Showing respect to Dream Characters?

Last night I had a lucid in which there were a lot of dream characters. I tried to kiss one of them and she didn't like it so I stopped (this often happens). Afterwards, some other dream characters came after me to punish me for disrespecting their friend. In the next dream, I woke up in a school in which I explained my worries to a school counselor (still lucid). I explained how I was frustrated that DCs were always having their own will about things and I felt a loss of control over my dreams because of it, and I often have to change my plans to respect their wishes.

He explained that it's good that I respect their wills because, in fact, they aren't just my DCs, they have a consciousness of their own, and it's actually really annoying to have people from my planet come and do what they want. They live in a different dimension and they call people from Earth "Trees." In the room were two little kids from Earth who had also crossed over, who were speaking to a woman counselor.

How do you guys feel about respecting DCs? Have you had similar conversations with teachers from 'different dimensions'? Do you believe the theory or have you persevered and learned to control DCs more effectively? I want to enjoy my LDs but I don't want to disrespect anyone.

Interesting dream stuff :) I have had some similar convos with DC's and it's been made clear to me that it's best to respect them.

One lady tried to explain to me what they were ...like if they were all from my imagination or like if they had their own consciousnesses or are just parts of me - like its my dream so I must be the main person right ...- she kept saying things like " no it's not quite like that..." etc as I was asking questions but we never got to the crux of it - maybe I wasn't able to get it ...not sure...she kept ending by saying it's very hard to explain exactly - I am still investigating as I have only just began

Thanks Patience108! I'm also going to respect my DCs until I can be convinced otherwise after some more investigating when I'm next lucid. Good luck with figuring it out!

It always interests me too the knowledge that DC's can share. Lots of times it contradicts from one to another but it's still always interesting to me to hear their responses. I often try to ask them their understanding of what's happening in the dream, for example the other night I asked one if we (myself and the DC's) were all part of the same consciousness. The answer was kind of hard to get out of him almost like he didn't want to admit it, but in the end the answer was yes. My next question was well then what's the point of lucid dreaming and the answer was surprisingly simple, "for enjoyment." I gotta say that's enough of a reason for me these days. Flying especially never gets old.

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in fact, they aren't just my DCs, they have a consciousness of their own, and it's actually really annoying to have people from my planet come and do what they want. They live in a different dimension and they call people from Earth "Trees." In the room were two little kids from Earth who had also crossed over, who were speaking to a woman counselor.

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This really made me think. If DC's really do have their own consciousness and the dream world is really another dimension, it would change a lot imo on the whole topic of lucid dreaming and how people view it. Either way, I'd say it is right to treat them with respect. All of my encounters with DC's have led me to believe that they do have their own consciousness, so it really struck me reading your post Astroneironaut.

#DCsArePeopleToo

You can make the dream character do what you want but if you see it as more than a dc that can reject you it will be hard. Dreams can make dream characters appear as if they have a mind of their own but they don't. Although, I do believe that shared dreaming is probably possible I doubt it would occur a lot. So choosing what you want to do with a dc isn't bad, it can be disrespectful,, but in the end your chances of it being a real person is slim in my opinion.

Hate to be a bit of a downer, but I've always gone into lucid dreams with the mindset that they, along with the world and any bizarre physics it may have, are simply my creations. So, while its occured to me that they could be sentient, I've never given it much serious thought. Once I get into a dream, most dcs obey me automatically, anyway. Because they are basically unreal, I can't say I give them much in the way of respect. Generally speaking, whenever I go to sleep, I do as I please.

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Dreams can make dream characters appear as if they have a mind of their own but they don't.

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Not meaning to go off topic, but remember DreamCafe, I'd say we still know very little of the nature of dreams, as the same is with the origin of consciousness. For all we know we could all be DCs in a persistent world inside of someones head. That'd be so crazy lolol. I'm not saying all DCs have their own consciousness, but there are a few from time to time that surprise me and they don't seem to be apart of me in general. Some of the DCs I have encountered I have had perfect conversations with; everything they said made perfect sense and I swear they knew things that I've never even come across before. But then again, that brings me to the topic of astral projection so I won't get started on that haha.

One things for sure, there is a definite reason our mind is often compared to the universe.

I remember in "Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self", Robert Waggoner talked about when he hit a phase in lucid dreaming in which DCs began responding totally differently than what he expected, and he seemed to have less control over them. At this point, like you Astro, he began questioning whether or not these characters had their own consciousness. He also talked about how he ended up in several dreams with "dream panels": DCs who were super rational/clear thinking. They were always very interested in his progress, and responded in such a way as to suggest that it was their reality.

He connected this idea to the psychologist Carl Jung, and his theory that there are elements of our unconscious that have their own inherent consciousness. Basically, he theorized that there is more consciousness 'within us' than just our waking consciousness; our unconscious could possibly have it's own awareness in actuality.

Buddhist traditions also talk about clear light dreams in which we may be given messages by cognizant entities. These often are our real life teachers.
Hope that bit helped!

I'm fascinated by the apparent autonomy of certain dream characters. I find this topic very provocative. I just don't have enough data yet from first hand experience to know precisely how I feel on this subject.

Great topic for a thread, though!

Great conversation all around!

Astro, it seems to come down to the energy of the dream. What I mean is you are absolutely allowed to do whatever you want, it is a dream. That said you will find that the energy between you and the DC is either harmonious or dissonant. When you are harmoniously moving it will feel ok and your kiss with her will be a passionate and loving one. When you are dissonant you can still kiss her yet it will feel awful and wrong.

Energy in dreams is often overlooked, yet you can with practice make any dissonant relationship harmonious. By aligning in harmony with your dream charachters you may kiss any of them (anywhere you please) and they will only love you all the more for it.

In dreaming, more than just aiming to be a dictator, learn also to sense and manage the energy of your dreamscape. You will be a beloved ruler for doing so.


As for how to do this, it is mostly an innate skill. See her there, connect with her, and then kiss her.


Now you absolutely dont have to do this. This is just if you would like to show respect, which is a respectable skill in dreaming and in life. As others have mentioned it is absolutely possible to rule by brute force. These charachteres ARE real however. As real as you, me, and imagination can ever be, which is why it may serve us all best to treat them as we would like to be treated.


Dream on :cheers:

I would imagine the extent to which a dreamer would accord respect to a DC would be based, at least in part, on your personal belief as to whether they are autonomous, conscious forces or beings. If they are, are believed to be, or can be shown to be mere creations of our own subconscious with no more "reality" than a cartoon drawn on a piece of paper or a hologram, then the respect, and/or "morality" of behavior accorded them in your dreams would likely change.

Since I've been unable to chose between these two views as to what DC's really represent, I've chosen to err on the "respect" side. Sex (as in real life - for example) would only be consensual with a DC.

I've had conversations such as these and have been told it is best to be respectful as well. Being righteous is a virtue everywhere.

To say whether dream characters are sentient or not we would have to define what they really are. From my experience they can be partially formed by us (the way we perceive others), partially by the people that they represent (if we know them), and also by unknown external forces (non-human). You can use your imagination to investigate that last aspect.