Thread: Anyone ever wonder if we really have control?

Interesting thought. I know that I also usually have a task in mind when going to bed, but I always forget it and end up doing just whatever my subconscious seems to feel like doing, while being aware that I'm dreaming. I do think we have control, but sometimes our subconscious lets itself rule anyways.

It just seems that we are only rarely (never?) fully aware in lucid dreams, with access to our whole conscious mind, so it's hard to remember all those things we want to do.

It's kind of like IRL, in a way--you have priorities, but get distracted along the way and forget your goals. But a lot worse.

Originally Posted by Amelaclya

So lately while LD'ing I've been having very strange experiences.

I usually try to go to bed with a task in mind. However, whenever I complete my lucid task, or become lucid unexpectedly without formulating a plan, my "dream self" comes up with some crazy ideas of stuff to do. I'm not going to elaborate, but some of these activities are something I'd never consider doing IRL (or would I?) and I'm a bit disturbed at the possible psychological problems I may have All while remembering that I'm dreaming and doing things to keep myself aware - rubbing hands etc

Now if you were to ask me while waking "what would you do if you were dreaming right now?", I would probably say "explore an underwater reef, fly in outerspace, meet God..." etc. Why doesn't my conscious list of activities translate into my dreams?

It makes me wonder if we really have any control at all, or if we are just dreaming as normal with an added "control illusion" element added in.

Thoughts?

There are well known techniques, how to switch on the senses in dream, but we rarely have the possibility to discuss other parts of our awareness such as memory within dream. Thx for this thread.

Actually. Is there any way, how to awake memory within dream?

Free will in dreams is kind of strange because you don't really have to do anything at all. You dont have to worry about eating, drinking, going to school or a job. When you have the ability do anything imaginable is it really worth it to do a lucid task? It might be fun, but i think think there is more to dreaming than just having it be the most realistic entertainment ever. And it takes a very long time to master the dream attention.

Instead of trying to do a lucid task just practice keeping your mind clear the moment you become lucid. Don't do anything in the lucid just hang out and sit somewhere and practice looking at things. Until you can control your attention in a dream you will always lose focus and do whatever pops into your mind. Just like in waking life when you were a kid it took a long time to master attention. You would just start imagining things and start playing. Its the same in dreaming. Its not something you can do overnight.

I read somewhere that the part of the brain responsible for memory is either switched off or not very active. Don't quote me on that however, I don't remember exactly what it was.

Originally Posted by Sean999

Don't quote me on that however, I don't remember exactly what it was.

I just did . If we never really had control, then how would so many people be able to do the task of the month?

This is like the debate about whether or not we have free will in real life. Are we controlled by fate? Are we controlled all the way down to our most basic stimulous/response behavior? Do we have any free will at all?

I instead decided to ask this question: "If we feel like we have free will, does it really matter?" Humanity only needs to BELIEVE they have free will in order to maintain peace of mind, regardless of whether or not they are in fact under the control of something else.

So, do you feel as if you have control in your dreams? (You catch my meaning, yes?)

this thread has made me realise something. in my dreams i can remember more popular tasks such as flying or task of the month but nothing else. anyone else find thid wierd or had the same thing?

Originally Posted by Amelaclya

So lately while LD'ing I've been having very strange experiences.

I usually try to go to bed with a task in mind. However, whenever I complete my lucid task, or become lucid unexpectedly without formulating a plan, my "dream self" comes up with some crazy ideas of stuff to do. I'm not going to elaborate, but some of these activities are something I'd never consider doing IRL (or would I?) and I'm a bit disturbed at the possible psychological problems I may have All while remembering that I'm dreaming and doing things to keep myself aware - rubbing hands etc

Now if you were to ask me while waking "what would you do if you were dreaming right now?", I would probably say "explore an underwater reef, fly in outerspace, meet God..." etc. Why doesn't my conscious list of activities translate into my dreams?

It makes me wonder if we really have any control at all, or if we are just dreaming as normal with an added "control illusion" element added in.

Thoughts?

I've had a dream in which I dreamed I had a lucid dream. I teleported to somewhere and when I got there I thought I was awake and told all my friends about the lucid dream I just had. Though I did exercise dream control, it wasn't really me controlling the dream, and I didn't do anything I had wanted to do while awake. I have had two actually lucid dreams, and I could tell a serious difference between actually being lucid and dreaming that I was lucid. If you experience both, you'll be able to distinguish between them.

I understand what you're saying about only "dreaming that you're lucid", I've had those dreams myself I think in those at least, you are lucid at some point but lose lucidity and go back into a normal dream. Thats not what I'm talking about though.

I'm talking about being fully lucid - thinking about how you can do anything, using techniques to prolong the dream etc, but not really having conscious control.

Is there a difference between having real control and only dreaming that we do? I think so! If you have "real control" then you can do anything you *really* want to do and wake up thinking "that dream was awesome!". If you are only dreaming that you have control, chances are you just do all of the weird dream crap that your brain normally makes up instead of being able to fully take advantage of lucid situation. And instead of waking up satisfied, you wake up thinking "<insert appropriate blaspheme here>, why did I do that instead of __!?"

As to how people complete lucid tasks, well thats easy I myself have no problem completing any task I plan out before becoming lucid. Just like you can make yourself dream about anything normally, it's pretty easy to make yourself "lucid dream" about anything if you go to bed thinking about it.

I have just been noticing this problem recently since I've been getting better at LDs and prolonging the dreams - now instead of finishing my LD during whatever activity I had planned or right after, my dreams sometimes outlast my interest in that activity... thats when the weird stuff starts happening.

It makes you wonder, if you can dream about doing any other activity, what if we are only dreaming that we're in control? Even if this is true, LDs still aren't worthless - and far from it. They still provide some of the most interesting and vivid dreams I've ever had.

Thanks for the replies guys I wanted to see what everyone else thought. I'm definitely going to try the "do nothing" approach and see how that works out