Thread: reference to lucid dreaming?

does anyone else think this bob dylan song is a refence to lucid dreaming?

it's the second to last verse:

Oh the foes will rise
With the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'.
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real,
The hour when the ship comes in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuNTPSSwq5s

skip to 2:34

I don't see that as a reference to lucid dreaming...

Oh the foes will rise
With the sleep still in their eyes
(Enemies will wake up from their sleep, surprised at the attackers.)

And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'.
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real,
(They'll hope its a dream, but realize its real life.)

The hour when the ship comes in.
(the time off attack.)

Nothing to do with lucids.

what i thought was a reference was the fact that he says:

"And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'.
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real,"

they think they are dreaming so they pinch themselves to check? isn't that one method to know that you're lucid while your in a dream?

Originally Posted by six66picupstyxx

what i thought was a reference was the fact that he says:

"And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'.
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real,"

they think they are dreaming so they pinch themselves to check? isn't that one method to know that you're lucid while your in a dream?

Pinching yourself is a terrible reality check. You pinch yourself... why? Because a myth has been perpetuated that you cannot feel pain in dreams. But this is false, and if you are really in a dream and pinch yourself, thinking about it causing pain, chances are you will feel pain. You'll assume it's reality and move on.

So yea it's about lucid dreaming in the same context that a Looney Tunes episode where Bugs Bunny pinches himself because something weird just happened but then realizes that Elmer Fudd really is dressed up like a plant and that he's not dreaming is. I agree with Delphi on this one.

Strangely, the notion of pinching yourself to make sure you're not dreaming is very widespread. I have so many memories of seeing it in media as a child, before I even knew that lucid dreaming existed or was possible. I wonder how it started, and if it was started by lucid dreamers?

Originally Posted by Shift

I wonder how it started, and if it was started by lucid dreamers?

As it's a rather useless reality check I doubt it was started by lucid dreamers. But who knows.

Originally Posted by Iamerik

As it's a rather useless reality check I doubt it was started by lucid dreamers. But who knows.

Well I just mean the notion of it. "Pinch me, I must be dreaming!" You hear it everywhere. Songs, movies... Funny, a society that won't really talk openly about LDing but that has that phrase floating all over the place Yea, maybe someone pinched themselves and it didn't hurt. I mean it probably won't ALWAYS hurt, it's just not trustworthy.