I've always had lucid dreams and I'd say 90% are lucid...which is fun but it also kind of irritates me because sometimes I just want to dream. If I'm controlling my dream then how am I supposed to receive any message or interpret it? What would have happened if I hadn't, in my dream, said "No, I'd rather have this happen..."
The lucid dreams I have are very, very vivid and lifelike. I can feel things: wet, cold, tickles, pain, what have you. It's interesting. And the colors and sounds you hear. I love it when I have music in my dreams (which doesn't happen as frequently). Last night, though, I had music in my dreams so loud I could feel the bass and vibrations.
But mostly it’s the emotion that lingers. You wake up in your "dream" emotion and feel sort of off and funky the rest of the day (not in a bad way but like you're just not all there). Thank goodness I don't have nightmares.
I usually remember my dreams (I have some from when I was in kindergarten that I can still recall in some detail) but I also keep a dream journal. I've had it for like five years. It's very handy for looking back and seeing what kind of craziness was happening in your head. It's also interesting to see when your subconscious was telling, hinting, prophesizing.
I’m not sure how you strengthen your ability (?) to lucid dream or that you really have to, to be able to do it, but maybe try day dreaming. You get a sense of controlling a dream that way because, hey, you’re in charge of the story. It could possibly translate to sleeping dreams.
