regulator

I'm wondering to what extent the character I identify as "me" in a dream is sometimes not really me, but something more like a video game NPC (non-player-character), or better, like the player's character in a VG, but during a cut-scene, where the character does things and the player has no control. Anyway, here's the full version:

I'm in a studio apartment with my wife (we actually live in a house). There is a person who we know, and make plans for her tom come over the next day. But when this person came over, my wife was really tired and wanted to sleep instead. So she took a nap. The guest came over and I wanted to convince her to come back another time, but I didn't want to be rude. Then 2 of her friends came over, and I was trying to keep them quiet. They ere on a back patio behind a glass door.

Then, I had to go to the bathroom in the dream. Good news!! This is a DS, and I've been RCing every time I go to the bathroom IRL. And I've been making a point of RCing seriously. I do at least 3 things each time (read text/look at clocks, try to breath with nose plugged, and at least 1 more depending on what is around). I take it really seriously, because I don't want to get into a dream and half-ass the RC.

But that is exactly what happened. It was a totally weak RC unlike anything I'd do IRL. More on this in a second.

The dream continued with my wife waking up, and asking me who these people were. She then remembered that we invited one of them over. I asked her if she was OK to hang out. She said yes, and so she got up. We got ready to make some snacks for the guests. That's when I woke up.

OK, here's the thing. The way that the RC was done in my dream was completely unlike the way I do it IRL. It was kind of frustrated initially when I woke up because of the failed RC. What was frustrating is that the decision making that "I" was doing really wasn't like me at all. It is making me wonder to what extent, in some dreams at least, or maybe in all dreams at some times, there is a character that we identify as ourselves, but isn't really us. This character is more like a DC, or a video game NPC (non-player character).

Then I realized that the best analogy is a video game cut scene. In video games usually the player controls their character. But from time to time there are "cut scenes" where the player has no control. Some event happens but is pre-scripted. That's what the RC felt like. Whatever is 'me' wasn't really controlling that.

Anyway, apart from questions about what makes something oneself, as opposed to someone else, aside, I decided not to get too frustrated by it. The good news is that I recognized a DS in a dream, and performed an RC. So what I'm doing during the day is having the right effect. Just need to do what I can to ensure that the next time it happens the RC actually tips me off.