First Lucid Dream: Lucid? or simply vivid?

**ldemaso** · 03-01-2013 01:13 PM

Hey everybody, thanks a lot because you all got me started on lucid dreaming! After reading on this forum I tried it last night and was able to become lucid on my second try (kinda). I am flying over the streets of New York when I remember everything about lucid dreams. I look down at the individual people on the ground and picture myself from their point of view. I fly down to the ground and touch the building next to me and stomp my feet to get my mind grounded in the situation. After this everything became very vivid and I flew to the top of the building! It was amazing, but I'm not quite sure if I was controlling the dream or not. It was definitly new to me though! Any experienced opinions on how to continue?

**Matte87** · 03-01-2013 05:03 PM

Welcome!

Sounds like a lucid dream to me. Only you can tell for sure though, if you knew you were dreaming then it was a lucid dream. I suggest you keep on thinking about getting lucid and set up a few goals. If you achieve a goal in a dream then you'll get confirmation that you were indeed lucid.

**AURON** · 03-01-2013 06:58 PM

Like Matte said...did you actually realize you were dreaming? That's the only thing that separates a lucid from a non lucid dream. I've have plenty of dreams where I've done some pretty amazing things (flying super powers etc) but if I wasn't aware that I was dreaming, I didn't count it as a lucid.

**JoannaB** · 03-01-2013 07:36 PM

Agreed. Distinction between lucid and no lucid dream is in awareness whether it is a dream or not. While many lucid dreams are more vivid also, it is possible to be aware that it is a dream in a dream that is not vivid, especially if one is barely lucid. While awareness of dream state is what makes a dream lucid, lucidity is not just a yes or no state: there are many levels of lucidity: just barely aware that it is a dream in the back of one's mind versus fully aware that it is a dream and that all in it is not real and able to control it, and any variation in between. You could say on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being not realizing that it is a dream and 10 being in full awareness and control, how lucid do you think you were?

**Sensei** · 03-03-2013 07:22 PM

Welcome to DV! It sounds lucid, but it is almost impossible for us to know for sure, as the others said. It is up to you to decide. Sounds like a fun dream either way though, and that is always a win! Having fun is really the most important part of LDs.

I disagree with you there JoannaB. If you know that it is a dream you are 100% lucid. You may think that the dream characters are real people, or that if you don't finish the task the world will end. But who is to say that the dream characters aren't real DCs or that the world is held together by a set of tasks that we do each night.

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I think that the thought that you are dreaming is all you need to be lucid. The rest is just heightened levels of awareness within the dream. I also implement control over the dream without knowing I am in a dream, and have been 100% lucid in all senses of the word (everything around me is fake, I am in fact lying in bed) and not been able to summon a fireball, which is my signature move. Awareness does not equal control.

I agree with the vividness part though.

I do not mean to be so argumentative.

**JoannaB** · 03-03-2013 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by BrandonBoss

Welcome to DV! It sounds lucid, but it is almost impossible for us to know for sure, as the others said. It is up to you to decide. Sounds like a fun dream either way though, and that is always a win! Having fun is really the most important part of LDs.

I disagree with you there JoannaB. If you know that it is a dream you are 100% lucid. You may think that the dream characters are real people, or that if you don't finish the task the world will end. But who is to say that the dream characters aren't real DCs or that the world is held together by a set of tasks that we do each night.

.

I think that the thought that you are dreaming is all you need to be lucid. The rest is just heightened levels of awareness within the dream. I also implement control over the dream without knowing I am in a dream, and have been 100% lucid in all senses of the word (everything around me is fake, I am in fact lying in bed) and not been able to summon a fireball, which is my signature move. Awareness does not equal control.

I agree with the vividness part though.

I do not mean to be so argumentative.

BrandonBoss, I think you and I do not disagree all that much: we both agree that one is not lucid unless one realizes it is a dream, and that non-lucid dreams can be vivid; we also agree that in lucid dreams there are different levels of awareness and of control. Sure we may disagree on how to phrase this and our understanding may be slightly different, but I figure that's ok.

I just came from a different forum where moderators would close down threads because there was danger that an argument might start, and I found that very frustrating. So feel free to disagree with me (as long as I too will be forgiven for being argumentative at times) - I find it a welcome and refreshing change.

**dutchraptor** · 03-04-2013 09:29 PM

Hey ldemaso welcome to dreamviews.
Don't worry about control during your first few lucids because I can assure you do have it. Your brain is becoming so excited that you can longer truly pay attention to your thought process but this will eventually stop.

As for the argument, while awareness is the only requirement for lucidity, other factors like do you know what it means to be dreaming, do you realize the consequences of your actions, do you have a waking memory etc are almost as important, as without them the lucid world is a fairly restricted place.

**Sensei** · 03-05-2013 02:54 AM

Originally Posted by JoannaB

BrandonBoss, I think you and I do not disagree all that much: we both agree that one is not lucid unless one realizes it is a dream, and that non-lucid dreams can be vivid; we also agree that in lucid dreams there are different levels of awareness and of control. Sure we may disagree on how to phrase this and our understanding may be slightly different, but I figure that's ok.

I just came from a different forum where moderators would close down threads because there was danger that an argument might start, and I found that very frustrating. So feel free to disagree with me (as long as I too will be forgiven for being argumentative at times) - I find it a welcome and refreshing change.

Haha. They don't do that here unless it gets out of hand. A good debate is a good way to learn, especially if it is about something that doesn't have set rules like LDing because of its nature.

Yeah. Doesn't look like we really do. I am a natural "vivid dreamer. I didn't realize until going into LDing that some people dream and don't have any control whatsoever. I have always been basically in a random world with a fake past in all my dreams since childhood, but that was when I only had one dream a night. When I started getting more dream recall I started getting some that was basically a movie, and I realized then that I was only aware at all during the later hours of the night. :/ something that I needed to change.

**gab** · 03-05-2013 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by ldemaso

Hey everybody, thanks a lot because you all got me started on lucid dreaming! .... After this everything became very vivid and I flew to the top of the building! It was amazing, but I'm not quite sure if I was controlling the dream or not. ... Any experienced opinions on how to continue?

Welcome to Dreamviews!
As it was said above, only requirement for a dream to be lucid is you knowing while you dreaming that you are dreaming. You can have different level or even no control at all. Did your mood change? Did you get happy, excited? That usually is a good indicator, but not everybody gets that feeling.

Keep reading DV, check out tutorials and classes in DVA to learn more and keep your motivation and excitement going. Post your dreams in our dream journal system.

I would agree, that there is only either lucid or not lucid. But there could be many levels of awareness.

If there was no discussion, we would never learn anything new. So civilized arguments are of course allowed. Personal attacks are not. Happy dreams

**ldemaso** · 03-16-2013 06:12 AM

Thanks for all the replies! My computers been broken for a while so I couldn't check back. I agree that you can either be lucid or not lucid, but another question that is lurking in my head is whether you can dream ABOUT being lucid and actually have no control or awareness at all... How's that for inception. For I haven't been able to successfully become lucid after my first week of attempting, I think the problem is that my schedule is too crazy to allow me to get into a regular sleep schedule. I'm thinking that the wake back to bed technique would be the most effective for me to try, but simply because I can't imagine trying to become lucid on purpose in a dream that's already going on.

**Sensei** · 03-16-2013 06:37 AM

Well I would recommend sleeping 8 hours during the night for anyone, but especially dreamers. You can have lucids without it, but you can also use a "granny shot" during basketball and make it a few times. It just isn't practical. Good luck getting lucid. The road is much better if you find techniques that are fun to do and make sense to you.

if you have questions feel free to ask them or PM me.

**dutchraptor** · 03-18-2013 03:43 PM

A good sleep schedule is definitely a requirement.
You can dream about lucid dreaming and not be aware at all. This is a good sign however because it means your brain is thinking about it which should put you a step closer.