Pre-lucid dream

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Pre-lucid dreaming can be described

as the very beginning stages of
inducing the Lucid Dreaming process.
At this stage, the dreamer considers
the question, "Am I asleep and
dreaming?" The dreamer may or may
not come to the correct conclusion.[1]
Such experiences are liable to occur to
people who are deliberately cultivating
lucid dreams, but may also occur
spontaneously to those with no prior
intention to achieve lucidity in dreams.

Terminology
The term "lucid dreaming" was first
coined by Dutch psychologist Frederik
Willems Van Eeden who introduced the
concept on the 22nd of April during a
meeting held by the Society for
Psychical Research in 1913, but this
phenomenon has been present all
throughout historical periods with
some findings even dating back to
being found in the writings of Aristotle.
Stephen LaBerge, American
psychophysiologist, introduced his
method for physiological investigation
of lucid dreaming through eye signals
in the 1980's and ever since, more
modern research has been established
on the studies of the lucid dreaming
process.

The term "pre-lucid dream" was first

introduced by Celia Green in her 1968
book Lucid Dreams. It is preferred to
the term "near-lucid" dream on the
following grounds:
Historical priority: it has been in use
since 1968.
Currency: it was subsequently
adopted by other writers on the
phenomenon of lucid dreaming, such
as Stephen LaBerge (1985).
Clarity: lucidity in dreams may be
thought of as a dichotomous
variable: one either is or is not aware
that one is dreaming at any given
moment. Once lucidity is achieved it
may have varying degrees of
attainment, both from one person to
another and from one dream to
 another within the same person. For
example, one's memory of past
events in one's waking life may be
accessible and accurate to a greater
or lesser degree. However, the bare
fact of whether or not one is aware
one is dreaming does not admit of
gradations.[2]

However, the term "pre-lucid dream"

seems to imply that a lucid dream will
follow, which is not necessarily true.
The term "near-lucid" helps convey the
often humorous "so close, yet so far
away" aspect of such dreams.[3]
History and scientific
research
Only in the past 30 years, has it became
possible to subject lucid dreaming into
scientific investigation, and the
researchers most meritorious for this
achievement are Paul Tholey and
Stephen LaBerge, two entomologists
who devoted their lives to researching
lucid dreams.

LaBerge developed a method known as

"eye signals during lucid dreaming"
which allowed him to physiologically
investigate by comparing physiological
processes with dream reports more
precisely. With this method he would
later go onto perform the first of many
scientific research studies on lucid
dreaming at Stanford University, which
allowed for lucid dreaming and
dreaming in general, to become an
accessible/ acceptable subject for
research. Throughout the years,
LaBerge’s research would lead to the
fabrication of techniques that would
serve as a recipe for inducing lucid
dreaming. One of which being the
‘mnemonic induction of lucid dreams’
technique.[4]

On the other hand, Tholey, laid the

epistemological basis for the research
of lucid dreams. Tholey (1980, 1981)
defined seven conditions of clarity that
a dream must fulfill in order to be
defined as a lucid dream. The author
replaces the word ‘Klarheit’ (clarity)
with the word ‘awareness’, which is a
well known and central term in Gestalt
therapy theory and describes the
subjective experience of the conscious
dream state quite well:
1. Awareness of the dream state
(orientation)
2. Awareness of the capacity to make
decisions
3. Awareness of memory functions
4. Awareness of identity
5. Awareness of the dream
environment
6. Awareness of the meaning of the
dream
7. Awareness of concentration and
focus (the subjective clarity of that
state)
For a dream to be lucid as defined by
Tholey, it must fulfill all seven factors;
for LaBerge, lucid dreams stay true to
the definition that they are dreams
during which the dreamer recognizes
the dream state and is able to act upon
volition. The factors 3–7 are labeled as
descriptions of a lucid dream.

LaBerge and other researchers in these

studies would record and compare eye
movements, heart rate, blood pressure
and skin potential in lucid and non-lucid
dreams, which concluded that lucid
dreams occurred in those REM period
sections that were characterized by
increased physiological activation.

Lucid dreaming incubation

An excerpt from LaBerge's novel,
Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming,
suggests how these following steps
could allow one to formulate the
methods on how one would go about
generating a lucid dream:

1. Introduce the intentions before going

to bed and recite a single phrase or
question by incorporating the matter
you wish to dream about. Write down
these intentions or draw an illustration
that best depicts your what you want to
see and control in these dreams.
”When I dream of [the phrase], I will
remember that I am dreaming.”
2. Head directly to bed after turning off
all the lights and getting rid of all things
that may become a distraction.
3. Recite your intentions one final time
(whether it be a picture or a phase)
before falling asleep. Visualize yourself
dreaming about the topic and
becoming lucid in the dream. If there is
something you want to try in the dream,
also visualize doing those intentions
once you become lucid. Meditate on
the phrase/intention to become lucid in
a dream about it until you fall asleep.
Don’t let any other thoughts come
between thinking about your topic and
falling asleep. If your thoughts stray,
just return to thinking about your
phrase and inducing lucidity.
4. If you achieve the ability to produce a
lucid dream, pursue and carry out your
intentions while in a lucid dream about
your topic. Ask the question you wish
to ask, seek ways to express yourself,
try your new behavior, or explore your
situation. Be sure to notice your
feelings and be observant of all details
of the dream.
5. When you have achieved your goal,
remember to awaken and recall the
dream. When you obtain a satisfying
answer in the dream, use one of the
methods suggested earlier in this
chapter to awaken yourself.
Immediately write down at least the
pan of the dream that includes your
solution. Even if you don’t think the
lucid dream has answered your
question, once it begins to fade awaken
yourself and write down the dream.
You may find upon reflection that your
answer was hidden in the dream and
you did not see it at the time.”[5]

Varieties
Vickers describes a number of aspects
and variants of pre-lucid or near-lucid
dreams:

Misinterpreted dream signs: the

dreamer notices incongruous
thoughts, objects or events that
suggest that this is a dream, but
develops an alternate explanation.
Failed dream tests: experiments
such as pinching ourselves or trying
to turn on a light only confirm the
mistaken belief that we're definitely
awake.
Pseudo-lucid dreams: the dreamer
becomes aware that he or she is
dreaming, without quite realizing that
dreaming means lying in bed asleep.
Dreams in which you try to convince
someone else that they're dreaming.
Non-lucid dreams about dreaming:
discussing or theorizing about
dreams, without being aware that
we're dreaming
 False awakening dreams: the
dreamer thinks he or she has woken
up, but is actually still dreaming.[3]

Philosophical
The question of "Am I awake or
dreaming?" has been posed by
existentialist philosophers in the form
"Is life just a dream?"

See also
Zhuangzi
Inception

References
1. "pre-lucid dream" . Academic
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.
Retrieved 2017-11-30.
2. Green, C. (1968). Lucid Dreams.
London: Hamish Hamilton. Chapters
12–13
3. Vickers, Earl. "Near-Lucid Dreams and
Related Phenomena: Humorous
Commentaries on the Human
Condition" . Figshare. Retrieved
29 February 2016.
4. LaBerge, Stephen (1985). Lucid
Dreaming (PDF). New York: Ballantine
Books. Archived from
[web.arizona.edu/~vas/478/luciddreami
ng.pdf the original] Check |url=value
(help) (PDF) on March 29, 2017.
5. LaBerge, Stephen; Rheingold, Howard
(1991). Exploring the World of Lucid
Dreaming . Ballantine Books.
ISBN 9780345374103.
Holzinger, Brigitte. "Lucid Dreaming –
Dreams of Clarity." Contemporary
Hypnosis (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.),
vol. 26, no. 4, Dec. 2009, pp. 216-224.
EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/ch.390.

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