Does Willing Myself to Wake Up From a Nightmare Make it a Semi-Lucid Dream?

[starletdreamer]

In a nightmare tonight I willed myself in the dream to wake up...does this make it semi-lucid? Although it did not feel lucid.

[Leo96]

Well, in theory as long as you knew you were dreaming, that makes it a lucid dream... I've willed myself to wake up from nightmares countless of times, but before that i didn't have an idea that i was dreaming, it's like i didn't know i was dreaming, but i could still tell myself to wake up. It's quite strange really. If that's what you mean then i think that's just because although our conscious mind is asleep it's not fully shut down, so a part of us still knows we are dreaming and how to escape from a nightmare and such.

[Linkzelda]

Chances are if you have to will or exert some kind of mental inward concentration to get out of a situation, you were probably aware of the situation and most likely aware of the dream. I honestly prefer not using semi-lucid anymore, seeing how that can cause a lot of ambiguity when recalling dreams. As long as I'm aware of the dream (e.g. through emotions or just knowing naturally), it's a lucid dream for me.

[Laurelindo]

It depends on how aware you are of the dreamstate. Sometimes you can have a feeling that you have some sort of power over the dream without actually realizing that it is a dream, and in that case you may not be truly lucid, but extremely close. Anyway, as long as you understand that it is a dream then it is under all circumstances a lucid dream.