5 Layers of Lucidity
Let's assume that you are making great progress on your journey towards full lucid control and managed to achieve two lucid dreams this week, but the amount of control and awareness you had the first time was relatively weaker than the second time. You may be wondering "How come I could control one more than the other?" The answer is simple. When you become lucid, there are 5 different layers of lucidity, each allowing a little more awareness or control than the previous layer. With this knowledge, it seems logical and also fitting to study these layers and the potential they can unlock. It will also help when recording your dream journal, as after reading this post you will be able to categorise your lucid dreams by noting the layer you achieved. This will allow you to set targets and goals to reach deeper layers of lucidity. Layer 0
Layer 0 is when you dream about lucid dreaming, without actually becoming conscious and realise you're dreaming. Some simple examples would be reading a book on lucid dreaming, attending a lucid dreaming seminar, interacting with dream characters on the topic of lucid dreaming or simply watching a programme on lucid dreaming. The key here is that you never actually achieve lucidity.
Layer 1
Layer 1 can be one of the most frustrating layers, and certainly the reason why a lot of beginners give up on mastering the art of lucid dreaming. This is when you become conscious, gain awareness that you are dreaming, but wake up a matter of seconds later without being able to experiment. The reason you wake up within seconds is usually based on the excitement that elicits upon the realisation of achieving lucidity.
Layer 2
Layer 2 is achieved when you relise you are in a lucid dream, but you're not consciously aware of the full properties that implies - meaning you're not actually aware that your real body is back home lying in bed, that your dream characters are not real people. A reliable analogy is that you still use dream logic as apposed to waking life logic.
Layer 3
This is when you are fully aware you are having a lucid dream. You are able to remain sleeping beyond the initial excitement and reap the rewards of the vivid and awe-inspiring fabrication of your own subconscious. However, the restriction here is that you are unable to gain complete control of your surroundings and manifest whatever you like.
Layer 4
Layer 4 is what all of us set out to achieve - complete lucidity. When experiencing a layer 4 lucid dream, you have full conscious awareness, you're aware what this implies, you also have full control of what your subconscious fabricates and you can manipulate this process to your own desire.
Effectively, in the context of the dreamworld, the layers indicate how accurate you can make your dreams become reality, and how far further than that you can go.
The goal, when starting out, is to achieve a dreamstate that feels like reality, even though you have the knowledge that you're dreaming.
Achieving layer 4 lucidity takes motivation, time and practice. Don't be deterred if you cannot effectively achieve a layer 4 lucid dream within the first week. Some people are pursuing this layer for months, others weeks. It's completely unique to you as an individual. Don't give up!
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