What you cannot do in a lucid dream

I've been playing around with lucid dreaming recently and had a fun one last night, along with one on Saturday. I've discovered that, while I can do almost anything, some things must involve activating the wrong part of the brain, because they'll either just not work or wake me up.

So far, I've discovered that, while text looks completely sharp and doesn't seem to change, it's impossible to read aloud. I tried, but I ended up stumbling over my words, because the meaning of the text was changing. I was able to recognize the difference between Spanish text and English text, but neither said anything; it was just a random jumble of words. I suspect that whatever part of the brain is responsible for comprehension of language just doesn't work too well. I did, however, meet an author in one of my dreams and I managed to follow him as he pointed out the parts of the book he wished he left out. I must have been listening to him more than I was trying to read the book.

I've also discovered that listening to music with the explicit intention of feeling emotional doesn't seem to work out. I have no problem with most things that appear to elict emotion (sex, etc.) but music just didn't work out. When I listen to music, I sometimes get this tingling down my spine. I went to listen to a song in a lucid dream, but as soon as I got that tingling, I found myself in my bed (with my limbs still paralyzed for a few seconds). Does this happen with happy (not spine-tingling) music too?

Any other things people have found it impossible to do?

Nice post ;)

I can read fluently in my dreams, and take in the meaning of the words
I haven't tried reading aloud though... its worth investigating.

This might interest you: There was a woman on Discovery that had an aneurism in her left hemisphere (cortex somewhere). She tried to phone for help, and found that she could not dial the number on the phone - although she knew the digits. She could not piece together the phone numbers :P
Whats more interesting though is that she eventually got it right, and found that she could not speak at all... it came out all garbled

My point? Some parts of the brain involved with vocalising and with piecing together of information falls apart when some of the more logical areas of the brain are 'stopped'

I'll try to read out loud when I get the chance, and let you know ;)

As for the music - I don't recall ever trying to or considering listening to that sort of music - can't help there
Will perhaps try it out... ;)

Oh yeah i watched that program: Understanding the amazing Brain or someything like that? I found that quite interesting how she changed dominant sides of the brain, from the logical side to the creative side, she started making those stained glass brain things too. Pretty cool.

Yep - thats the one :D
Very good program indeed...

I usually have music playing in my LDs, like some sort of soundtrack to my dreams. Sometimes I have been awakened though because the music was so loud it felt like it was vibrating my whole body (and once I thought it was even making my bed shake...weird). Anyway, I've never tried to read anything in an LD...I'll give it a shot. I find that the only time I can't do things, is when there is a hint of doubt in my mind...like sometimes I can fly right through walls, but sometimes if I doubt myself at the last second I'll bang into the wall and fall down. Heh...alot of times I wake up laughing.

There are some things that are pretty universal, and that no-one can do in their dreams. But remember that whether you'll be able to do something in your dream depends on what you expect to happen. If during waking life, you really don't expect something to work in a dream, it won't. But if you do expect it to work, chances are that it will.

Just thought that might be useful. :tongue:

I've read in a couple of books that it is impossible for some people to recall personal information (eg. their name) while having an LD?

Is that the case for any of you?

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Originally posted by Soilent Green
I've read in a couple of books that it is impossible for some people to recall personal information (eg. their name) while having an LD?

Is that the case for any of you?

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..hmm...thats a good question..

You can't read aloud? weird. reading out loud works fine for me. i just did it last night.

in the dream Me and my dad were lost in these maze of really small caves. We were trying to find our way out, and i found a couple fortune cookies in my pocket. I was getting really claustrophobic, but i read them. One had two pieces of paper in it, and they said "Never let someone else choose all the pizza." and "Be sure you attend the tape recording session!". In the other cookie was this big piece of paper with a map of the caves, and under the map it said "Hope you have a great summer vacation in Southern California." I both read them aloud (so my dad could hear too), so i dunno. maybe i'm just a freak. lol. the dream wasn't lucid, by the way. so maybe it only doesn't work when you're lucid?

I tried to remember a dream while I was dreaming once...I woke up. Never tried to recall personal information, though. No one ever asks me my name while I'm dreaming.

i tried once to tell a couple guys in my LD my address and phone number, but i couldn't recall it. another time i tried to call a friend whose number i know by heart. i don't think i typed in the correct number on the phone but i got through to her anyway. hmm

I would like to address with all of you right now that NOTHING is impossible within a dream at all. Despite any myths, rumors, etc. you heard from people, books, internet, etc., it isn't impossible. The only things that you think are impossible and you can't do are things that you put a mental barrier on yourself of doing, but otherwise, nothing is impossible. Reading isn't impossible, it is just that it is very unstable. If you concentrate enough, it isn't impossible but scientifically it is quite hard because of the functions of the brain.

The only thing that might possible be not possible is math or reading due to the logical side of the brain being shut down during dreaming, hence "odd" dreams. But I hate it when people are sure of themselves when they think that certain things are really hard in your dreams such as flying, which it isn't.

the absence of thought and mental imagery is impossible in a lucid dream, you can think yourself looking into an ongoing dark, but the absence of knowing what youre looking at is impossible, as is recalling dreams before the lucid one (this im not sure about but i think so). I think watching the minutes go buy on a digital clock is impossible, well it is to keep consistensy of all the numbers.

Ok thats stupid. :shakehead2: The Logical side of your mind is not shut down during dreams or lucid dreams. There are plently of people who actually found mathamatical answers in there dreams and were able to use them in real life. There are some who read books in their dreams and remembered them when they wake up and came up with great novels. Logic simply isn't the language of the subconscious mind, nor is numbers, or letters, the mind likes to speak in images and language (it likes to speak in symbolic terms)... This may be why numbers and letters can sometimes be random... simply because the mind doesn't have much use for them. Cohesive books and words/sentences are easily achieved by simply commanding the dream to come up with a comprehensive and stable book. Your mind is not limited by any respect, and I'd like anyone to try and prove me wrong on that.

As a note: I can remember my name and e-mail in my dream, I know this for a fact because I state it to myself if I feel I'm losing consciousness in a lucid dream. I can remember anything I want.... I believe the explaination for forgetting these things lays in the fact that we're experiencing a completely different and wonderful reality... who wouldn't forget the dull ordinary reality? (We create alternate lives in dreams... it's hard to remember another life on demand).

Also as for the previous post before mine.... YES YOU CAN EXPERIENCE ABSENCE OF IMAGES. Many people have seen absolutely nothing, hear nothing, and think nothing but "i exist" in there dreams... If you were to think nothing at all then yes your probably dead or unconscious in N-REM or something... But it is possible to that extent.

As said, You create your own limits, In a dream any experience is possible... even the experience of nothingness.

-Daniel

I had a dream were I saw nothing felt nothing, herdnothing and only knew I exist.So I can vouch for Syntex. I think I was lucid too but I woke up Fast enough that I couldn't relly tell.

I can remember details like my name in dreams and lucid dreams. What I've noticed is that it's the well rehearsed memories that are easy to recall when lucid. Therefore, when I plan a mission of what I want to do in a lucid dream, I know I need to go over and over it in waking life (so one can bring it to mind as easy as ones name) so that I can easily recall the mission once lucid. Otherwise I find myself struggling to remember, which often leads to waking up.

Well, there are definitely some things that are impossible in a dream...like walking around in real life. (Well, unless you have parasomnia, but that's not normal.) There are also things that most people can't do in a lucid dream, like read a digital clock properly. (I can do that, but many of my friends can't.)

I would suppose there are other things as well, because your brain is definitely functioning differently in sleep, or else sleep would have no purpose.

this is kinda a risky subject to discuss.... i mean, what if someone posts that they cant say their name in an LD, then someone else reads it, and it does like a placebo effect and they end up unable to say their own name... :?

this has been proven by stephen laberge, by the way :wink:

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Originally posted by lord soth
this is kinda a risky subject to discuss.... i mean, what if someone posts that they cant say their name in an LD, then someone else reads it, and it does like a placebo effect and they end up unable to say their own name... :?

this has been proven by stephen laberge, by the way :wink:

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Good point... ;)