For many years, I believed I was having lucid dreams. Dreams that are intense, colorful, and detailed may not be a lucid dream. Vivid dreams have strong visuals, backed by sounds, emotions, and sensations. Your dream could feel very real until you wake up. While you are dreaming, you do not know you are dreaming until you wake up. A lucid dream will most likely be vivid, but a vivid dream is not a lucid dream. Vivid dreams can last for a long time, like a movie, and you may remember things like conversations; however, you do not realize you are dreaming. Lucid dreams may or may not be vivid; however, you know you are dreaming. You are aware you are dreaming during the dream. In a lucid dream, you are aware you are dreaming and have a certain amount of power to control your dream. When you are in a dream, and you can tell yourself, " This is a dream," then you have achieved a lucid dream. With conscious awareness in the dream, you become aware of your thoughts and realize the dream is not absolute. At this point, you have control. An example of a vivid dream would be noticing deep, rich colors, distinct conversations, and looking down over a mountain top and being able to write down everything you can see, hear, and sometimes smell. In a lucid dream, you can look down over that same mountain top and tell yourself to fly around. Lucid dreams are less common than vivid dreams, but can be cultivated through practice (e.g., reality checks, dream journaling). The more you practice to reall your dreams, the more likely you will have lucid dreams.