I've had lucid dreams for as long as I can remember, but lately my dreams have been *somewhat* lucid in that they come to me as movies that I am watching (while dreaming). In the dream, I am aware what is going on is not real, but rather a pre-scripted dream and so I do not fear taking part in the movie/dream (even when it is not a pleasant dream).

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Yes. I have dreams like this all the time. The dream is a TV show or a story in a newspaper/magazine, but at the same time it is real. And it makes perfect sense to me during the dream that it is really happening but also not real. (And I'm part of the story but I'm also not part of it at the same time.)

I suppose it is because the lucid part of your brain knows that it isn't real, so it tries to use the movie/TV/story explanation because it knows that movies/TVs/stories are also like that - they seem real but really aren't. But because you aren't 100% awake and rational, it's still illogical.

In my dreams, though, I am reading/watching the story as it happens. I don't know in advance what is going to happen unless I deliberately try to change the story. It's not "prescripted" in the sense that I don't predict what is going to happen.

When I have these types of dreams they are usually a little bit scary and the way I seem to not get scared is by understanding it is just a movie in the dream. I participate in the movie and often play around with the ending. I read somewhere that if you have dreams as movie, it means a new side of you is emerging. You are taking on a new "role" in life.

Since understanding that it is a movie helps you not be scared, maybe that is a sign that you are looking for more control over things in waking life. You feel safe when you can control what is happening - you can always walk out of the movie. You can't just walk out of real life (unless you kill yourself, of course).

Thanks for the reply - this makes a lot of sense since I am an admitted control freak - it's an issue I continually work on.

I wonder if people who have lucid dreams are, in general, more likely to have "control issues".