Character jumping in dreams

[Zhaylin]

I'm becoming slightly annoyed with my dreams lately. For as long as I can remember, I rarely ever dream of being myself. Even though I am very happily a woman, I most frequently dream I'm a boy or man. And even more unusual is that most of my dreams are in third person (as though watching a movie) and I frequently jump between dream characters (whom I don't know in life). I am horribly empathetic in life and tend to see all sides of a situation and I'm brutally honest with myself... so perhaps that's why I character jump? Dreaming has always been a passion of mine. I can remember a dream I had when 5 years old or younger. Dreams are more alluring than real life and I often use sleep to escape anxiety (and before I got on meds for anxiety and extreme sleepiness Sleep would claim me when I was anxious whether I wanted to or not). Has anyone else had these problems?

[yuriythebest]

during LD's?- no.

[Abra]

I think I can relate. Only I ended up explaining it for a different reason. My reason probably is correct for me, because it's true for me. Likewise, you probably hit the nail on the head right here (the best interpretations are those you form on your own!): I am horribly empathetic in life and tend to see all sides of a situation and I'm brutally honest with myself... so perhaps that's why I character jump? This is a sign that you are most likely a very nice person. I wouldn't get "annoyed" with these dreams at all!

[Amethyst Star]

I agree with what Abra's said. I consider myself an empathetic person as well and I like to think of how other people view the world in addition to how I view it. I'm rarely myself and am sometimes a man, though usually a woman or just a passive observer. I don't always "feel" myself in those "bodies" but rather that's just where my current senses are located. My point of view jumps and shifts, but it's normal. Is the shifting bothering you for some reason?

[Specialis Sapientia]

I character jump a bit too. My explanation for the character jumping is, when the action shift to another person or place, I change person so the story/plot can continue. Even though I change character, nothing really changes, I continue with the same mindset and etc. It's like the character transformation is fluid, so it's not very notable.

[thedreamingwolfess]

I wonder what would happen if you tried to jump back to your own body?

[Zhaylin]

Thanks for all the replies. I do TRY to be nice ALL the time I'm not sure why I'm annoyed with the dreams- they do get very interesting sometimes. But I'd also like to explore LD's more and it seems impossible when *I* don't even exist in most of my dreams. As an example, in one dream I was a black medicine man living some time in the past in Africa. I was chanting and leading a war ceremony. Some military men showed up and start killing my tribe. I jumped into the bodies of different tribes people- some ran away, some were killed. Then I jumped into one of the military people who was doing the killing. I felt spiritually revitalized when I woke up. Most of my dreams, though, are very humdrum. One theory... even though I'm 34 years old/white/female almost all my life men have either taken care of me and/or taken charge and speak for me (even when I feel I'm able to speak for myself). I'm not terribly intelligent, but I'm not stupid either And I often feel conflictingly resentful when the men in my life take charge. So perhaps that's why I most often dream I'm a man? My empathy makes me take on the roles of others- even people of a different race, culture, age, and religious beliefs. But just like the nightmares I have before traveling because I have anxiety about leaving home- KNOWING WHY I have certain dreams still doesn't end them. And I guess that's why I'm annoyed. I want more control In the past, I always had recurring dreams until I figured out why I was having the dream. But now- even though I know the reason for the dreams, they wont leave me.

[Paradox-db3]

I never dream in third person. That must be weird!

[Zhaylin]

My point of view is constantly shifting. It stays in 3rd person most of the time, but I'm almost constantly in and out of various people throughout the dreams. And in such dreams, I never know the characters from life (or TV etc). In regular dreams, where I'm myself, I still mostly keep a 3rd person view. Most of those dreams, though, are boring- just things I do/have done/experienced in life.

[Paradox-db3]

So are you saying that if you fly, for example, in a dream, you don't actually experienced the sensation of it? You only get to watch yourself fly in another body?

[Zhaylin]

No- thankfully, I'm always myself when I fly. And I don't know why I never of this until now, but even when I'm dreaming in 3rd person (most of my flying dreams are in 3rd person) or charcter jump- I still experience extremely physical sensations. Hmmm...

[thedreamingwolfess]

Do you shift point of views intentionally, or unintentionally? If you want more control, I think I have an idea that could work. However, this is based off things I read, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong. To control dreams without destroying them, you (merely?) have to have not a logical, but a believable reason for something to happen. Example: You want to go to your house so you use floo powder like Harry Potter. Hope this, by some miracle, helps. :] On PSP, so I can't explain further.

[Zhaylin]

LOL No, it's not intentional. But while I'm dreaming, even the silliest things seem completely logical. And the second I catch something and realize I'm dreaming, I almost always wake up. Usually, though, I don't catch myself and the dream alters to fit any change or irregularity. For instance, in one dream about a month ago, I was trying to get a job as an exotic dancer (something I briefly did for a living 10 years ago). I passed a mirror in the dream and saw my reflection (something that used to be "a law" that could NOT be done while dreaming). As I looked at myself I said: "I am NOT *that* skinny!" And in the fashion of the game Spore, I began "plumping" myself out until I looked normal. Even that dream was in 3rd person though. When I awoke, I realized being sickly thin wasn't the only thing different about my mirror image. I had black hair in the dream and reddish brown in life THanks for the suggestion. I've tried "everything" though. I think I'm helpless lol *sigh*

[SleepyCookieDough]

It sorta happens to me. Like once I was in myself and then I changed body with someone else and then I could see me and I wasn't mee. Or this other time, I was running from a wave that was transforming everything in post-its and the walls were made out of lined paper and every room were classrooms so instead of taking the doors (which was too slow) I would run into the paper and rip it really easily. In every room the teachers were telling me stop running (but I couldn't or else I would become a post-it) so I ran and one teacher started running after me. I lost the "wave" of my sight but could still see the teacher trying to catch me. Then I entered a room completly different for it wasn't a classroom and there were pillars. When entering I stoped and he bumped into me and became him. Then he started jumping in the air (or maybe it was me but I don't know why I would do that) If you're lucid you can maybe try to summon ourself and then jump into yourself. I'm not a proffessional.