Lucid Dreaming Questions/Intro

No sense in clogging up multiple forums for this so I am just going to compile a lot of the questions I have. Some I have partial answers and others I think only those who are experienced Lucid Dreamers will be able to answer.

First off, Hi. This is my first post but I have been lurking a while and have had the site bookmarked for even longer. I first read about Lucid Dreaming about a year ago but never really put any effort to trying it even though it sounds awesome. I just put my mind to the task six days ago by keeping a dream journal and progress has been promising. I have remembered at least two dreams a night since I started, with three being the max. I have had some to where I can recall the majority and others only a detail or two. Side note to new people, if you keep a dream journal write it down as soon as possible and do not slack. I missed about two full dreams because I waited to write them down.


Anyway, enough of the intro, now to the questions.

1. For dream recall, some of the techniques for Lucid Dreams require about ten a week. Does this typically mean that the dreamer recalls the majority of a dream or just the fact that they remember part of the dream? I personally have had a few dreams I wrote down but only remember minor details; for example I only remembered being in a dark room for one dream, talking to someone in another and fighting someone in yet another.

2. Is it possible to have a 'False' Lucid Dream? Last night I suddenly dawned on the fact that I was dreaming. The text book steps would be to calm yourself down so you do not come out of it but I got excited too quickly and woke up in an instant. Now I interpreted this as the beginning of a Lucid Dream but then I also thought that my brain knows the same thing (obviously) and could conjour up a dream about achieving lucidity and then end. I hardly remember waking up because I almost immediately went into a different dream.

3. For all techniques is it possible to be partially lucid? I woke up about two days ago and noticed it was a little early and went back to sleep. It seemed immediate when I was back in a dream. I felt as if I could control my movements, if only barely. That dream only lasted 30-45 minutes before I woke up again. I think it might have been a WILD or some variant.


I feel as if I am progressing quickly for lucid dreamers so these questions popped up. I have read everything on the main page and some of the different techniques. If I go to sleep before I get a reply I will update this if needed. It is like a new question comes about every time I make a step :D


I appreciate any who help and hope that the answers help anyone else with the same questions. Would be this far if it was not for this community :bowdown:

:welcome: I'm happy to answer your questions.

1. The ten dreams per week thing is really up to you. However, if you want to get the most out of a technique I would wait until you can remember multiple details about at least 10 dreams per week. For example: you are in a dark room, you feel scared, and you're alone. I think that is enough to be counted toward the 10. Even very experienced dreamers have a hard time recalling every aspect of their dreams at times.

2. It is possible to dream about lucid dreams without being lucid. These are the dreams where you talk to someone about lucid dreaming, you think about lucid dreaming, etc but you never realize you are dreaming at that moment. However, I don't believe in false lucid dreams. If you realize, even for a moment, that it is a dream while in the dream it counts as a lucid dream. Lack of control or clear-mindedness or anything else doesn't effect wether or not it is a LD. What you describe is a short LD. It is possible you had a false awakening (FA) right as it "ended" and that is why you found yourself in an other dream so quickly.

3. This sounds kind of like a DEILD (tutorial here). It is a form of WILD that is done as a dream ends. It is also called dream-reentry. If you were lucid, even though you could barely move, it was a LD. Some people complain that DEILDs tend to be dull or difficult to control, while others find them to be exceptionally vivid. Many people on Dreamviews refer to LDs that were dull, difficult to control, etc as "semi-lucid" or "partial-lucids." I think this is misleading because as long as they knew it was a dream it is a lucid dream. It really is dream control or clarity that was lacking.

Thanks for the welcome and the answers.

welcome, Josh.

I don't have much to add to what seeker28 already said :D

1. If you feel like you are making good progress on your dream recall, go ahead and start trying new things. As long as remembering your dreams doesn't take every ounce of your concentration, you shouldn't be overwhelming yourself. Just remember not to stress out too much, or get impatient and frustrated. Having good dream recall will make your lucids much more frequent (duh) and more vivid and satisfying. Hopefully, having even brief or non-vivid lucid dreams will be fun and help keep you motivated. I think the best way to go is to just jump in while you're still excited.

2. That sounds like it was a very brief lucid dream. It is common for many peoples' first lucids to end abruptly like that. It is quite a shock to become lucid if you are not used to it. If you're keeping score, I would still count it as a lucid ;)

3. I think I know the feeling you are referring to. Was it one of those dreams where your thoughts just become super vivid, and kind of evolve into a dream? Like seeker28 mentioned, read about DEILD. You can check out the tutorials, or use the search button to snoop on some other peoples' experiences. If you think this feels natural to you, it is a great way to become lucid.