What exactly is a dream /about/ being lucid?

[JET73L]

And how is it different from a normal lucid dream? Is it the same as an uncontrolled lucid, or what? I'm seeing these threads again lately, and I thought it had died down. All I've seen anyone say is that a lucid dream is when you actually are lucid, and a dream about being lucid is when you are dreaming that you are lucid. Is this just the people talking who think that normal dreams are somehow when you are completely unconscious, and lucid dreams are when you become conscious without waking up? Or is it that if you have a thought that you are lucid or don't hear a thought but know anyway? Because I don't partition my thoughts that way. I asked this the last time "dreaming about being lucid" was the hot topic, but never got a straight answer. What's the deal? How can you dream that you are lucid without actually being lucid?

[Higurashi]

The only difference(for me) between dreaming of being lucid and actually being lucid is that in a lucid, I will feel that I have some level of control and I'm participating in all actions that I take during the dream. In a dream of lucidity, it's strange..like my consciousness has become passive, and I'm watching myself do everything. Does that make sense? It's a strange feeling for me, and hard to explain..

[JET73L]

So, you consider it a dream about being lucid if you, that is, the thinking you, knows you are lucid, but just watches while your dream body wanders about through the dream?

[Higurashi]

Sometimes I know that I'm lucid. Other times it will be those dreams where something's happening and eventually the "screen" will zoom out and you realize you're watching a television or something. Though other times I am aware that I'm dreaming. It's just that I(thinking me) can't get the functioning me to realize it.

[Nick89]

I also had once or twice this 'false-lucid dream'. It is actually a very, very strange thing and also difficult to dessribe. Imagine you are dreaming, and in this dream you are dreaming, too. A dream within a dream. And in this 'dream within a dream' you realise that it is a dream, but only with relation to the dream reality, not to the 'real' reality. You believe that reality is the dream world. Well, I've got a notion that I perfectly understand the nature of this 'false-lucid' phenomenon, but can't find the right words... You are lucid, but only in the 'dream-like' sense and so you also act in a dream-like way... OK, I suppose you don't get what I mean... Maybe look at it like this. You are dreaming. You become lucid. You have some fun with LD. Finally, you wake up. And then you just wake up, once again ... Maybe I should say... die...? And after death, you're still alive, only you realise that all your life was a dream. So all your lucid dreams in life were only 'false-lucids'. I think that the reason for this 'false-lucid' thing is the nature of human awareness. Very complex... And probably awareness is infinite and unlimited, in a way, it can't comprehend itself, surpass itself... Hope my answer will make easier for you to understand what is a 'false-lucid' dream. Cheers EDIT: Yet another analogy that came to my mind to explain this. Imagine that you have a dream that you are... for example... a priest. Doesn't really matter. Anyway, you would do some stupid and irrational things as a priest in a dream, because your reality is also irrational and deprived of logic. If you were a priest in reality, you would surely act in a different way. Now only replace priest with being lucid.

[Shift]

IMO a dream about being lucid is a dream where your dream self proclaims "Oh, it's just a dream, so __________" but you don't actually understand or comprehend what it means that it is just a dream- that you are dreaming, that nothing around you is real, that everything is potentially controllable, and that there are no consequences to your actions because you are in a dream. It's just a random statement of lucidity without you actually being lucid in a dream. A DC could shout it at you to the same effect, or actually probably with more effect because if a DC says it to you there's always the chance that you might reality check. In fact, if the phrase "Oh it's just a dream, so we can dance with the trashcans" could have 'dream' replaced with 'burrito' and make no difference whatsoever in the purpose of the sentence or to the dream, then it's certainly not a lucid dream. But as soon as you understand that you are dreaming, that you are asleep and that you are in a dream inside your head, and that nothing around you is real, to me that is lucidity. A lot of people also don't consider it a lucid dream for some reason if they have shoddy dream control. Sorry guys, you just have shoddy dream control. As long as you truly understand that you're dreaming, it's a lucid dream. Lots of people get this, especially when they're new and getting close to actual success. Possibly an influx of newbies, but yea DV goes through it's useless phases. I'm just glad people aren't talking about sex, DGs, etc. anymore. DV is just like the media. Damn fads

[DreamQueen]

Imagine you are dreaming, and in this dream you are dreaming, too. A dream within a dream. And in this 'dream within a dream' you realise that it is a dream, but only with relation to the dream reality, not to the 'real' reality. You believe that reality is the dream world. Yet another analogy that came to my mind to explain this. Imagine that you have a dream that you are... for example... a priest. Doesn't really matter. Anyway, you would do some stupid and irrational things as a priest in a dream, because your reality is also irrational and deprived of logic. If you were a priest in reality, you would surely act in a different way. Now only replace priest with being lucid. This is exactly it! I've only ever had one dream of being lucid (although I've talked about lucid dreaming during NDs and I've also got into a bed during a dream and WILDed). It is really hard to explain, but I'll try to describe the situation and my thoughts. I will put my thoughts in quotation marks and italics: In my dream about being lucid I was standing in a nightclub on the dance floor. I did not know that the nightclub was a dream. In other words, I was not lucid, I was accepting the nightclub as reality. I was the only person on the dance floor. Classical music suddenly started playing and immediately I began dancing. I noticed my body was lighter than it should be making me very floaty. I thought "Ah, it feels like I'm in a lucid dream. In fact, I think I am temporarily really in one because my brain wants to practise for next time I really am in a lucid dream". A woman was watching me and I said to her "Look, my brain is simulating a lucid dream, see how beautifully I can dance when it's only a dream". Then I saw someone I had not seen for a long time and continued with my normal, nonlucid dream. I simply stopped dancing and went over to talk to her.