Thread: Another Dreamer, or simply a DC?

I've heard several claims of great lucid dreams suddenly being interrupted by the appearance of another person in your dream, supposedly another Dreamer. Unless you actually met up with that person in waking life and arranged a Shared Dream, how do you know that that person isn't simply just another Dream Character?

well normal DCs usually don't exercise dream control, the ability to speak coherently, or have a presence that you can feel. That's just my experience anyway.

It's all about the "presence", "aura", or "energy". It's the difference between seeing a holographic projection of someone and actually being with that person. I have been startled a few times by people with such a presence that I simply just woke up. I once compared it to taking a shower alone and then someone suddenly pops into your shower. That is how I often feel...very...shocked and naked, heh. I assume you get used to it though the more it happens.

Interesting.
Thanks for the input, both of you.

I don't recall ever having an experience like this, but from what I've read from shared dreaming practicers from DV, you just "know" when you are in a dream with another individual. There are still facets of your subconscious mind that are recognizable as your own, even if it's only recognizable on a subtly subconscious level. My suspicion would be that if you were to encounter a separate individual who made their way into your dream, it would feel different. Very interesting.

Fable Flame -
One way you might try to distinguish your dream characters from "real" people, is to pick a DC and force it to speak using the power of your mind. If it is your own personal DC, it will have no choice but to express the thoughts that you feed it.
For instance you might force a DC to say something out of the blue like, "The Grand Canyon is very deep."
An actual person that you encounter in "your" dream would not be compelled to speak or manifest your thoughts because they have their own volition.

Originally Posted by Rainman

I don't recall ever having an experience like this, but from what I've read from shared dreaming practicers from DV, you just "know" when you are in a dream with another individual. There are still facets of your subconscious mind that are recognizable as your own, even if it's only recognizable on a subtly subconscious level. My suspicion would be that if you were to encounter a separate individual who made their way into your dream, it would feel different. Very interesting.

I agree with the above. I had a dream that started out not especially lucid. I was walking down a hallway in a dorm or apartment building and was approached by a pleasant dude who started talking enthusiastically about an album he was holding (music). I don't think he realized he was dreaming but he made me lucid at that point. He had a friendly coherent quality my DCs just don't have. I wanted to shock him in a positive way so I did probably the gayest thing I've ever done in a dream (and never IRL) and kissed him right on the lips! There was a happy feeling of shock back from him and I, of course, woke.
I've also had a few (three I can think of) dreams where someone approached me to stop me from doing something. There is one dreamscape I had visited several times before but this time there was a fence and a locked gate. It starts in a parking lot area that ia odd because the lot is on a slope with a sort of steeper part through the middle. From the lot there is a trail through a hilly meadow that then ends up being a more difficult to pass area like you might find through a neighborhood alley that has been abandoned and blocked by some of the lot owners here and there. Anyway this time there was a fence at the lot and I loitered around for a bit till an older gentleman approached me to explain. I'm trying to think if he was the same man that appeared in another dream where I was in an apartment building type place and was sort of determined to have it out with a malicious entity that lived there who had apparently hassled me before and I had it in mind to avenge him in a severe way. When I came to that door, the older gentleman opened the door and explained that Richy couldn't see me now...