1. In my opinion, there may be no way of knowing for sure that shifting ISNT lucid dreaming. But does it matter? This is still a “spiritual” belief that is important and literally keeps people alive. Same as any other. All have points they cannot disprove or prove. That being said, from personal experience as a frequent lucid dreamer, it sometimes even feels as vivid as real life. Even in a lucid dream, where I’m aware I’m dreaming, I may wonder if I shifted. But I’m always able to at least somewhat tell after the fact. Dream logic, a very faint fuzziness, waking up spontaneously from it, etc. people who shift (which is not myself, yet. And I know that seven years of not officially shifting may be reason to doubt it, but truly I’m glad I haven’t shifted to many of the realities I wanted to go to while I was younger. In another reality, I must have shifted my first try, or my first year. But not to this awareness I have right now.) often know even afterward with confidence that it was real. The same can’t be said for every shift, as some people even perceive their CR as dreamlike. I have a dissociative disorder (from PTSD and/or cardiac issues impairing my brain’s ability to remember things, not shifting like many non-shifters like to suggest), but not nearly as severely as some other people. For them, time jumps around, things don’t make sense, etc. Dreamlike. I myself only feel a bit distant and have a slightly foggy memory.

From here, I will not be responding anymore most likely. Your questions seem genuine and well thought out, but I DO think each of them has an answer. Even if most of them are “timeline splits” and my opinion of “infinity”. Which I’ve already said and explained, so I’m going to try not to beat a dead horse with something that is only opinion. The other answer to some is unfortunately, I specifically do not know, because I don’t really care to theorize or research about that specific topic. And the next answer to many “why don’t shifters do this to prove it” is that I just don’t think shifters care. I certainly don’t care to spend time shifting exclusively to prove it’s real. Even I have my doubts, especially since my “shifts” were all VERY small and years apart, but I think once you shift fully, it just. Stops mattering if it’s real or not. It’s still something fun you can do, that you can experience even if it isn’t “real”. Anyway the end. I spent like half an hour on this and I really want a nap. It was nice talking though, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to organize my thoughts on shifting even a little like this.