Quote Originally Posted by RebelSeven View Post
I have had over a thousand lucid dreams, some over an hour in length.

I believed that I could fly, something I have done a thousand times before with complete ease, and yet, when I tried to take off, I felt chained to the ground and no amount of tinkering could return me to the power I BELIEVE I had. Belief is not the only mental tool active in dreaming.
Then you didn't believe in it enough, you had some doubt, which is enough to ruin it. Or you weren't fully lucid...
I never said anywhere that belief is the only mental tool, but it's something that helps with everything.

Alternatively, attempting something while sure of it's failure (diving in to lava, I was prepared for intense pain) is not assurance of it's failure (it turned out to be quite a pleasurable experience)
That's just a bad example. Diving into lava is something you can simply do, no matter if you don't believe in it, since walking is simple and that's all you need to get into the lava. If something is simple and just comes generally, that's hard to convince yourself of it not being possible.

Not being able to pass through a wall because of not believing that you are capable of it is a better example.

Dreams are not shallow representations of what your brain MOST expects, that it BELIEVES to be the way things are. If this were the case dreams would be the most boring repetitive rehashes of day to day life in which nothing surprising or unexpected occurred.
You misunderstood things if that's all you got out of my comments It's not about what your brain expects. The dream world forms itself without your conscious help, but your thoughts will form it as well, even if unintentionally.