Types of dreaming: do I really want to Lucid dream?

[Freyr]

Hi,

I know this may sound weird, but I am kinda having trouble recognizing if I lucid dream or not. I know that basically, lucid dream is when you are aware of the fact you're dreaming, and I must say, that I am mostly unaware of the fact.

Year back or so, when a friend asked me if I ever lucid dream, I was taken aback. I wasn't quite sure what it was. I heard the term once or twice but had not thought about it much. Back then what I thought the friend asked me was if I have vivid, colorful dreams when you're deeply convinced that all around you is very real.

You know, my usual dreams, I call them the dull ones, are more or less chaotic, usually based on some recurring pattern, the environment changes shapes, and even though you're not really aware you're in a dream, you often have a feeling something's not right and doesn't make sense at all. Many of them are 'bad' dreams, negative, or nightmares. Also, you forget them almost all the time you wake up and if you recall them anyway, you're left with no substantial emotions. That's the usual type of dreams I have and I believe, these are the dreams that most of the people have, or at least I consider them 'normal'.

Anyway, from time to time I have a dream that's radically different. Its very vivid, the environment doesn't change shapes (I mean, not as much as it normally does, I am aware that nothing can really stay solid all the time when rendered from mind). Not even scenes are changing rapidly and the dream is often set in one place. The sounds are more alive, as are the colors, smells, everything. The reality is more grounded, more or less abides rules of our world and society. And as I stated I am convinced on a deep level that what is happening is real. I feel as alive as ever, even more than how I usually feel in real life. In the dream I often experience fear, love, excitement, sexual arousal and when I wake up I can remember the dream almost fully and most of all, the emotions felt stays with me for some time and often affect my mood throughout the next day. Even when the dream could be said to be negative, when I get hurt or hurt someone else, and when I experience fear, I don't feel negative after waking, but deeply moved. So whatever happens in there is exciting for me.

So this is what I thought back then was a lucid dream. These kind of dreams were and still are very important and pleasant to me and even though they are not 'lucid', I was wondering if they are somehow special, or are considered mundane too.

Also, I am wondering if I am really missing out on the lucid dreaming, since I think I've had few throughout my life when I was more or less aware I was dreaming (and could change the dreams to a point), but they still pale in comparison to those I described. I know that real lucid dreams should be fun (doing whatever you want) and could be useful (learning new skills, rehearsing old ones), but I am wondering, if I really want to learn them - as I am afraid they will replace the ones I consider 'lucid' now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[EasyTC]

Hey, Freyr:

As I'm sure you're already aware, all of your senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight) are seemingly active while in the dreamscape. You can run your hand through the coarse fur of a childhood pet and kneel down to enjoy the sweet fragrance of wild roses. While dreaming, these actions may seem completely real.

The 'ultra-realistic' dreams you described may be instances where you have focused on using your dream senses. You occasionally pay attention to the details rather than just accept the dream as-is. When you do this, your brain may be more likely to commit your dream actions and subsequent emotions to memory because of your increased attention.

To answer your question, I truly think you should continue advancing your skills of traditional lucid dreaming, and I don't think doing so will make your special vivid dreams any less significant. In fact, learning to lucid dream will not only allow you to influence the dream (as you noted), but you will also be able to consciously pay more attention to the details, which after all, makes your special dreams (that you aren't controlling) so memorable. If you learn to lucid dream, you can commit yourself to creating a realistic and detailed dreamscape. Basically, learning to lucid dream and using your skills of lucid dreaming can help you to increase the frequency of your special, vivid dreams - with the awesome exception that you would also be able to influence those ultra-vivid dreams.

Dream on!