I have a few questions

[Re-l Mayer]

My first one: Does feeling emotion mean you're lucid or do you just feel it in a dream, no matter what? I've always been known to have emotional feeling, but I rarely--if ever--have full control of the dream. Second: At times, I feel that I am lucid because I'm thinking. I choose what I want to say, and I become curious, along with emotional feeling. Does that constitute lucidity or reality checking? Third, and the most bothersome: Why do I always feel as though I'm dying? There are several instances where I was becoming lucid, but failed to because I felt as though I was dying in the dream and it frightens me. Two of them happened to me in the last three months, when in the past, it would be a once a year experience. One happened in Dec. 09. I was rushing to a bathroom and I could feel a "pull" in my chest and a lump in my throat. When I entered the bathroom, which was large and elegant, I stared at the mirror and saw my reflection. The feelings were made worse. I could see the fear in my own face in my reflection, and I was breathing heavily. But there was no air and I didn't feel faint; however, the pull in my chest was getting stronger. I stood there, frightened, telling myself "Don't die, don't die. You can't die!" Then the next moment I realized I was in a dream, and I could hear a buzzing sound--which is a frequent occurrence in my dreams--and I just stopped. I still felt like I was dying, though, and my surroundings began to slowly fade away... and I just woke up. Then, last night, I had yet another experience. I was lying in a bed, in a strange and haunted house, with my girlfriend; but it was beautiful, nonetheless We had the TV on, and I remember her making comments about how creepy the house was and how it was making her uncomfortable. I had the same feelings, but I just told her she was imagining things. Suddenly, a robed figure appeared before us, but he was somewhat transparent and more like a shade than an actual man. He stared at us, but did nothing else. My girlfriend was screaming and I was paralyzed with fear. Then I felt that same pull that I did in the other dream, and I began to black out. My surroundings were fading, and I told myself "You're dead, don't fight... just accept it." I'm not sure what I felt, but I regained consciousness, the feeling was gone, and so was the robed figure and my girlfriend. The dream continued, but the next important detail was when I saw a man appear on a wall the next time I was gaining lucidity, again. Though his features were human, he appeared demonic. I was also trapped in a state of contemplation and depersonalization. I repeatedly told myself that I was "Xyra", the main character of the story that I'm writing. The man appeared after the third time I said it, and he threatened to harm me (can't remember, how) if I wasn't Xyra. He also seemed to have this confidence that I was, but throughout the conversation I was afraid of him and the place I was in. All I wanted to do was run away, either from the house, the man, or myself. Another interesting detail was that my brother was in this house, but confused and I tried to get him out with me, though he tried to keep me there. Sorry, I kind of rambled on lol, but I just want to know why I always feel like dying in dreams? It's almost always when I'm attaining lucidity.

[Luna]

My first one: Does feeling emotion mean you're lucid or do you just feel it in a dream, no matter what? I've always been known to have emotional feeling, but I rarely--if ever--have full control of the dream. Second: At times, I feel that I am lucid because I'm thinking. I choose what I want to say, and I become curious, along with emotional feeling. Does that constitute lucidity or reality checking? Third, and the most bothersome: Why do I always feel as though I'm dying? There are several instances where I was becoming lucid, but failed to because I felt as though I was dying in the dream and it frightens me. Two of them happened to me in the last three months, when in the past, it would be a once a year experience. 1. You do feel emotions during your LDs. Not in a dram though. 2. I believe it consititutes reality checking 3. Maybe if you go to http://www.dreams-dictionary.org/ you'll find what your looking for. Death has it's symbolism

[Invader]

My first one: Does feeling emotion mean you're lucid or do you just feel it in a dream, no matter what? I've always been known to have emotional feeling, but I rarely--if ever--have full control of the dream. You experience emotions in both states of dreaming. It is sometimes easier to have deep emotions in a non-lucid dream, being that you are fully immersed in the setting and believe everything that's going on. In lucid dreams you are just as prone to feel things like anger, love, happiness, and so one. Neither kind of dream effects your capacity for those emotions. Second: At times, I feel that I am lucid because I'm thinking. I choose what I want to say, and I become curious, along with emotional feeling. Does that constitute lucidity or reality checking? What do you mean you feel as if you are lucid? You are lucid when you are aware that you are dreaming. It takes no more than that. Yes, thinking (cognition) effects your ability to become lucid. You can't put two and two together very well if you're not consciously aware of what's going on around you and processing the information on some level. I don't want to misinform you about the third question, so that one I'll lay off of. I can't say that I felt like I was dying in a dream of any kind before.

[Re-l Mayer]

Thanks for answering. No one really understands why I die while I'm lucid, and it really bothers me.

[Squaddle]

I've had a few with thinking and emotion, I think lucid goes far into that, "I know I'm dreaming" with a few more notches like, rcing doing what you want... but so far I can only do what I want... and now what I want at the MOMENT. I've felt jealousy and disappointment in a normal dream before, a week ago actually