The way that genuine lucid dreaming differs from those scenarios is that it's been shown empirically that the dreamer is in fact aware that he is asleep and is

The way that genuine lucid dreaming differs from those scenarios is that it's been shown empirically that the dreamer is in fact aware that he is asleep and is dreaming. Check out Stephen LaBerge for more info. They found that while asleep, a person is basically paralyzed with exception to their eye movement. In a lab setting they were able to have the dreamer use a signal, using eye movement, that they were dreaming. One thing they did was to test the theory that subjective dream time is different than time experience while awake. They did this by doing the eye signal, counting down 10 seconds, and then signalling again. They found that there was no "time dilution" when compared to wakefulness.