Dreaming of an actual or likeness?

**Ex Nine** · 10-14-2005 02:20 AM

Where do we draw the line between "dreaming of something" and "dreaming of something like something?"

For example, say I'm dreaming of my home, but it's not quite right. There are a few things that are different, but for the most part it both looks and feels like my home. Am I dreaming of my home or something like my home?

People are an even grayer area. Say that I dreamt of you last night, and told you about it, but after you hear it, it sounds odd and you don't really think you would have acted that way. Did I dream of you, or did I dream of someone like you?

Where I'm going with this is... can we ever dream of an actual something or are we always dreaming of things that are like other things?

Say I dream of a bed of flowers. They feel, smell, look, even taste! like flowers. Am I dreaming of flowers or am I dreaming of things that are like flowers...?

Let's switch to action words now. Say I dream that I'm driving a car. Am I dreaming about the action of driving or am I dreaming of something like the action of driving?

Or that in a dream I speak... am I dreaming of speaking, or am I dreaming of something like speaking?

Does any of this matter? I never really thought about it until yesterday while participating in the dreaming you're lucid O_o, where I might have recognized an appreciable difference between "dreaming of lucidity" and "dreaming of something like lucidity."

I honestly don't think this is a very big deal. But I thought I would present the question, nonetheless.

**Scruffy** · 10-14-2005 04:52 AM

When it comes to specific things - like a certain person, or your home - I think we more often dream of something like the thing. Little things will always be different, because that seems to be the way our dreams are. When it comes to more general things, I think we can dream of those things. For example, a book rarely has any specific defining charateristics, other than that it has text. Although, even that could be challenged, because we have audiobooks.

I think actions can fall into both categories, although it depends on how we define the action. For example, I had a dream where I was driving, but I was actually working the pedals all wrong. Was I really driving, or just doing something like it?

And then theres the question: does it really matter?

Unless you're using your dreams to practice a very specific activity, I think the answer is no, it doesn't matter much.

**Ex Nine** · 10-14-2005 05:45 AM

Thanks! That was a very thoughtful response.

Some people do use lucid dreams to practice activities, though! LaBerge's Exploring the World of LD has a lot of examples... so I wonder if it's more effective to think that you are actually dreaming of activity and not something like the activity.

These are psychological distinctions. Perhaps the question is meaningul mentally but not really meaningful scientifically or philosophically lol.

But, then, I suppose there are also the so-called paranormal experiences like entering someone else's dream or having a prophetic dream... is it then important both mentally and scientifically? Which, can potentially conflict?

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