Asking My 7 Year Old Sister Where She Thought Dreams Were

I was curious to see what my 7 year old sister thought dreams were. Or more to the point, where they are. If she thought it was a real place, or it happened in reality. Or if she knew it was in her head. She had a dream she was in our house and she heard fire so I spoke to her about it.

In short, it failed. Here is how the discussion went.

Me: Say, do you know where dreams are.
Sister: What do you mean?
Me: Well, that dream you said you had. Where do you think you were while dreaming? Where is the dream happening?
Sister: I'm asleep in my bed so uh... well it was in the house?
Me: But how could you really be here if you were asleep?
Sister: Uh wait... let me think (long pause)
Me: Any ideas?
Sister: Wait what do you mean?
Me: Where is the dream happening? You are in bed, right? But you are seeing things happen in the dream. But the dream can't be real, so where is it happening?
Sister: Uhhh
Me: Any ideas?
Sister: I was in the house.
Me: Yes but the dream, where did it happen?
Sister: Wait what?
Me: Uggh, look. You are in bed. You have a dream. The dream isn't happening here, if I woke up while you were asleep I wouldn't see you. The house couldn't be on fire in reality if it happened in your dream. So where did it happen? Where do you think dreams are made?
Sister: No the house wasn't on fire, I dreamed I heard it.
Me: LOOK IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DREAM. Just where do you think the dream is? Its not happening here, so where do you think it happens?
Sister: Well I'm asleep in my bed---
Me: Just forget it.

Anyone ever asked a young child what they thinks dreams are and got an actual response? I'm curious to learn what kids think about it but so far I'm not sure my sister even has the capacity to think like that at all hahaha.

Im going to find a kid and ask them. Shame my only young relative is only 14 months old...
This thread made me laugh

What kind of response do you want to hear? I don't get it. She obviously knows it's all in her head, stop tormenting kids. :D

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Originally Posted by Pris

What kind of response do you want to hear? I don't get it. She obviously knows it's all in her head, stop tormenting kids. :D

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Not exactly. She knew she was in her bed, but she didn't know where the dream "was" or how it came to be. I think the very idea of the dream "being somewhere" confused her from the start. :lol:

Well that's what happens when you ask dumb questions.

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Originally Posted by ♥Mark

Well that's what happens when you ask dumb questions.

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Don't be so rude.

My intention was to test what she knew about dreaming and educate her on lucid dreaming, in time. I am very curious about how younger people perceive things in the world, as I can barely remember what I thought about subjects like dreaming when I was her age (if at all).

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Originally Posted by Loaf

My intention was to test what she knew about dreaming and educate her on lucid dreaming, in time. I am very curious about how younger people perceive things in the world, as I can barely remember what I thought about subjects like dreaming when I was her age (if at all).

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I've been wanting to ask my nieces and nephew similar questions. I've heard that kids sometimes regularly have lucid dreams during their childhood, so asking and educating them about at that time might help them retain the ability later on in life. And even if they don't, educating them about it could easily be enough to help them start having them. I know I wish I would have been told about lucid dreaming when I was still a kid. Though I suppose trying to teach them techniques might be a little too much at this age. I'll post here if I get a decent response.

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Originally Posted by Loaf

Not exactly. She knew she was in her bed, but she didn't know where the dream "was" or how it came to be. I think the very idea of the dream "being somewhere" confused her from the start. :lol:

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It confused her because she knows it is in her head. In her mind you were basically telling her that dreams happen somewhere else by asking her where they happen.
Which is why she was confused.
I really wouldn't do that if I was you.

A much better question would be "What do you think dreams are?"

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Originally Posted by tommo

It confused her because she knows it is in her head. In her mind you were basically telling her that dreams happen somewhere else by asking her where they happen.
Which is why she was confused.
I really wouldn't do that if I was you.

A much better question would be "What do you think dreams are?"

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Yeah you're probably right.

Going to ask my Sister this if I remember. =3

I think you confused her more than she confused you. :eek:

Why don't you just tell her straight that it's all in her head!!!

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Originally Posted by Carrot

Why don't you just tell her straight that it's all in her head!!!

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Why did you read the topic?

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Originally Posted by Loaf

Why did you read the topic?

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You're phrasing it too hard for a 7 year old to understand. I agreed with what tommo said. She know dreams are not real but she can't pinpoint it out exactly where it is. You expect a 7 years old to understand conscious, subconscious and unconscious and how the brain works?

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Originally Posted by Carrot

You're phrasing it too hard for a 7 year old to understand. I agreed with what tommo said. She know dreams are not real but she can't pinpoint it out exactly where it is. You expect a 7 years old to understand conscious, subconscious and unconscious and how the brain works?

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I've already gone over my intentions for asking her such a question. Now its just getting ridiculous. Read what I've said or don't bother posting.

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Originally Posted by Carrot

You're phrasing it too hard for a 7 year old to understand. I agreed with what tommo said. She know dreams are not real but she can't pinpoint it out exactly where it is. You expect a 7 years old to understand conscious, subconscious and unconscious and how the brain works?

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He wanted to see what she thought. This has nothing to do with how hard it is to understand. I would be curious too.

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Originally Posted by Loaf

I've already gone over my intentions for asking her such a question. Now its just getting ridiculous. Read what I've said or don't bother posting.

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Spoiler for Reply:

All I was trying to say was if you had phrased it in simpler terms, she might be able to answer your question the way you want her to. Sorry if I wasn't clear, but I can roughly guess how kid's brain works and I was trying to tell you a different approach might work. If you find what I said to be a nuisance, you can jolly well report my posts. But seeing how hard it took for you to even understand what I said, I don't see why you can get any answers from kids.

Edit: The first original version of this post wasn't impolite but your attitude wasn't any better.

It's true: You just worded the question very badly.

Well how would you have worded it?

(something tells me my post sounds angry :/. Its not, i'm just curious)

I would have asked her whether she thought dreams were all in her head, or if she believed that what was happening in the dream was actually happening in another place, other than here in the 'real world.'

They are both asking the same thing, but with specificity. Asking "where do you think dreams are?" is just way too vague a question, in my opinion.

I was trying to word it in a way that wouldn't allow the question to suggest something in itself or its putting words into her mouth. This obviously didn't work, we have established the phrasing was bad, thank you for unnecessarily pointing that out again. Moving on please.

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Originally Posted by Loaf

I was curious to see what my 7 year old sister thought dreams were. Or more to the point, where they are. If she thought it was a real place, or it happened in reality. Or if she knew it was in her head. She had a dream she was in our house and she heard fire so I spoke to her about it.

In short, it failed. Here is how the discussion went.

Me: Say, do you know where dreams are.
Sister: What do you mean?
Me: Well, that dream you said you had. Where do you think you were while dreaming? Where is the dream happening?
Sister: I'm asleep in my bed so uh... well it was in the house?
Me: But how could you really be here if you were asleep?
Sister: Uh wait... let me think (long pause)
Me: Any ideas?
Sister: Wait what do you mean?
Me: Where is the dream happening? You are in bed, right? But you are seeing things happen in the dream. But the dream can't be real, so where is it happening?
Sister: Uhhh
Me: Any ideas?
Sister: I was in the house.
Me: Yes but the dream, where did it happen?
Sister: Wait what?
Me: Uggh, look. You are in bed. You have a dream. The dream isn't happening here, if I woke up while you were asleep I wouldn't see you. The house couldn't be on fire in reality if it happened in your dream. So where did it happen? Where do you think dreams are made?
Sister: No the house wasn't on fire, I dreamed I heard it.
Me: LOOK IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DREAM. Just where do you think the dream is? Its not happening here, so where do you think it happens?
Sister: Well I'm asleep in my bed---
Me: Just forget it.

Anyone ever asked a young child what they thinks dreams are and got an actual response? I'm curious to learn what kids think about it but so far I'm not sure my sister even has the capacity to think like that at all hahaha.

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http://www.dreamviews.com/attachment...e1-291x300.jpg

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Originally Posted by Loaf

I was trying to word it in a way that wouldn't allow the question to suggest something in itself or its putting words into her mouth. This obviously didn't work, we have established the phrasing was bad, thank you for unnecessarily pointing that out again. Moving on please.

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Actually, I didn't see that you responded to tommo.

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Originally Posted by Solarflare

(something tells me my post sounds angry :/. Its not, i'm just curious)

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No worries, it isn't.