Thread: Dream Emotions

Interesting. Do you mean in LDs or non-LDs?

For me, emotions in LDs are actually subdued because of the extra "check" on what is experienced, while emotions in non-LDs are interwoven in a complex scenario where everyday emotions are recast in different, even symbolic, forms. So maybe its not that emotions in non-LDs are exaggerated, but given a new perspective?

Originally Posted by grasshoppa

What do you think about the emotions you feel in dreams? Are they dulled, exaggerated, the same, or does it depend on the dream? Is dream emotion different from regular emotion?

From my own personal experience it seems like emotions are exaggerated in dreams. I'm not sure if when your dreaming about something funny, the same parts of the brain that make you laugh when your awake are active while you are asleep. If they are, then why would it be exaggerated in a dream? And if not, then what are you really experiencing?

Thoughts?

In dreams you're accessing repressed experiences, repressed because of their unbearably high emotional content. So yes, I would expect heightened emotional experiences like intense fear, love, anger etc. I don't think I have dreams where I experience humour.

Dream emotions in general can "feel" subtly different from waking emotions. They also tend to be less controlled. I'm more likely to act on them fully and impulsively and make a fool of myself. I used to do that in real life before I was 13, but not anymore.

Originally Posted by grasshoppa

What do you think about the emotions you feel in dreams? Are they dulled, exaggerated, the same, or does it depend on the dream? Is dream emotion different from regular emotion?

For me, dream emotions are often greatly exaggerated. Things that would annoy me IRL can make me completely hysterical or weepy in dreams.

-TL

Really difficult question to answer and a good question. Dream emotions can be extremely vivid and intense, often more so than in real life because in dreams you have access to your repressed emotions and can bring up some past emotions. Like for example lately i have had dreams about past crushes and they can be extremely emotional, i will feel about that person in the dream as i did before and these emotions will often carry over to the waking state. I will also have dreams about past friends and when i wake up i will feel really emotional.

Another example is i will dream about a hot girl (doesn't have to be sex related) and when i wake up i will not be able to stop thinking about her sexually. So all in all i would have to say that dream emotions in my experience are extremely realistic, sometomes stronger than real life.