I dreamt I was lucid - or was I really?

[Atrox]

Last night something pretty weird happened. It was at the end of a pretty long dream where the alien spaceships weren't able to land on earth and had to turn back (no, don't ask). Suddenly, in the midst of that Hollywood-like happy end mood, I said to myself: "now wait a second... aliens? spaceships? I must be dreaming!". So I did the hand-through-palm RC, but it didn't work. However, I was too convinced that it was a dream to accept this, and did the breathing RC, which, after some failed attempts to grab my nose, worked. Suddenly: change of scene. I'm back in my room, it's night and I think: "woah cool, I'm lucid, can't wait to do all kinds of crazy stuff". However, this 'lucidity' was kind of special, because I somehow couldn't control my body. It's like if my neck was broken and my head was just hanging there, behind my back. Because it was so weird, I decided to do the spinning trick and rubbing my hands, with no effect (note that I have never been lucid before, so I can't know what the spinning, etc. is like). Crippled like I was, I went walking around, doing RCs all of the time, but I could neither put my hand through my palm nor get a hold of my nose to do the breathing RC. So slowly I start wondering if I'm not actually awake (of course I wasn't) and then the dream ends... Can anyone tell me what happened here? Did I just bring the whole topic of lucidity and reality checks into my dreams or was that a very low level of lucidity?

[jamous]

actually sounds alot like alot of mine. Lucid dreams just take getting used to pretty much. 'You' just aren't fully used to the feeling yet, so you don't buy it fully when you're there. Once you know the feeling, when you get there you'll just be like "oh, yes, this is a dream.." and get on with your business. Don't be discouraged.

[Delilah]

Keep in mind that lucidity and dream control are two seperate things. I used to think I was only "dreaming I was lucid" when I couldn't control things, but lucidity is simply knowing that you're dreaming. Control has nothing to do with it. You have low lucidity when you start forgetting that you're dreaming really quickly or get distracted by things in your dreams and forget that it's a dream. Example of poor lucidity in dreams: "Hey, space ships and aliens? They aren't real. This must be a dream!" Then a few seconds later. "A giant man-eating scorpion! HELP! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" As long as you're aware your dreaming, then you're not "dreaming you're aware of dreaming", and you're doing a good job by the sound of things.

[lostpilot]

I often get the same feeling - dreaming that I am having a lucid dream. And always I find a question in my head - am I only dreaming, that I am lucid and I cannot control the dream at all, or I am slightly aware, that I am having this dream but not too much to control it?

[Atrox]

actually sounds alot like alot of mine. Lucid dreams just take getting used to pretty much. 'You' just aren't fully used to the feeling yet, so you don't buy it fully when you're there. Once you know the feeling, when you get there you'll just be like "oh, yes, this is a dream.." and get on with your business. Don't be discouraged. Hmm yeah, I guess I didn't really take this into consideration before. I always expected it to be like a burst of lightning and suddenly everything is clear and you feel you're almighty (although I knew that staying lucid and dream control are whole topics themselves). Keep in mind that lucidity and dream control are two seperate things. I used to think I was only "dreaming I was lucid" when I couldn't control things, but lucidity is simply knowing that you're dreaming. Control has nothing to do with it. You have low lucidity when you start forgetting that you're dreaming really quickly or get distracted by things in your dreams and forget that it's a dream. Example of poor lucidity in dreams: "Hey, space ships and aliens? They aren't real. This must be a dream!" Then a few seconds later. "A giant man-eating scorpion! HELP! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" As long as you're aware your dreaming, then you're not "dreaming you're aware of dreaming", and you're doing a good job by the sound of things. Heh, thanks. Obviously it really takes some time to get used to it. It was just strange because I had less control over myself than in a dream; my head was in a really awkward position where it faced the ceiling or something and I simply couldn't move it... very strange feeling. I guess my lucidity wasn't even so poor, because the main dream actually ended when I discovered it was a dream and I walked around with the thought of lucidity for a few seconds/minutes, trying to do RCs. Now that I think of it, the breathing RC must have actually worked. I had some problems getting a hold of my nose, but when I pinched it close, I could still breathe. During my dream I had the feeling I didn't do it hard enough to be sure, but I guess I would have been able to breathe anyway. I often get the same feeling - dreaming that I am having a lucid dream. And always I find a question in my head - am I only dreaming, that I am lucid and I cannot control the dream at all, or I am slightly aware, that I am having this dream but not too much to control it? It's nice to know others have this issue aswell. I hope this certainty of being lucid can be intensified a bit, for apparently I had my very first lucid dream this night and didn't even fully realise it. Yay! Thanks a bunch for your replies, people. I highly appreciate it.