[Sunset Dragon]

I find that my awareness only goes so far. For example, I might know that I'm dreaming, yet still believe the t-rex with the jet pack flying over the rainbow is normal. My acknowledgement that it's a dream is only partial.

When I'm awake, run through reality checks and question what I'd do if this were a dream, it's a completely different game. Truth be told, I'd take in absolutely every detail. I'd want to open every drawer and look around every corner, beneath and above every object. To be in a dream as lifelike and vivid as they can be, I don't feel I'd take any of it for granted. I'd want to thoroughly absorb it and discover its secrets. Yet, when I have lucid dreams, I disregard so much of my surroundings and even myself. There's not much thought behind my actions, feeling more like a tiny snippet of consciousness has leaked in, rather than becoming well and truly aware. I understand that it helps to have a plan when heading into a lucid dream as we're more likely to remember that plan, which leaves me wondering to what extent we really are aware of things. It feels more like a memory getting through rather than a conscious version of ourselves.

I've not read about what's going on in the brain during a lucid dream. I imagine awareness could only go so far - in the end, it's either a dream or we're awake. But I do wonder how far we can push it, how awake and aware we can become within the dream. Sometimes believing that I've become aware of the dream feels more like an illusion and that the dream itself is still playing me.