Lucid Dreams: Pre-Lucidity

I've mentioned the pre-lucid stage a few times and it probably sounds a little oxymoronic. Surely you're either conscious you're dreaming or you're not, right? The simple answer to this is that consciousness is about thresholds and in-betweens, not black-and white, digital, 'you are or you aren't'.

With the pre-lucid stage that doesn't progress to full lucidity, you might awaken and think "I suspected I was dreaming but wasn't sure", or "I seemed to have control over something there but I thought it was just part of my day, didn't imagine I was dreaming".

There are tests you can do when you suspect you are dreaming but aren't sure, with the caveat that they can be a double-edged sword. The classic one from the literature is 'the light-bulb test'. The idea is that to test if you're dreaming, try turning on a light. In a dream it won't work and so you'll know you're dreaming and gain full lucid control.

My problem with this is that I never had a problem with lights in dreams until I read about this test! Since then, whenever I try to turn a light on in a dream the light-bulb blows and I'm left in darkness. In the pre-lucid state, I can try several lights with the same result and just think "Oh damn, the lights keep blowing" and not realise I'm dreaming. I've frequently (ie. once a year or two) had the experience of having 3-4 light-bulbs blow when I try to switch them on within a 24 hour period while really awake. Highly coincidental but probably due to a glitch in the power-supply or that they were previously replaced at the same time and have approximately the same use and life-expectancy. This means however that it's not unusual to me for a light to fail and therefore not evidence one way or another that I'm dreaming.

I've since learned how to control the 'failing lights' phenomena in full lucid dreams, but it can take a lot of concentration and often isn't worth the trouble. It's usually easiest just to get on with the dream and let the light return in it's own natural course.

The most reliable pre-lucid test for me is the ability to defy the laws of physics. If I can jump and remain suspended in the air for an unnatural length of time, or take extra long strides where I can take a couple of steps in the air before touching the ground again I can confirm that I'm dreaming and become fully lucid.

I've woken a couple of times in the the last few days and realised I was pre-lucid without becoming fully lucid. I'll rate those experiences at about 3% on our lucidity scale.