I know I'm dreaming but I'm not getting lucid?

[Jesslet]

Hey guys, been a while since I posted but I've been having this issue for a few nights in a row, and it's frustrating cuz I feel like I'm close. I've been having dreams where the notion crosses my mind - sometimes more than once - that I am obviously dreaming. For instance, this morning I literally had a dream thar Godzilla was chasing me and some people through a city. Haha and I wasn't really scared, in fact I remember falling to the sidewalk and just saying to myself "clearly I'm dreaming right now, I have nothing to worry about" I even had a thought like "now that I know I'm dreaming I just need to become lucid" but like my head just felt super foggy/like it was impossible to focus and become lucid? I don't know if this makes sense to anyone haha hopefully it does, but it just seems like I'm beginning to realize when I'm dreaming but then my head is just all jumbled up in the dream and I don't actually become lucid. Anyone experienced anything like this?

[ShibaInu]

Were you very tired before sleeping? Personally I have much clearer and more lucid dreams when I go to sleep not tired. You could also try to do more and better reality checks with imagining you are dreaming right now. I had the same problem and this helped me.

[J.D.]

What you're saying sounds pretty familiar. Have you thought about integrating reality-checks into your lucid dreaming? They can help with this, in my experience. I used to realise I was dreaming quite often, but it was only after pausing to test reality and confirm it for sure that it really seemed to set in for me. There's something about taking time out to perform an action that directly queries the dream-world that seems to make things more clear. I favour the finger-counting check myself.

[fogelbise]

^Agreed. You can also say out loud "I am dreaming" and rehearse your next step during your day practices. Another thing is to stay patient. Many times when my dreams are foggy I can hold on and enter a new clearer dream. Staying calm and aware through any fades is very doable and can really extend your LD's.

[Michael]

Sounds like you're not really becoming aware that you're dreaming, but you're just stating a sentence that it's a dream without actually realizing it or reality checking. I can say out loud right now that I'm awake or dreaming without checking to make sure. Get in the habit of consciously checking the state you're in so that you can distinguish the difference sensations in dreams. It's as if you're half a stept under being semi-lucid. Once you're fully confident that you are in FACT in a dream and not this realm then your mind should spontaneously illuminate.... how much just depends on you.

[Sivason]

You are getting lucid. If you realize it is a dream you have made it. Now, you just need to work on improving the dreams. Good job! Folebise has great advice here. Plan out your next lucid while awake. Do not plan on flying, instead rehearse the moment you realize you are dreaming, and simply look down at your hands and flex the fingers, while repeating something like, "this is a dream. I am dreaming right now. Pay attention, this is a dream." Then next time you get lucid simply do that much. It will pull more of your awareness into the dream. If you are still lucid after repeating it over and over, then look around with out moving, and keep repeating it. If you get fairly clear minded, then explore.

[EarthToKepler]

Are you doing reality checks? If so are you doing them proporly for example saying 'am I dreaming' with doubt?

[Rothgar]

You are close. My last dream I looked at some earplugs and thought "they look so real!" (because a part of me knew I was dreaming). Then later I tried jumping up a small set of steps and couldnt. This made me once again think "typical for in a dream." But at that point i realized "hey, i am dreaming" and I really became lucid to the point I knew I could take action and floated my body up. Technically I suppose I was lucid when looking at the earplugs but the light didn't really come on until I couldn't climb the small steps.