Thread: Why are you not lucid?

I guess it's just the power of our brain. I believe dreaming is a way of letting your mind wander.

Originally Posted by Dave B

I guess it's just the power of our brain. I believe dreaming is a way of letting your mind wander.

Ah, but why do you follow it?

because we have no choice. I think it is our mind wandering but we have no control because the logic part of the brain is switched off, maybe because we use more energy being conscious and the body and brain don't want to use energy in the resting process.

Originally Posted by Poida

because we have no choice. I think it is our mind wandering but we have no control because the logic part of the brain is switched off, maybe because we use more energy being conscious and the body and brain don't want to use energy in the resting process.

I'm not sure about more energy being used.
Is my waking body affected by how aware I am?
I have found at times that I sleep much better once I enter a deep lucidity.

I like the idea of no choice though, it seems to fit somewhat.
Though, if you have no choice what is the turning point to lucidity? Is it through conscious effort in waking life only, that causes lucidity to happen?

Yeah that's true, I guess through conscious effort and real desire we become lucid. Although many people experience lucid dreams naturally.

Originally Posted by ClouD

Ah, but why do you follow it?

Because in waking life you feel like everything is real. So in a dream you feel like everything is real. Now you have, that + "turned off" logic center and you get a normal dream. I don't live in constant fear that the world is an illusion. Even if it's your world view or philosophy, it doesn't really mean anything if you don't feel it. It's the feeling that there is something wrong in the world that gets me lucid.

Mm, I definitely agree that perception in waking life filters over to dream.

A question raised by that though, is how are we aware in waking life? Are we lucid? Well, I suppose this generally leads to how do we exist, which is quite unanswerable.
We take what we get and apply it to itself.

What my point about asking 'how' is, is that if we can develop 'lucidity' in waking life without a higher tier of waking, then isn't it possible to develop lucidity in a dream without any contribution from waking life?

Perhaps dream is non-existent without waking life, and is just a projection of waking life. Through looking at the way blind people dream (without sight if blind from birth), then it seems that it would be a projection of perception, regardless of reality (that I know there is sight because I can see, and it is reality, but to a blind person it is still a reality (it has to be because I know I can see), but not a tangible or possibly perceived one).

So what it comes back to, is how do we project lucidity if it's not 'pre-programmed'? From looking at all of this you see, it comes back to 'how', and in that our perception is cumulative of the past, and that lucidity cannot exist unless it is inbuilt.

So, I would be led to think that 'lucidity'(awareness), is already inbuilt, since I am aware(I know I am, because I am). So now, why are you not lucid?

A possible explanation I give for this, is that there are distractions. That one 'becomes what they eat', and that 'awareness' is always at 100%, just divided, and not total.

This I believe to be root cause of non-lucidity. Divided awareness.

This is the reason why we don't have lucid dreams.

Originally Posted by Godl!ke

This is the reason why we don't have lucid dreams.

I completely agree, and it's exactly what I've been saying for a long time.

I wouldn't say 'attention' though, it's just another layer of thinking required.
'Lucidity' literally means 'awareness'. Attention is synonymous.

I haven't read a single tutorial on this website (aside from a link to an OBE tutorial once upon a time). Why I am lucid, is because I am aware.
Aware with much less division than most people are, and yet I am labelled a 'natural'.

I think that my perspective of waking life contributes to this automatic awareness directly, yes; though 'natural' is a word that seems to encourage lucidity as going against a person's 'nature' if they don't become lucid without effort.

I think lucidity has nothing directly to do with effort. There must be a little effort to break the habit of non-lucidity/unawareness at first, but then it becomes sublime.
Too much focus goes into the techniques and avenues to increase awareness, when awareness is simply undivided attentiveness.

Originally Posted by ClouD

I completely agree, and it's exactly what I've been saying for a long time.

I wouldn't say 'attention' though, it's just another layer of thinking required.
'Lucidity' literally means 'awareness'. Attention is synonymous.

I haven't read a single tutorial on this website (aside from a link to an OBE tutorial once upon a time). Why I am lucid, is because I am aware.
Aware with much less division than most people are, and yet I am labelled a 'natural'.

I think that my perspective of waking life contributes to this automatic awareness directly, yes; though 'natural' is a word that seems to encourage lucidity as going against a person's 'nature' if they don't become lucid without effort.

I think lucidity has nothing directly to do with effort. There must be a little effort to break the habit of non-lucidity/unawareness at first, but then it becomes sublime.
Too much focus goes into the techniques and avenues to increase awareness, when awareness is simply undivided attentiveness.

How does one try to be more aware in their waking life, though? I'm just wondering... is there something you would recommend, specifically, to increase natural, everyday awareness? I mean, obviously I get up, I do my daily routine, I'm aware of my surroundings and what I'm doing... but how can I be even more aware?

I'm just thinking out loud I guess, but it's something that is making me wonder.

I believe it is simply a lack or awareness.

Through meditation i have found what it means to simply 'be'.

To be aware, and I a practicing to be aware all of the time.

I think the reason we dont lucid dream is simply a lack of awareness and questioning of our surroundings .

I agree. Most people are caught in routine everyday and don't stop to think about their surroundings or question them. It seems pretty hard to be constantly aware although I think if you do it a few times a day for as long as you can it will improve your LD rate. It has for me anyway. It's almost like becoming lucid in real life, and you have to do the same thing, realise the detail of your surroundings and check to see if you are dreaming.

I agree. Most people are caught in routine everyday and don't stop to think about their surroundings or question them. It seems pretty hard to be constantly aware although I think if you do it a few times a day for as long as you can it will improve your LD rate. It has for me anyway. It's almost like becoming lucid in real life, and you have to do the same thing, realise the detail of your surroundings and check to see if you are dreaming.

It's as simple as not having trained your brain to do that.... some people get lucky and train their brains unwittingly to LD at a young age.

e.g. The 1st rule of behavioural science is you get more of what you reinforce.

On the bright side: I am certain that in the upcoming generations we will see phonmenal prowess at LDing. I am sure all the LDers here will not hide their kids from it if they have any. Learning the proper techniques at a young age will pretty much guarantee many LDers who LD effortlessly later on in life.

Here's a suggestion on how to become more aware:
Act like Sherlock Holmes.
I'm completely serious. If you've ever read any of the stories, he notices like everything. Just try to look for 'clues' as if you were solving a mystery, and you will become more aware. Notice things about people: What kind of clothes they are wearing, how they tied their shoes, any stains anywhere that might suggest what they ate or previous activities. Look for nuances like this in everything and you will increase your lucidity in more ways than one

Does it matter...
Ask how to be aware if you like, or whatever.
Be aware if you want, otherwise don't.
You want help, but who helped me?

Be aware. Be receptive. This is awareness. This.

You either get it or you distract yourself with not getting it.

Even though we can consciously influence our ability to have lucids, in the end its all just chemistry. Chemistry dictates awareness.

Sure fire way to shift blame. Congratulations.

I experienced LDs naturally at a young age, and I'm sure my perspective influenced that, but my perspective is also a result of my neurochemistry.

Certain types of brain damage can actually cause you not to be able to dream at all. No matter what your perspective is you can't change the fact that you are at the mercy of your brain and the drugs inside of it.
.

Oh? I don't agree, nor disagree.
Honestly, I don't know.

The only perspective is now, and lucidity is now.
I don't know how to be aware in the future, nor the past.

Awareness does not seem to diminish for me unless I let it, through sickness or health, and I suppose various other 'perspectives'.