Thread: An odd question...

Everything I've read says Lucid Dreams are limitless... but aren't they limited by your experience?

Say... I've never been to Egypt before. I've never felt the sands there between my toes, or how hot the sun is there. In fact, besides the pyramids and all that, I dunno what it looks like over there. Could I go to an accurate Egypt, or will it be Egypt, as I would imagine it to be?

Thats just one example. But is it true that Lucids are limited by your own experiences in real life?

Welcome to Dreamviews!

Well, you obviously won't be able to create Egypt the way it actually is in real life. You probably don't know the placement of buildings, the terrain, the weather, etc. However, your brain will try to imitate it as well as it can. You've probably felt some kind of small objects going through your toes before, and your brain can call on that. You've felt sun before, so your brain can just intensify that feeling. But even if you have no experience, it can feel very real. Take flying for example. It's what a lot of people do during their first dream control attempt, yet nobody has ever flown (outside of a plane). Yet they've reported that it felt like they expected it to.

That turned out being rather long, let me know if I was unclear about something.

to DreamViews, Aspiration Realized!

I have to agreewith Webmaster--I have flown so many times in dreams, I really feel like I know what it's like to fly. So I'd have to say dreams are not completely limited by experience.

XD

Don't worry about your length around me. I'm not new to boards, just this concept. I've read a fair amount of BillyBob's tutorials (his are my favorite thus far), before I even registered. So I can take a reply of decent length.

And I see what you mean. Though I heard a rollercoaster example as to imitate the sensation of flying is a bit better than a plane, moreso for me because I love roller coasters and have only flown once.

Well, for example, if you went to the Louve in an LD, you wouldn't be able to place the paintings in the correct wings without prior knowledge, but you could still see them.

Lds are limited by your imagination, because you can imagine an experience, Egypt, but it will only be accurate if you know its accuracy. So LDs are essentially unlimited, but their accuracy is.

Your brain has the ability to infer and extrapolate a wide variety of possible experiences from a relatively limited bank of actual sensory experience, but it will only be as true to life as you can imagine. Webmaster and Jonathan covered it well I think (especially with respect to recreating physical environments), but I would add that sensory experiences in dreams feel as real as you believe they are. Some people might be more adept at conceptualizing things more realistically sure, but if you can suspend any feelings of doubt that you might have, any experience will feel 'real.'

Thanks for the help guys.

of course, it's limited by imagination. But you will always be amazed at how realistic and extensive your imagination can be, I mean afterall, look at what dreams are.