Could this have been a Lucid Experience?

[Uniq0ne]

A few nights ago I had a dream from a girls prospective, and this time she was running down a long dark hallway divided into many rooms with a clear door on each side. As she got to the last room in the hallway she stopped and she was getting scared as the lighting started to fade to black. Right then I realized I was dreaming and told myself; hmm... lets see if I can force myself to wake up from this dream. So I started to pull myself out of the dream almost as if i was ripping my conscious away from my body. As I did this 3 things happened, everything went black, I heard loud vibrations in my ear, then I woke up; all within a few seconds. So my question is... did I actually gain lucidity? What is weird though is when things like this happened to me I never have 100% control over my thoughts and actions in the dream. More like 50%, I just realize I am dreaming and make a quick decision to wake up but I can never tell myself to do something for example reality checks. Also another question, when I dream normally it never really looks like what you would see when we are awake, but more like a cloudy movie playing in my mind... I was wondering if a REAL lucid dream would look exactly like what I am seeing around my room at this moment? IDK... what do you guys think?

[innerspacecadet]

1) Well, if you want to define lucid dreams as having consciousness truly comparable to waking, almost nobody lucid dreams. If you realize you're dreaming, then I count it as a lucid dream, even if your dream control sucks. I think that's the most common working definition around here, or one of the most common. Hence, the skeptical view that we only dream about having lucid dreams confuses most of us. 2) um...it may be arguable that I've never had "real" lucid dreams, because my dream control was always less than perfect, and I still retained a certain degree of the dippiness and instability of a dreaming mind. I have no reason to believe, though, that dreamland should resemble reality more closely in lucid dreams than other dreams. Even my most lucid "lucids" had the features that are typical of dreams for me: rarely tasting, smelling, or feeling wind; being unable to orgasm during masturbation; places never being the exact places I encounter in real life; and just generally being a bit of a dip. (I am in real life too, but in dreams it's to a greater degree.)

[nina]

1) Well, if you want to define lucid dreams as having consciousness truly comparable to waking, almost nobody lucid dreams. I definitely have to disagree with that statement. Many people here on DV, myself included, have lucid dreams that are extremely realistic and some that can even be described as "hyper-real". The best way I can describe this, is to imagine that your normal vision is less than perfect and you wear glasses or contacts. For me a hyper-realistic lucid dream feels like putting your glasses on...everything is extremely crisp and clear, you see details that you wouldn't have normally been able to see, you experience all sensations touch, taste, smell, etc. at a much higher level than you would normally. Uniq0ne, yes that would be a very low level lucid dream, but a lucid dream all the same. If you are aware that you are dreaming, then you are...or were...lucid, even if only for just a second. It's great that you can even do that much, it gives you somewhere to start from. Since you seem to become aware during your dreams, I think your best shot at having a lucid dream where you can take control and make it more real is to practice DILDs. To achieve a Dream Induced Lucid Dream, you need to do reality checks throughout your day, as well as making it a point to recognize dream signs. Just make yourself more aware that you could possibly be dreaming, and think about what you are going to do once you discover that you are dreaming. If you prepare yourself in this way, then next time, you should be able to do a reality check in your dream, and then you will be truly lucid and enjoy the dream, rather than just trying to force yourself awake. It's difficult to imagine a lucid dream to be as real as you sitting there right now at your computer reading this, especially when most dreams do feel like blurs of movies that you are scripted to act out but never control. Some of my favorite lucid dreams were DILDs, where I was having a particularly crappy dream...realized I was dreaming...was sooo happy, I either flew away laughing or I took revenge on the people that were causing the bad dream lol. Oh, and the vibrations in your ear...that's sleep paralysis, which everyone experiences when they dream. If you wake up before your body, you may wake up into sleep paralysis and feel and hear really intense vibrations. This scares alot of people, but I love it, because whenever I experience sleep paralysis, I just lay there and wait until I start dreaming again and go straight into a lucid dream. That's the basis of a WILD btw. Also, your question about how real a lucid dream will be...this depends on you really. Some lucids are very real with a low level of control, some lucids are a bit blurry with a high level of control...I think alot of it depends on where you are in your sleep cycle when you become lucid. There are skills and techniques I've learned to make every lucid I have very real with high levels of control. But that's another topic.

[Orvus]

By the way, why did you try to stop the dream? It's good as an experiment, but you can do so much more while you're lucid! You could set yourself lucid goals and remember them everyday (write them down or something), that way you will have something fun to do the next time you become lucid. And don't worry about the lack of control, just keep practicing and it should improve.

[Thor]

I definitely have to disagree with that statement. Many people here on DV, myself included, have lucid dreams that are extremely realistic and some that can even be described as "hyper-real". The best way I can describe this, is to imagine that your normal vision is less than perfect and you wear glasses or contacts. For me a hyper-realistic lucid dream feels like putting your glasses on...everything is extremely crisp and clear, you see details that you wouldn't have normally been able to see, you experience all sensations touch, taste, smell, etc. at a much higher level than you would normally. Well, innerspacecadet said "consciousness", and it seems to me that what you are talking about here is perception of the world through the five senses. I totally agree with what you're saying about perception; in my own lucid dreams perception of the world is indeed indistinguishable from reality. However, can you really claim the same level of consciousness if you can't even remember where you were ten minutes ago or how you got here?

[Uniq0ne]

Yeah I've had these type of dreams about twice a month lately, but the only thing I'm having trouble with is after I realize I am dreaming I'll randomly think of something to do... in this case it was forcing myself to wake up. I never have total control of my actions while I'm lucid... its really frustrating lol! I guess I'll have to practice gaining control of my actions once I become lucid. Yeah, and what really got me into Lucid Dreaming was when one morning (after going back to bed for a nap) for the first time in my life I had a random experience where I woke from a lucid into SP, really scared the shit outta me, thought I was dieing lol. So I've really been interested in doing WILDs and NILDs ever since that day. Thanks for all the input guys!

[nina]

However, can you really claim the same level of consciousness if you can't even remember where you were ten minutes ago or how you got here? Absolutely...I am entirely conscious in my lucid dreams. Not ALL the time...but most of the time. In fact, many times I can even open my eyes and look around my bedroom in the middle of a lucid dream, and close them again and continue to dream. I'm never losing any consciousness. I'm always aware of exactly where I am (in bed sleeping), and my consciousness during an LD is no different than that of waking life. But that's just me. I assume most people don't have as much control over the levels of consciousness they experience while entering and during an LD. edit: In response to Uniq's post, try using voice commands as soon as you realize that you are dreaming. Say loudly and strongly "stabilize lucidty NOW!" or something similar, so that you will be able to change over from being a lucid bistander in your own dream with no control, to taking the wheel and doing what you like. Voice commands along with looking at the palms of my hands very closely stabilizes my LDs every single time.

[Uniq0ne]

Thanks Aquanina! I'll have to give that a try. Only thing though... Most of my dreams are from another persons 3rd view perspective... If I tried looking at my hands would I just be floating above that person i'm looking at? lol

[Thor]

Absolutely...I am entirely conscious in my lucid dreams. Not ALL the time...but most of the time. In fact, many times I can even open my eyes and look around my bedroom in the middle of a lucid dream, and close them again and continue to dream. I'm never losing any consciousness. I'm always aware of exactly where I am (in bed sleeping), and my consciousness during an LD is no different than that of waking life. But that's just me. I assume most people don't have as much control over the levels of consciousness they experience while entering and during an LD. Wow. Is this really common among people on DV? Are you able to perform a mental feat like solving a math problem in a dream?

[nina]

Wow. Is this really common among people on DV? Are you able to perform a mental feat like solving a math problem in a dream? I don't know how common it is, and yeah I can pretty much do everything in a lucid dream that I can do in real life...including solving SIMPLE math problems. I say simple, because I suck at math, and can only solve simple problems when I'm awake, hehe.

[mylucidworld]

A few nights ago I had a dream from a girls prospective, and this time she was running down a long dark hallway divided into many rooms with a clear door on each side. As she got to the last room in the hallway she stopped and she was getting scared as the lighting started to fade to black. Right then I realized I was dreaming and told myself; hmm... lets see if I can force myself to wake up from this dream. So I started to pull myself out of the dream almost as if i was ripping my conscious away from my body. As I did this 3 things happened, everything went black, I heard loud vibrations in my ear, then I woke up; all within a few seconds. So my question is... did I actually gain lucidity? What is weird though is when things like this happened to me I never have 100% control over my thoughts and actions in the dream. More like 50%, I just realize I am dreaming and make a quick decision to wake up but I can never tell myself to do something for example reality checks. Also another question, when I dream normally it never really looks like what you would see when we are awake, but more like a cloudy movie playing in my mind... I was wondering if a REAL lucid dream would look exactly like what I am seeing around my room at this moment? IDK... what do you guys think? I don't think this can be classed as a lucid experience. Everyone gets this, you are having a nightmare and you try to wake yourself up. Then again if you are trying to wake yourself up yo must know you are dreaming right. Maybe this can be classed as a low level lucid.

[nina]

I don't think this can be classed as a lucid experience. Everyone gets this, you are having a nightmare and you try to wake yourself up. Then again if you are trying to wake yourself up yo must know you are dreaming right. Maybe this can be classed as a low level lucid. Regardless of what level it is...it's still a lucid, and that was the main question.