The Suspension of Disbelief and How It Effects Lucidity and Dreaming

**Rawracookie** · 07-25-2011 12:18 AM

Suspension of Disbelief is how Fiction works. Read about it here: Suspension of disbelief - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a lucid dream today, I had what I think is my first recorded false awakening. Except it was in my grandparent's driveway at night. I was trying to hide but I didn't want to move for fear of activating the motion activated light. Anyways, my grandmother inexplicably came out and was demanding an explanation of why I was there. I was freaking out because I didn't have one. Meanwhile a low flying aircraft that had a body similar to my dad's van flew overhead. Grandma then said something about it being my father. This was so ridiculous I immediately did a reality check and became lucid.

On several occasions, I've had dreams with far more ridiculous plots, however they are sometimes featuring movie/TV/book/etc. characters. Sometimes they are just random characters. However, in my mind it is playing out like fiction, thus Suspension of Disbelief.

In these dreams, the chance of LD is dramatically reduced. In fact, I'm pretty sure every LD I have had featured myself as the main character in a mostly realistic setting. From here, I think I have to somehow associate Suspension of Disbelief with Reality Checks. Same as Dream Signs.

Anyways, I bet this is a common pattern with the widespread availability of fictional media such as TV and books. I bet even <insert your name here> has something like this!

**mcwillis** · 07-25-2011 01:10 PM

I had one year where I had many lucids. Even if a dream was a setting of a place I know and frequent and seemed perfectly normal I just knew that I was in bed asleep and dreaming. The only factor that seemed to cause this anomoly of having so many lucids was that I was doing a lot of brainwave entrainment at a frequency of 5 Hz. I still use brainwave entrainmnent today but for a specific purpose and at 6.5 Hz but without the same dream awareness. I can't think of any other factors in my life that caused me to achieve lucidity so easily. A big sigh...

**LucidRaider** · 07-28-2011 01:41 AM

I have noticed that in every lucid dream i have had so far, they all have me being the main character, and having first person view, and based in reality,.
and in the dreams where i am watching something or something fictional is happening, i never become lucid. i only become lucid in the dreams that contain reality based means and being kinda long?.

**Ctharlhie** · 07-28-2011 12:36 PM

This is part of the reason my 'scary' dreams aren't nightmares. My subconscious seems to justify them as horror movies so I don't feel threatened.

**Avalanche** · 07-31-2011 11:11 PM

Makes sense. So really, a Hermit, living alone in a mountain top, would have a better chance of having a lucid dream than us, creating stories and being surrounded by fictional possibilities?

It does make sense. It might be a worthwhile test to go without books/tv/film/games for a bit, and see if dreams increase in clarity.

**Rawracookie** · 08-01-2011 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by Origami

It might be a worthwhile test to go without books/tv/film/games for a bit, and see if dreams increase in clarity.

That'll be difficult in the modern world. Especially if you live with people. If I can move out of my parent's house soon, I might be able to test this.

**Solarflare** · 08-03-2011 02:29 AM

IN all the lucids i have had i was in a normal situation. SO i think you are right, so how do you have more realistic dreams?

**Avalanche** · 08-03-2011 11:54 AM

Well I never have realistic dreams. I am rarely in my body, and almost never in a place I have actually been or can go to. So I think if you play games less, watch less tv, and generally get back into reality a bit more, than I think your dreams will copy that.

**Solarflare** · 08-03-2011 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Origami

Well I never have realistic dreams. I am rarely in my body, and almost never in a place I have actually been or can go to. So I think if you play games less, watch less tv, and generally get back into reality a bit more, than I think your dreams will copy that.

D:

**Rawracookie** · 08-05-2011 07:07 PM

Perhaps taking time out of the day to basically be aware of your own body very heavily. I think on the all day awareness thread, this is a part of it. I forget who posted it or where it is.

Anyways, I think the moral of the story is to be more aware of life, just like many other threads, but with a different spin on it.

**Ctharlhie** · 08-06-2011 06:08 PM

I'm gonna put out a slightly different take.

I think suspension of disbelief stems entirely from dreams. I think our ability to become emotionally engaged with characters in a drama and terrified in horror movies is because we dream, and don't question the events around us. When we we read a book, or watch tv or a film, we become immersed because we tap into that part of the brain that tries to keep us non-lucid while we dream.

**Avalanche** · 08-06-2011 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Ctharlhie

I'm gonna put out a slightly different take.

I think suspension of disbelief stems entirely from dreams. I think our ability to become emotionally engaged with characters in a drama and terrified in horror movies is because we dream, and don't question the events around us. When we we read a book, or watch tv or a film, we become immersed because we tap into that part of the brain that tries to keep us non-lucid while we dream.

If so, where do you think we can go from there?