I really hope I don't sound like I am bragging, or anything of that nature. I just really have been wanting to talk to people about my dreams, and wonder if anybody shares this form of dreaming with me.

Anyhow, it may be that I am an artist (primarily a graphic artist) and go throughout the day having to imagine how something might look, or feel, or affect any other sense. But over the years I have developed the ability to accurately experience how something might affect my senses. I can look at a table and tell you what it would feel like, smell like, taste like (don't ask), sound like if you tapped it, etc. I am able to pick the sensations out of my experiences so well that ever sense I can remember I have been able to incorporate them into my dreams. Now because I can remember sensations, I can close my eyes while wide awake and visualize what these would do (while sitting at my computer right now, just thinking about flying I can imagine what it would be like through taking experiences of falling, feeling wind in my face, and all other things related). So in my dreams this gives me a unique control. While I have only once had a lucid dream in my life (and it only lasted a few seconds) I have what I like to call 'semi-lucid' dreams on a nightly basis. I understand how to control my perceptions to the point that I control my dreams even though I don't know I am dreaming. I already control them in everyday life, so it's a normal experience. Just in my dreams, the effects of it are a bit more direct. For example, last night I had a dream where I was swimming along in a large bay when I saw several large shark fins approaching. As an almost natural response to the threat I took a few quick strokes, launching myself up out of the water. But instead of sinking back down I decided I would prefer to stay above them...so there I stood, walking on the waters surface (it's a really weird sensation, trust me). The sharks kept coming at me, and I was getting frustrated and really wanted to make them go away. So gesturing their way, I made a heaving motion, and them, along with the surrounding 15 feet of water went soaring off at supersonic speeds before slamming into a cliff side.

So getting to the end point, I am wondering if anyone else has experienced a semi-lucid dream. Where, while you don't realize you are dreaming, you take for granted your control over the dream world, and as such can do whatever you want.