Levels of Lucidity

The ten thousand states of mind are hallucinatory.
Hallucinations are real. Dreams are real.
But there are some things more real.

~Rama

Newbie lucid dreamers often have a lot of questions about the different levels of lucidity that are possible. They may assume that because they couldn't control the actions of other dream characters, they were not lucid at all. Or they fret over their ability to morph the scenery at will. Is there a definitive point where someone can say they had a lucid dream?

If you have ever had the conscious awareness of being inside the dreamworld, then you had a lucid dream - even if it only lasted for a second. Equally, if you have ever been able to willfully control parts of the dreamworld - this is also called lucidity.

In Tibetan Buddhism, Dream Yoga is known as "apprehending the dream". This simply means becoming aware of the unreal nature of the dream state, and is reflected by either the awareness or control of the dreamworld.

Of course, there is a big difference between a passing awareness of the dreamworld, and full conscious lucidity. Even though there is no scientific classification of these different states (yet), I will try to describe them here.

A Non-Lucid Dream

This is the default dream state, where you are totally unaware that you are dreaming. It may be hazy and illogical - or vivid and highly evocative. Either way, you have no conscious awareness or control, and you automatically accept the reality of the dreamworld as being completely real.

Non-lucid dreams are created entirely by the subconscious mind. They are usually based on memories and experience, coupled with the unconscious brain's conceptual understanding of reality. Since they are not literal, you can interpret your dreams based on recurring dream themes and symbology.

A Semi-Lucid Dream

A semi-lucid dream will probably involve the realization that you are dreaming. Perhaps something very illogical happens which causes you to question where you are. Or perhaps you are training in meditation or Dream Yoga which teaches you to be acutely aware of your present reality.

Once you realize you are dreaming, your conscious brain will wake up. The first few times this happens, you may feel quite alien in this new reality, and have trouble doing anything that conflicts with the normal laws of physics. If you can't immediately fly in your lucid dream, or teleport to an exotic beach location - don't be deterred. You can't do this in real life and your conscious brain doesn't expect it to happen anywhere else either.

The good news is, as you explore your lucid dreamworld, you will start to notice little inconsistencies. And the part of your conscious brain that is responsible for influencing the dream will start writing a new rule book. Encountering higher levels of lucidity is like learning to walk all over again. Soon you will be able to soar above the clouds, run through solid objects and create entire new dream scenes. See how to control your dreams for more specific advice on this.

A Fully Lucid Dream

To experience a fully lucid dream, you will need a fair amount of direct experience of lucidity. That's my assumption anyway. Don't get me wrong - my early lucid dreams were highly exhilarating - but in no way did I have control of my entire surroundings. First I had to get to grips with staying lucid for more than ten seconds; then it was a challenge to control my immediate environment. However, once I mastered each of these skills, they stayed with me and only ever grew stronger.

A fully lucid dream means having complete awareness that you are in a dreamworld. You understand that it is the creation of your own mind, and that you can manipulate any element at will. You can teleport across the universe at the speed of thought, morph yourself into an atom, or independently direct the actions of any other dream character.

But lucid dreaming is not just about dream control. Anyone who has ever experienced a lucid dream knows that. It is about having conscious awareness of the dream state, which is often even more intense than waking reality.

For instance, you can float in the air above a city and observe hundreds of people in the streets below, going about their business. You can take a back seat and allow the dream to be guided by your subconscious mind, while having absolute conscious awareness of your part in it. This is the real beauty of lucid dreaming; it is your gateway to an alternate reality, where you can observe your existence in a far richer context.

The Highest Levels of Lucidity

What is the absolute highest level of lucidity possible? Can it be defined, or is it like asking what's beyond the edge of the universe?

Tibetan Buddhism has incorporated the art of lucid dreaming for at least a thousand years. They call it Dream Yoga. Compared to modern lucid dream research (which has only been around for the last 30 years) the Buddhist monks have a major head start.

Buddhists believe the ultimate goal in Dream Yoga is to attain full conscious awareness... then dissolve the dream state. That doesn't mean waking up. Instead, they aim to remain fully lucid and consciously aware while asleep. Deprived of any physical stimulus from the sleeping body, or any conceptual stimulus from the dreaming mind, they are able to observe the purest form of conscious awareness. That sounds like an excellent goal for any lucid dreamer.