Levels of Awareness in Lucid Dreaming

May 20th, 2007

This article is Part 4 in the series Mastering the Art of Lucid Dreaming.

While the term lucid dreaming refers to the state of being consciously aware within your dream, there are many different levels of conscious awareness, varying from only a vague awareness of the dream state to complete control over the dream events. Being consciously aware within your dream does not always mean you will be able to exert control over the dream environment or events, or even over your own actions. It is necessary to learn not only how to become consciously aware within your dream but also how to gain control over the dream.

In the early stages, you may have only a vague awareness that you are dreaming. This is typically referred to as being mildly conscious or mildly lucid. Mild lucidity may slip away very easily, especially as you transition from one dream scene to the next.

You also may find that you experience brief periods of conscious awareness or lucidity which come and go throughout the dream, slipping away as you become caught up in the events of the dream then returning when a specific aspect of the dream prompts you to question again whether or not you are dreaming. This is referred to as periodic lucidity and is a very common occurrence when learning conscious dreaming. It is very easy to become so involved in the events of the dream that we lose track of the conscious awareness we previously had and then must work to regain it.

As you progress in your practice of lucid dreaming, you will gradually begin to achieve more intense levels of awareness and lucidity, and you will learn techniques to maintain that level of awareness throughout the dream.

Eventually, you will be able to control your own actions and attitudes within the dream. You will learn to control your own responses to situations within your dreams, allowing you to react calmly and positively to events that previously would have caused fear or panic. By becoming consciously aware that you are dreaming, you will also recognize that you have nothing to fear from the events in the dream and will be able to determine the dream's true underlying meaning. You will be able to alter the course of the dream by altering your own actions and reactions within the dream.

You will gradually learn to control the events themselves and will become more adept at controlling your dream environment. When you reach this stage, you will have the ability to decide whether to take conscious control of the dream or instead allow your unconscious mind to guide the events of the dream while you simply remain aware that you are dreaming.

Ultimately, you will develop the skill to program your dreams in order to dream about the situations or events of your own choosing. You will be able to use your dreams to rehearse for events in waking life, to explore the unconscious mind for personal growth and healing, or simply for entertainment purposes. The choice is completely up to you.

Stay tuned for Part 5 in the series.