Discussing lucid dreaming in school..

Hello

Sometimes I talk about dreaming or lucid dreaming to my school mates, they are usually interested in the subject.

In a philosophy class I started discussing with the school mates sitting beside me, about dreams and lucid dreaming, some of them didn't think that lucid dreaming was possible :S

Well, my teacher heard the discussion and joined us, he is sceptical about one controlling dreams.

Next week we will discuss about consciousness and dreams.

I need some arguments for the possibility of lucid dreaming.

I know there are proofs, be the teacher is not satisfied with that, I need some arguments :)

Google... works wonders :P

Pick up a copy of Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreaming, the first couple chapters, is about how they proved lucid dreaming

There is a lot of scientific evidence to support the truth of lucid dream (note- never say there is scientific proof).

I would start out this conversation with, "How many of you can remember a dream a night, or more? *ideal show of hands* How many of you have noticed that dreams can be really really crazy, like people change or situations are just nuts? *ideal show of hands* Have any of you ever realized that something crazy was going on, realized it was a dream, and woken up? *probably fewer hands, but some* That's what a lucid dream is, and by training yourself to be aware you can learn to ask yourself if you are dreaming when strange things happen and become lucid.

I'd avoid things like anything even remotely linked to the newage, and most dream control (you can mention it, but don't just be like "YOU CAN BE GOD. I PROMISE YOU. I'VE DONE IT I PROMISE YOU YOU CAN BE GOD." You know?

Look into lucid dream evidence and signalling by eye movements, as this is one of the more popular ways to support LDing in a lab. http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/articl...04A0674103.php LaBerge pioneered it I believe.

Thanks for the replies :), but I am looking for some philosophical arguments.

I have read http://www.lucidity.com/SleepAndCognition.html

Evidence is in place then.

Ah... what's it called, mind in a box? Jar? Brain in a jar? Something like that. That would appear to be best, then. Admittedly I have not taken any philosophy courses yet :( Still crossing my fingers that I can get one in before I graduate :shock:

In my "Religion and the Meaning of Life" course (no, I'm not joking) we discussed the "Brain in a Vat" theory. Basically, it all boils down to the realization that what we experience is all made up by our brain interpreting electrical signals from external sources, and those can be faked, although not by technology we currently have. So, given that, it's impossible to say with 100% certainty that what we are experiencing is "real", and we're not just a brain floating in a vat with an assload of electrodes jammed in our gray matter.