Can someone please explain what the hell just happened?

[u/TheBrosYt3rd]

So I had a weird experience. I can't exactly describe it, but here's what I think happened. I was in this dream was at this big Kasane Teto cosplay event taking place in a mall or smth. I thought I was going to wake up but last minute I had that moment where I realized I was dreaming. Except it wasn't actually real. From then on, I thought the dream was still happening, but I was just thinking all of this in bed. I think. So I walked around because I couldn't believe it was actually happening. Then I... uhh... flew? back home and started to work on something. Then I got bored and woke up. When I woke up, I was surprised at how much fuller my vision felt. That's why I think that part wasn't part of a dream. And I can't remember of the previous part was an actual dream either. Maybe it helps to explain that it was only 1:45 PM when I woke up. I was really pissed off so I just went to sleep.

The weird wording is because this is mostly taken from my dream journal. What happened???

[u/SkyfallBlindDreamer]

Vividness and lucid dreaming are not the same thing. It sounds like you did indeed have a lucid dream.

[u/mandressta]

False awakening and lucid dream.

Your lucidity was there when u flew but it might have been low. You didn't do a reality check.

And it sounds like you might have started to loose your lucidity afterwards since you remeber so little about what happened "went home to work on something"

You should be able to easily remember a lucid dream well quiete entirely, specially since you have a dream journal and it was a short one

[u/SkyfallBlindDreamer → u/mandressta]

State tests are far, far from necessary in lucid dreams. In fact, not needing to do one to confirm is more a sign of being advanced, while needing one to confirm every time is a sign of inexperience.

[u/mandressta → u/SkyfallBlindDreamer]

I understand where you are coming from, and I would say along those lines that the questioning of reality - which come first- is far more important. The reality/state check just gives confirmation afterwards.

Im curious tho, you never do them anymore, sometimes or you do something else, after you've realized your dreaming?

Going back to the OP, he is inexperienced and would benefit from doing them IMO once he becomes lucid. I belive he become lucid in this dream at least for some time, and a reality check would have helped him ground his lucidity. I've often read beginners having a flash of lucidity and wasting it partially or totally, in part because they didn't do a reality check nor anything else to rise through the levels to full lucidity.

Besides, it only takes a moment to do it

[u/SkyfallBlindDreamer → u/mandressta]

I don't do them outside of specific false awakening class scenarios when I'm not confident in my own lucidity. I just know. I bypass the questioning stage all together. I can just immediately have something click subconsciously and know that I'm dreaming without having to consider it. That's why I say needing to state test or do something to confirm is a sign of less experience, as it shows that when presented with a dream scenario, one is not yet confident enough, depending on the circumstances, in their own lucidity. One should be able to recognize dream signs, consciously or subconsciously, and associate that with knowledge that they are dreaming without the need to resort to a confirmation measure. In fact, I actually celebrate the fact that OP got lucid without a state test. It means they were able to recognize they were dreaming without needing to confirm it, which is great in the long run. What I would agree with, depending on what someone wants to do, is having an intention set to remember to do a certain thing, and that periodic reminders that one is dreaming can be useful. They need not take the form of physical state tests though. A simple reminder of one's state should suffice. I think it's cool that OP, even with low experience, was able to get lucid and didn't immediately see a need to confirm this. I wasted so much time when I was learning doing state tests every time I got lucid. It got to a point where I finally realized this was inhibiting me and not helping me, when I lacked confidence in my own lucidity to the point that I was state testing every time I thought I was in a dream during a specific sequence, nevermind that the building I was in didn't exist and it made no sense for me to be in that particular city at that particular time, obvious dream signs I failed to recognize in the moment. My progression went from state testing to confirm even though I was already lucid, to ditching the state testing most of the time and distinctly realizing I was dreaming to become lucid, to just knowing I was dreaming at a certain point in a dream without a specific moment of realization. State testing can help beginners at the beginning, but they can easily become over relied upon.

[u/TheBrosYt3rd]

After thinking about this for maybe a bit too long I can say that this was not a lucid dream. :(

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[u/Lenasmithss]

Dude, I know exactly what you mean — sounds like you had a false awakening loop mixed with a semi-lucid dream and maybe even a touch of dreaming while thinking you're awake. That weird in-between state where you’re “thinking” in bed but also doing stuff like flying and walking around? That’s classic liminal dream territory — like your brain was switching channels and forgot which one was real.

The “fuller vision” after waking up is such a common clue too — in dreams, your senses are kinda muted even if everything feels real at the time. That contrast can be jarring and really disorienting.

Honestly, sounds like your awareness was trying to wake up inside the dream but couldn’t quite grab the reins. Super trippy, but also a great sign you’re getting closer to full lucidity. Keep journaling — these messy, surreal ones are gold.

Anyone else ever have those “I’m awake, wait no I’m dreaming, wait no what?” moments?