BigBallinStalin wrote:AAFitz wrote:InkL0sed wrote:BigBallinStalin wrote:InkL0sed wrote:BigBallinStalin wrote:"when I opened teh door the T-Rex eye from Jurassic Park was there so I went back to class"
A wise decision.
Speaking of decision-making, how many people in here can (somewhat) consciously make decisions during their dreams?
For example, can you alter the flow of your dream? Can you get out of your director's chair and say, "All right, all right! Enough of this silliness! Let's move on."
I've had the illusion of making decisions in my dreams, but I don't know they are real ones. I'm skeptical of other people who say they can do that.
While dreaming, are you of the position that the dreamer exerts no control over the dream and/or over his/her role in the dream?
I don't know enough to have a position. It might be possible, but I'm still skeptical of people who say they have consciously controlled their dream.
I can remember one dream in which I was aware that I was dreaming. I thought it was lucid (ie, that I had control), but when I woke up, I realized that what I had control over was utter nonsense. All I remember about it is that I had control over the number of syllables (and yes, that's supposed to be vague). I think it was a verbal dream – there were no visuals. I was immersed in another language at the time, and I was having quite a few purely verbal dreams.
Cracked has an article about this, and people who play lots of video games are even more able to do it, as they are used to managing fantasy actions. I absolutely know I can guide my dreams to some extent, and lately have been very close to conscious while having them, but definitely do not have absolute control either. Its a give and take relationship where I am willing it to go in one direction, and it kind of does, but will often throw a curve ball in at the same time. I suppose I could have been dreaming the conscious part, but given my memory of it, and the level of lucidity, I know I had some control for sure. I certainly do not question that some have trained themselves to exert quite a bit of control, though, I feel like that is a dangerous thing to do to some degree, because at some point, the two realities, have to become a little blurred.
It may distort your memory, but other than that you'll be fine!
Well, you saying it should alleviate anyone's fears.
In all seriousness though, I think its quite possible to imagine a scenario where someone acting out in their lucid dreams violently, might lead to actual violence, that may not have otherwise have happened.