To follow from my “Logical Problem” post, I thought I should try to develop terms for the distinction between the two types of dreams previously known as “reality” and “dreams”, the first type being a dream-world where we are bound by physical laws and social conventions, the second being a dream-world where we are not. Lucidity then becomes the ability to distinguish between the two, spotting opportunities for flying, teleportation, metamorphosis, having sex with strangers, exploring our inner cosmic symbolism, etc.
The first thing I thought of was RD (reality dream) and NRD (non-reality dream). But these terms still contain the problematic distinction between reality and non-reality. This conceptual distinction makes it more difficult to attain the sensation of lucidity during RC, so it is not helpful.
We need to find a feature of the RD that distinguishes it from NRDs without simply calling it “reality”, which already assumes what we are trying to find out. My next idea was CDW (coherent dream-world) and NCDW (non-coherent dream-world). But then what about a coherent LD world like Ureon’s? And anyway, the CDW isn’t always totally coherent…
It is the restriction of our behaviour by physical laws and social conventions that seems to be the crucial difference. So, based on the Greek term “nomos” for law, here are my (copyright, trademark, I thought of it first, any parasitic New Age authors out there) terms for the two realms:
Nomia (“reality”) - the law-governed realm;
Anomia (“dream”) - the realm without law.
What d’you think about that ?!
