Originally posted by Feeble Wizard
I think that the main difference between these two states is that in a true lucid dream, your prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain that gives you free will) is activated. *In normal dreaming, scientists have found that this is shut off during normal sleep
I'm not challenging this, but I don't think it is so simple. Due to a recent lucid dream I've had, I think there is more to this prefrontal cortex than just on or off. Usually, the awareness for a lucid dream turns on really fast, i.e. "Aha! I'm dreaming". Not that long ago, I had a dream where this awareness turned on slowly, and I knew I was aware, I was just waiting for a dream sign to confirm I was dreaming. Other times, it moves slowly, and does not quite fully kick in, i.e. a semi-lucid dream where it is more vivid than normal, you can seemingly control things, but not know you are dreaming.

During the next couple nights, I will feel for the prefrontal cortex, and tell it to stay awake or in this transitory state. I will see if this increases my lucid dreaming. I've already done this with the logic part of my brain, telling that to stay on when I went to sleep. That could have triggered the slow activation of the prefrontal cortex. I'm going to look more into the brain, and what parts of the brain do what.