When am I experiencing dreams: as they happen, or after they happen?

**reality<LDs** · 06-25-2010 05:09 AM

It seems my brain has settled itself atop another predicament. My normally logical thinking pattern in waking life has left me with a big problem when trying to dream. How will I go about explaining this...

The problem my mind seems to be having is differentiating the time between when I wake up and when the dreams are actually happening. It's almost like my mind is wondering whether what I experience as a dream is being interpreted as it is happening, or after? Any advice on how to A)figure this out or B) help me get over this will be appreciated. I hope I explained this adequately.

**ExoByte** · 06-28-2010 06:58 AM

Sorry, I'm just a little unclear.

Basically, from what I gather, you're trying to differentiate whether you're experiencing the dream as it plays out or whether you're simply remembering experiencing it?

**r2d2651** · 06-28-2010 07:00 PM

ah, I know exactly what you mean. This has caused me to question whether or not I was really having dreams at all or it was just my mind making something up on the spot.. think back... A memory of something that has happened in your waking life. Do you get the same "Oh yeah, that happened" sort of feeling when you remember your dreams too? (Shit, I hope I don't confuse anyone

)

**Hazel** · 06-29-2010 02:46 AM

You experience them as they happen. Not quite sure how to explain my reasoning, but here's my best shot:

Lets say you are startled awake from a nightmare. It's obvious that you aren't just experiencing it as a memory; the dream literally scared you so badly that you woke up from it. You experienced it AS you were dreaming, not afterwards.

**TylerSmash** · 06-29-2010 03:22 AM

Yes, I believe you experience the dreams as they actually happen. When you have gone lucid you have that feeling that you are actually experiencing it, like in reality. You are also able to look forward to the future of your lucid dreams, like look forward to what you are about to accomplish.

If that is how it works for lucid dreams, then it should be the same for an ordinary dream.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 06-29-2010 02:07 PM

I believe it goes something like this:

You experience them as they are happening, but not with your conscious mind. The things that are playing out - subconsciously (or "unconsciously") - are being visualized in real time, but your conscious mind is "numb" to it, so even though you're "experiencing" it - it is like you aren't, as well.

Think of it like this: You're in the kitchen and you're having a heated conversation, on the phone. Without realizing it, you set your hand down on a burner that had not quite cooled down yet. Now, you're not yet aware (consciously) that this has happened...but you will be. A couple of seconds pass, and you're starting to feel the burn digging into your flesh. You look down and become conscious of the fact that your hand is on the burner. That is when the pain really kicks in, and you're aware of the severity of your injury.

I think dreams are like those initial few seconds when you can't feel the pain, and lucid dreams (and waking up) are akin to the realization that something is burning the shit out of your hand.