Real Life of fiction?

[polmc]

I mean, it's not easy to define the word real right? But we frequently refer to the 'daily' life as the real life, and dreams like a fictional reality. What do we mean when we say real? Is it 'real' just because other people "experience the same" (objective reality), and fictional/ilusional just because its subjective and can't be proved with the actual theories and instruments? Couldn't the real daily life be just a dream, a huge shared lucid dream, with the intent-attention-focus of so much people and living-beings into it, that it becomes completely objective and persistent? (this is Castaneda's posture about reality). What do you think?

[Bonsay]

Everything you say is correct. Why do we call this real? Probably because it's too risky not to. It looks too real to doubt it openly, not saying that some don't (like me).

[polmc]

Everything you say is correct. Why do we call this real? Probably because it's too risky not to. It looks too real to doubt it openly, not saying that some don't (like me). Well, I guess that the point is not to doubt this reality, but to consider the 'other' reality (dreams, etc.) as real as this one, I mean as valid and mysterious as this one. This could just be like a dream that repeats itself, to which we are just too tied to change it.

[little nemo]

[QUOTE=polmc; Couldn't the real daily life be just a dream, a huge shared lucid dream, with the intent-attention-focus of so much people and living-beings into it, that it becomes completely objective and persistent? (this is Castaneda's posture about reality).[QUOTE] Castaneda is not the only one who has described reality in those terms. I have read much about the dream state differing principly from waking in that it directly and instantaneously manifests our individual interior condition, whereas waking reality accommodates the physic 'landscape' of every living thing at once, needing the elements of time and space to allow this to happen. In both cases the reality flows outward from within. If we look at our daily lives with this in mind we can learn volumes about ourselves. In other words; our waking experiences mirror the interior self just as faithfully as our dreams do.

[lagunagirl]

Couldn't the real daily life be just a dream, a huge shared lucid dream, with the intent-attention-focus of so much people and living-beings into it, that it becomes completely objective and persistent? (this is Castaneda's posture about reality). but if all our lives were dreams then how do we dream? it would be like dreaming of dreaming. which I dont think makes sense. And I thought shared dreaming was a myth... but I dont really have a theory or a real decision about that, i just heard it wasn't true.

[luv2dream]

I personally dont like it when people say dreams aren't real. Of course they're real (to me at least). They exist, because you create them (with your subconcious, but still) and you experience them. I think that when you daydream, of course whatever you're imagining isn't happening, but the thoughts are real. Dreams are more real than that of course because even though it's not exactly happening, you are experiencing everything. And of course, lucid dreams are the most real, but not only because it feels more real, but (because since you can control everything), all the things that happen really ARE happening... just... inside your head. but that doesn't mean it's not happening. I'm kind of having a hard time explaining this, i hope it wasn't too hard to follow

[polmc]

In both cases the reality flows outward from within. If we look at our daily lives with this in mind we can learn volumes about ourselves. In other words; our waking experiences mirror the interior self just as faithfully as our dreams do. Well that's really interesting, and its nothing new, a branch of neo-platonism (not christianity) considered that the outside world and the inside world were directly connected, being the outside somehow part of vast soul. You can read Plotino, for instance. If you've seen What the bleep do we know, that new quantum physics is also discovering that reality is much more mysterious thant what we thought. It says that the observer has much more participation in the reality outside than just the plain mechanical view of the official science. I think those new discoverings (some of which our ancients knew) are making dreams and reality something less different!

[♥Mark]

Couldn't the real daily life be just a dream, a huge shared lucid dream... Every time I read this, I die a little inside.

[Bonsay]

There is nothing shared about this "reality", it also wouldn't be a huge lucid dream. If we were lucid, then we wouldn't need to find the question to 42. You can't really prove anything else but that you exist.

[Alex D]

Life wouldn't really be a huge shared lucid dream if we didn't know we were dreaming.

[Pollonator]

Did u guys saw matrix? al lucid dream is not to far away from that, so the "world" in ur dreams does exist in ur brain, and it is real as far as i know... ur brain simulates every single impulse generated by the body, every feeling, u will even preoduce adrenaline, and ur hart can accelerate also, so if it feels real, simulated but completly = to the ones in real life, then it is real...

[polmc]

Hmm, matrix is somehow similar to what Im trying to say. But when I say dreams could be the same as reality. I mean totally equal. Can dreams (lucid dreams, OBEs, etc) be explained fully as some functions inside the brain? In theory, the brain, as the rest of the matter, is just a group of atoms and electrons bouncing eachother -> some lifeless peaces of matter behaving randomly. I mean, OK, scientifically you can explain it with some weird theories, but after living it and experiencing dreams and LD;s and all of those extraordinary things, I just can't help but say THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ELSE!! Dont you feel the same?

[Pollonator]

For some time I believed there was something else, but, LD;s , actualy helped me explore myself, recall memories I couldn't, and changed my way to see things like "what is real" or "evil-good" perspectives... After reading a LOT, and experimenting with my own mind, I now believe there is nothing else like a supreme beeing... But there is some harmony in the universe, so that we exist. That "harmony" makes me feel like there is something else.