a lucid dream. With that said, no one can tell you for sure, only you can determine whether it was a lucid dream.
Don't doubt yourself too much though, I know it can tempting to chalk up a real lucid dream as a false lucid because you are not very experienced and don't know how lucid dreams should "feel", but don't. It only discourages you.
Btw, if it was a false lucid, you'll know soon enough. Once you have a high level lucid dream you will easily be able to tell the difference between a false lucid and a lucid dream.

(copy and pasted from another thread because I think it applies well here as well. With a few edits of course)

**queryboxinput** · 08-14-2013 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by dolphin

You were indeed lucid dreaming. You became aware that you were dreaming so you tried to exert a bit of dream control. If you weren't aware you were dreaming you wouldn't even try to float around your house because you know that isn't possible in real life.

The key to deciding whether it was a lucid dream or not is deciding if you were aware you were dreaming. Generally, you are aware you're dreaming if you're trying out things that are not possible in real life.

A false lucid is one where a reality check fails (you dream about becoming lucid), yet due to low awareness you go about the dream as if it were real life. This would be a non-lucid because you wouldn't be aware you're dreaming.

Ok. That makes sense.

Thanks for the input!
I appreciate it.
Query

Originally Posted by TranquilityTrip

This definitely sounds like a lucid dream. With that said, no one can tell you for sure, only you can determine whether it was a lucid dream.
Don't doubt yourself too much though, I know it can tempting to chalk up a real lucid dream as a false lucid because you are not very experienced and don't know how lucid dreams should "feel", but don't. It only discourages you.
Btw, if it was a false lucid, you'll know soon enough. Once you have a high level lucid dream you will easily be able to tell the difference between a false lucid and a lucid dream.

Ok! I'll try to just roll with things. I think my next goals when in a lucid dream will be to really try to think critically. Maybe try to do some arithmetic. Something to jolt my mind into thinking more critically.
Query

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