Are we dreaming right now?

[wulfy42]

Here is why I ask.

Last night I had another one of those dreams within a dream. I have them every so often and sometimes I even have multiple layers (when I keep thinking I have awakened but I haven't).

This morning it was only a two layer dream. I was dreaming and realized I was in a dream and thought I had woken up......but later on I realized I didn't and sorta screamed "WAKE UP" in my dream....and then I was really awake.

Thing is I was still a bit fuzzy and wasn't sure if I was really awake at that point.......so I tried internally screaming WAKE UP again...and it almost felt like it was going to work!!! It was enough for me to try more then once but the feeling was strongest at first and then I couldn't feel it anymore.

That of course made me wonder....could I be in a coma and this is all a dream? That I guess would make everyone else in the universe figments of my imagination/dream mind, so for everyone else's sake I hope it's not true......but it sure was strange.

Anyone else ever felt like that? It's passed now but it sure made me think this morning!!

Don't worry btw, I don't think I'm the center of the universe and everything revolves around me.....but for a few minutes this morning I sure wasn't sure if this was a dream or not. I still have to say I can't rule it out as a possibility!!

 

[Count Igor]

No. I be gotten me own life, brah.
I ain't no figment o' your imagination! I'm me own man!
But I have felt like that, yes.

 

[theComposer]

Well, in all honesty we can't truly know whether everything we see and do is a dream or not. However, there are some ways to check. Try flipping a light switch; if you're dreaming, not light will turn on or off. Also, text, particularly numbers, will change if you look away for even a second in a dream.

 

[Count Igor]

Well, in all honesty we can't truly know whether everything we see and do is a dream or not. However, there are some ways to check. Try flipping a light switch; if you're dreaming, not light will turn on or off. Also, text, particularly numbers, will change if you look away for even a second in a dream.

People always say that to me, but the lights always seem to work for me in dreams. The text usually changes. Though I did spend a dream reading a book. It was awesome as I didn't look away for it to change.

 

[Canid117]

What did I do on Saturday? If this is your dream then you should know.


Or you could have a friend cause mild pain.

 

[archvile93]

One sec *leaves*. Oh god! Ahhhhhhhh! Why did I test your theory by shooting myself in the crotch! No, I'm not sleeping, now if you'll excuse me, I need to get to the emergency room!

 

[archvile93]

I hate that.

 

[Naheal]

Jokes aside, I wouldn't say so.

 

[wulfy42]

Well, in all honesty we can't truly know whether everything we see and do is a dream or not. However, there are some ways to check. Try flipping a light switch; if you're dreaming, not light will turn on or off. Also, text, particularly numbers, will change if you look away for even a second in a dream.

Yeah dreams don't work like that for me. They can be REALLY lifelike sometimes. I've gone through a whole day before in a dream before realizing I was dreaming. That usually happens when I wake up from a deeper layer when I figure out it's a dream because I can levitate or move things with my mind or something crazy like that. I wake up (or think I have) and my mind seems to try and create as life like a dream environment as possible. Light switches certainly work and I know text remains the same and I can read books because I've done it many times in my dreams. I used to dream of full days at school (many years ago) before waking up...and then been really annoyed that I had to go through a whole real day of school again *heh*.

It's been awhile since I had the whole dream within a dream thing happen though because I wasn't dreaming for awhile (drinking soda was making my mouth very dry at night and I would wake up every hour or so and have to drink water. I realized soda was the problem eventually and can sleep awhile now....so I'm dreaming again). I remember going through many layers in the past using the whole "wake up" thing (somehow I remember to do that in dreams and it actually works at least to the point of disrupting the current dream...and eventually lets me get back to reality whatever that is).

I was just curious if many other people have similar experiences where they wake up in a dream...only to later find out they are still dreaming. It's certainly a strange feeling, especially when you finally do fully wake up.

 

[Nouw]

If you remember practically everything in the past, it's reality. Duh!

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

um i.....wait.....what?

 

[wulfy42]

Well technically how your brain puts together the stimulation your sensory organs gathers is equal to the images your brain produces while sleeping. So in a way your perception is on par with a dream.
My dreams are usually just crude re-imaging of whatever I focused on during the day, and I tend to just lose any real grasp of what they were shortly after waking up. There's a lot of studies about what people do with their time (occupation, hobby, and such) sort of develops similar patterns with their peers.
So I wonder what do you do? (Student, occupation?) And if anyone else who does this has the layering of dreams, that seems pretty unique to me.

Hmm, my life is pretty full and I have always been a pretty imaginative person. I'm a full time student working on my Masters in Elementary Education (2 classes left till I graduate), I tutor in my spare time and also work as a legal assistant. I also am a very long term video game player and read science fiction and fantasy (and prefer similar types of movies/tv shows). i'm married (just had our 10th year anniversary) and have a good sense of humor. I generally try to make everything I do fun for both myself and the people around me.

Not sure really if it's that unique or not, which is why I asked the question. I think we would hear more about it if everyone experienced it though. I can control my dreams to a point especially when I figure out "fully" that I'm dreaming. The actual ability to control them relies more on not fully realizing I'm dreaming right away though at least from what I can remember. Once I get to that point usually the dream dissolves or changes to something else. Before I fully realize I'm dreaming though I often have a period where I have control over my dream which can be quite fun.

I used to dream quite often about being able to levitate myself and sometimes other objects as well. For along time it felt like I kept improving in the ability over time as I dreamed....and I even tried using it while awake (Sadly it never worked lol). It felt like a skill I was improving though, so real it felt like it should really work.

I think I have a very strange brain.

 

[antipunt]

Nope.

There's a subtle feeling you get when you question if you're dreaming -in reality-. It's like Inception's 'totem', except more internal (not an object).

 

[RedRussian]

Well, in all honesty we can't truly know whether everything we see and do is a dream or not. However, there are some ways to check. Try flipping a light switch; if you're dreaming, not light will turn on or off. Also, text, particularly numbers, will change if you look away for even a second in a dream.

Have you by any chance seen Waking life?

 

[The Rockerfly]

huh, that;s weird

I know this is off topic but I was just watching the nightmare on elm street remake...

Maybe I am in a dream

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Well, in all honesty we can't truly know whether everything we see and do is a dream or not. However, there are some ways to check. Try flipping a light switch; if you're dreaming, not light will turn on or off. Also, text, particularly numbers, will change if you look away for even a second in a dream.

People always say that to me, but the lights always seem to work for me in dreams. The text usually changes. Though I did spend a dream reading a book. It was awesome as I didn't look away for it to change.

Since when are dreams that detailed? I'm usually not even in control when I dream, it's usually like watching a movie. I did have one incredibly realistic dream where I actually thought to myself at one point, "I wonder if I'm dreaming?" then dismissed the possibility. Then I woke up. It was weird.

 

[wulfy42]

Nope.

There's a subtle feeling you get when you question if you're dreaming -in reality-. It's like Inception's 'totem', except more internal (not an object).

While sleeping if I try and wake up it's like I'm pushing against something. Like I am building up energy and suddenly burst through a barrier. Sometimes that barrier just brings me to a new level of dreaming.....but usually eventually I burst free into real life.

The thing that really felt weird was this morning when I fully woke up.....I was not sure I had right away and I kept trying to "push" through the barrier and wake up again....and it almost felt like it was working.

It was a very freaky feeling but when I tried it again it was not nearly as strong. First time I have every felt that feeling of almost pushing through something while awake. Really made me think perhaps I'm in a coma and this is all a dream.

 

[Cogwheel]

huh, that;s weird

I know this is off topic but I was just watching the nightmare on elm street remake...

Maybe I am in a dream

No Rockerfly, YOU are the dreams.

Also, I've been writing a dream-related short story lately that's rather closely related to this whole idea. Rather neat seeing this thread, so thanks for that. Unfortunately, I don't have a clever reason for why this isn't all a dream beyond "nah, probably not".

 

[wulfy42]

Well, in all honesty we can't truly know whether everything we see and do is a dream or not. However, there are some ways to check. Try flipping a light switch; if you're dreaming, not light will turn on or off. Also, text, particularly numbers, will change if you look away for even a second in a dream.

People always say that to me, but the lights always seem to work for me in dreams. The text usually changes. Though I did spend a dream reading a book. It was awesome as I didn't look away for it to change.

Since when are dreams that detailed? I'm usually not even in control when I dream, it's usually like watching a movie. I did have one incredibly realistic dream where I actually thought to myself at one point, "I wonder if I'm dreaming?" then dismissed the possibility. Then I woke up. It was weird.

I think it varies from person to person. I have some "light" dreams as well that are like a movie. I think almost everyone does. The deep dreams are the ones that are very realistic and life like. I believe I heard once that when you are deeply asleep the body is paralized so you can react to dream actions without thrashing all around. I know that I have dreams that are realistic to the point of being indistinguishable from real life...even when I am suspicious of it being a dream and trying to wake up. That in fact is why I was suspicious this morning even when I was awake.

I remember I actually used to try and test what I had seen in dreams by walking around the house and trying to remember things I didn't already know...and then see if they were actually that way when I woke up. The things were not the same as in the dream though...so the mind just makes stuff up to fill in the blanks I guess..I was not astrally moving around or anything while asleep. It was real enough to the point that I had to check it out though.