Conciousness in a lucid dream

[Somnis]

Hello Dreamviews member! I've been learning and trying to achieve a lucid dream for over 1.5 years now. But i have not been successful as far as i know. And my question is related to the last part of the previous sentence. It's hard for me to really put this question on paper, but i will do my best. I sometimes have dreams about lucid dreaming, i dream that i'm lucid dreaming, if that makes sense. While dreaming i think that i control the actions of my DC. So my dream character(me) is making conscious decisions about actions in the dream about having a lucid dream. Is this the same as lucid dreaming? Another question that i would like to ask is: Does a lucid dream really feel like waking life? And what i mean by that is. Do you perceive that dream world exactly the same as the waking world? Is your consciousness in the waking world the same as your consciousness in the dream world? I have read lots of articles and some books about lucid dreaming, most of them say that lucid dreaming is exactly the same as the waking life but with no physical restrictions. But that answer is not specific enough for me, is everything really the same? I really want to hear your experiences/opinion/answers about these questions! Sorry for any grammar mistakes, English is not my main language, Dutch is. Kind regards, Somnis

[Higat]

... Ok, so I don't really understand your dream but I can answer your other questions: Does a lucid dream really feel like waking life? - A lot of them do. The realism of a lucid dream can be enhanced during the dream so if you're lucid enough to stabilize the dream, it will feel like reality. Some lucid dreams are more foggy, maybe because you had a low level of lucidity, or you have a bad recall of the dream... there can be lots of reasons. Is your consciousness in the waking world the same as your consciousness in the dream world? - I've had the same question so I decided to test it out. I've found out that you can be just as aware and conscious in the dream as you are in reality. However in a lot of my lucid dreams I'm a little "drunk", all of that depends on my level of lucidity.

[Wolfdog]

I'd say lucid dreams can often times feel even far more vivid and 'realistic' than waking life itself. It's just a matter of one's awareness in a dream, and that of course is in relation to your experience and practice. Think about it though, everyone has had a dream (not lucid) where it felt as if it were real. It's only when we wake up that we find out there was something wrong about the experience, that it was all a dream. About your particular dream, you're just too involved in the practice that your mind is starting to get the idea behind lucid dreaming. Your dream about being lucid in it is only a reflection of that practice, and a confirmation that what you're doing is working! That's good! Experiences like this usually precede an actual lucid dream in the following days to come. I'd say you're closer to your goal than ever before; just continue the practice and soon the lucids will come. Still, being lucid in a dream and dreaming about being lucid in a dream are two different things. The first requires awareness (you know you're dreaming and therefore are in control of your actions in the dream). In the second case, you're dreaming about being lucid in the dream but are not aware at all that you're dreaming. You being lucid in that dream might all be part of the dream's plot. So, how to know the difference? If you know you're dreaming while you're dreaming then by definition you have become lucid in a dream. If not, it's still a non-lucid dream. Like I said, it all depends on the amount of awareness you have of the situation present. But, do not worry, you're very close to achieving an actual lucid dream!

[Rothgar]

Other posts are right on. You can be fully conscious and your normal self, and really there, just like reality. Mine almost always are, although I have had a few of the other less clear and even some just vaguely aware. But, when conscious in a dream it is not "just like" real life. Some say 70%. Reason is that the rules are different. You may head somewhere and get there very quickly. People may show up but you turn around and then they are gone or different people there. You can do stuff you can't do in reality like fly, float, walk on water, shape shift into a wolf, etc. Some colors or shapes may be hard to describe. So yes, you feel just like you do in waking life, but the reality is very similar and familiar but a little different I like the example of slightly drunk too...I have used that analogy as well before. Often that is the case, although my last one I was just (super) normal me

[Somnis]

Thanks for your views, opinions and motivational words Higat, Wolfdog and Rothgar! I really appreciate it. I just find it really hard to imagine that consciousness while dreaming is exactly the same as the consciousness while awake. But i think that the reason why i feel this way is because i have not yet experienced a real lucid dream. This feeling will probably go away when i experience a real lucid dream for the first time.

[Laurelindo]

I think the vividness and lucidity in lucid dreams reflect how "lucid" you are in waking life. If you aren't lucid in waking life and just always "know" that you are awake without questioning your state, then you will probably be just as ignorant dreams as well, and vice versa. So if you are very aware while you are awake, then you can be very aware in dreams as well, which will enhance your senses to any desired level.

[LivinLucid]

I sometimes have dreams about lucid dreaming, i dream that i'm lucid dreaming I've had this a few times as well where I've been dreaming that I've just discovered its a dream and start doing what i would do if i were lucid. However in both instances i hadn't been able to influence/change the dream to do what i wanted, so in my opinion they weren't lucid dreams. I think for it to become a lucid dream you need to become more aware of the surroundings and properly look around, at least i think thats where I went wrong. Really take it all in. A good tip is to practice on your awareness (All day awareness (ADA)) and when you think you've become lucid rub your hands together it makes the dream so much more real. Its good seeing a fellow Dutch person here.

[Mellanhavande]

I'd say lucid dreams can often times feel even far more vivid and 'realistic' than waking life itself. It's just a matter of one's awareness in a dream, and that of course is in relation to your experience and practice. Think about it though, everyone has had a dream (not lucid) where it felt as if it were real. It's only when we wake up that we find out there was something wrong about the experience, that it was all a dream. I agree. Sometimes my lucid dreams are way more vivid than real life and it is impossible to compare the sensations.

[Rothgar]

Hang in there Somnis. When you have one it will blow you away! It is awesome.