Thread: Math in dreams

I doubt anyone reading this has ever tried this, but can dream characters do math? I sure they could do simple things that you have memorized like 2 + 2 = 4, but do you think they could do problems like 13 x 17 or something like that?

That would be incredible if they could, it would really show how powerful the unconscious mind is, but I kind of doubt they can. I think they would probably very confidently give you a random number that is close to what you would think it would be.

Also do you think it is possible for you to do paper and pencil math in dreams? Could your mind actually keep straight what you have 'written' down? Again, I think that would be incredible if it was possible.

I remember, recently, that I was doing math in my dreams. I don't remember the exact results at all, but I think I was calculating my grades, like I often do IRL. Haha, I don't know if that really answers your question...

But it definitely shows what a big nerd I am, a math nerd especially XD

That's an interesting question. I actually had a lucid dream where a DC and I were playing a math game of some kind which involved adding/subtracting numbers. Although the DC in that dream was a sort of creepy, disembodied voice...

Regarding whether we could do math while lucid - again, I think the answer is yes. Although writing things in dreams can be unreliable. Sometimes it stays perfectly stable and consistent for me, but other times it might change or be difficult to focus on.

About a year ago, a member named nothin7 did a really interesting study on what people can do in lucid dreams. His hypothesis involved differences in brain hemisphere functioning. He even posted a PDF of the finished paper later in the thread. Good stuff, check it out:
Think you can do anything in a lucid dream? Participate in an empirical study!

Thanks DuB for that link, that was really interesting!

this is a (low priority) goal of mine, i think it would be interesting to know if i could do a bit of calculus in a dream.

You must already know the answer in order for the DC to give you one?
How about asking a question which you don't know the answer to.

I decided to try this last night and I was surprised at the results.

I became lucid while riding in the car with my parents. I asked my mom what 7x8 was and she said 6. I laughed and said, "6?" She wasn't sure of her answer after that, but she couldn't come up with a new one.

I then asked my step dad what 3x11 was and he couldn't come up with an answer, but my mom tried to reason through it. She started saying, "Well that would have three 11's..." I think she ended up saying 66 or something with a 6 in it again.

I was really hoping they'd be really quick at math. I guess I was using up that part of my brain at the time