sarcasm aside, this (blocking/being blocked by people who disagree with my interpretation of the book) is actually a source of frustration and sadness for me, like

i want to see that discourse because i want to understand the arguments that the antis are making, not only because i want to be able to tailor my counter-arguments to specific assertions, but also because a broken clock can be right twice a day. i’m not so entrenched in my jgy stanning that i can’t respect a good argument about another part of the book, another character dynamic, just because it comes from someone whose takes on jgy specifically are superficial at best, or rancid at worst.

like. we’re not gonna be buddies if you hate jgy and think he’s a monster, but if you say something insightful about wwx or wen ning or wen qing or nie huaisang (especially huaisang!!), i do actually want to see that?? if you say something that makes sense or piques my interest, i might still be galled that the interesting thing came from a jgy anti (because really, the nerve), but i will still end up sitting with that interesting thought. but now i can’t. because you blocked me! or i blocked you at your request.

i guess this is why i so rarely block anyone even when their jgy takes make me see red, because even if they are guaranteed to also see red nine times out of ten when i post something, there’s always the chance that i’ll write something about another part of the book that resonates with them, and vice versa. and it bums me out that those opportunities for lightbulb moments from unlikely sources are becoming fewer and fewer.

World of Lucid Dreaming LOG IN Lucid Dreaming Fast Track Can You Confuse Lucid Dreams with Reality? by Paul via Email SHARE EMAIL FACEBOOK TUMBLR TWITTER REDDIT GOOGLE+ PINTEREST If everything you see, hear and feel in lucid dreams is the same as when you're awake, how do you know you're dreaming? Can you confuse lucid dreams with reality? What is the objective difference? Rebecca Turner Rebecca says: Great question. This is a common misapprehension about lucid dreaming and I'm more than happy to set the record straight. In my experience (and, I'm sure, the experience of many lucid dreamers) it is not possible to confuse lucid dreams with reality. With the power of conscious thought behind you, knowing you're dreaming is as intuitive as knowing you're awake. Any deviation from that truth would be an indication of psychosis, and I see no evidence whatsoever to tar lucid dreamers with that brush! In fact, this myth of confusing dreams with reality stems from a common misunderstanding that lucid dreams can "feel" exactly like waking life. People think that if this is so, then the two states must be indistinguishable. While conscious dreams can FEEL real, there are other factors, such as memory and logical thought processes, which clearly distinguish these states. To illustrate this I have mapped out three separate states of awareness - waking reality, lucid dreams and normal dreams - as I experience them: Lucid Dreams vs Reality So while lucid dreaming is a conscious experience, it's a completely different state from being consciously awake, and it is easy to distinguish so. How Do I Know This Isn't Real? Philosophical arguments aside (what if reality is a dream itself?) here's a more specific example from last night's lucid dream and why I couldn't possibly confuse it with reality. There's nothing special about this example and I believe you could apply all the same rules of logic to any other lucid dream. In my dream, I was standing on a mountain over a forest. The desire to fly made me realize I was dreaming. I became lucid and the scenery shot into focus - suddenly I could see thousands of pine trees as vividly as real life. I got a sense of how high up I was, and now, when I looked into the distance, I could see the shiny silvery sea. If it looked so real, how could I be sure I wasn't awake? I was standing on a mountain I was talking to an odd looking character I'd never seen before I had no memory of how I arrived on the mountain Moments earlier the scene was dream-like I said out loud "my body is asleep in bed right now" I had a memory of my real "normal" life I could fly and there was little sense of gravity I could fill the atmosphere with invisible waves to fly higher ...and so on... But, you might argue, this scene was too fantastical to confuse with reality. So what if I dreamed lucidly of a very boring and lifelike scenario...? Lucid Dream vs Reality My experience of being in my living room in a lucid dream is not the same as my experience of being in my living room in reality. The lucid dream version is self-contained. I can only hear things in the immediate vicinity or whatever my consciousness is focused on. I don't necessarily know what day it is, nor what time of day. The world beyond the living room doesn't exist yet until I go there. As a result, I tend to perceive only my localized bubble of awareness and there can be little room for separate lines of thought that don't directly manipulate my dream reality. While awake, I might sit in my living room and daydream about being on a beach, while simultaneously being aware of both locales. In a lucid dream, daydreaming of a beach would most likely result in me appearing there, and the living room scene being left behind. In this thought-driven reality, thoughts drive the behavior of the "physical" dream world. And of course, the big giveaway is, in a lucid dream I can do impossible things like push my own fingers through my hand (see: reality check). However, this is typically used to distinguish a dream from reality, and not the other way around. Indeed, 95% of the population goes to sleep every night and fully accepts their dreams as reality. It's only when they wake up they realize it wasn't real. In this sense, you can confuse normal dreams with reality, can you not? But there is no concern for a sane mind to become locked in the belief that they are lucid dreaming, when in fact they are awake. The Memory Exception Have you ever recalled a memory of something trivial then realized it wasn't a real memory - but a recollection of a dream? For a moment you were fooled. Why? Memories are tricky. They are blurry and subjective and emotionally rooted. You can't critically analyze them in hindsight and so it's easy to confuse snippets of dreams with real life memories. By the way, we're talking about mundane memories here - a snippet of conversation perhaps - not jumping off the Empire State Building! False Awakenings A final word on false awakenings - aka dreaming of waking up. These can be exceptionally realistic dreams, like the most vivid kind of lucid dream, and yet you still don't know you're dreaming. Because you dreamed of waking up, you naturally assume you are now awake. Confusing, much? A false awakening has all the characteristics of a lucid dream (vivid, intense, self-awareness) without realizing you're dreaming or taking conscious control. It is a good example of a scenario where you can confuse a dream with reality based on it's tangible and realistic nature. The worst case scenario in a false awakening is you get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, head out the door for work... only to wake up, back in bed again. This next awakening can be a false awakening, too. And so it can be a frustrating cycle. The answer is to perform a reality check when you wake up. Often this transforms a false awakening into a lucid dream! And while for some people the experience may frustrating as it plays out, I don't believe there is really any doubt of reality when you finally do wake up for real. Objective thought will reveal whether you are dreaming or not... and the only reason a false awakening persists in the first place is because dreams lack objective thought. This is the key to distinguishing your reality for what it is - and it's automatically provided by a healthy human consciousness. SHARE EMAIL FACEBOOK TUMBLR TWITTER REDDIT GOOGLE+ PINTEREST About The Author About the author Rebecca Turner is the founder of World of Lucid Dreaming. She is currently studying for a science degree in Auckland and becoming famous as a science writer. Try our free lucid dreaming course and connect with the team on Facebook and the lucid dream forum. Learn how to control your dreams - with daily lessons straight to your inbox. 5f27cbb00c421495846819-10-steps-e-course.jpg 10-Steps to Lucid Dreams The most popular free lucid dreaming course on the web - enjoyed by over 30,000 lucid dreamers since 2013. Enter your name Enter your email address GET LUCID! LATEST The Anatomy of a Dreaming Supplement A lot has happened in the last 5 months. But how did we go from business as usual to changing the face of the entire lucid dreaming supplements industry? It’s a story that I think will interest you – and you might even learn a thing or two in the process. When I was first taken on-board as Chief Lucidity Officer in 2016, one of the first things I was tasked with was taking a good look at our operations and giving things a bit of an overhaul. LATEST Socially Triggered Awareness Socially Triggered Awareness Reality Test (START) Induced Lucid Dreams Lucid dreaming, like any advanced skill, requires a considerable investment of time, energy and dedication in order to master. Yet, as a lucidity researcher, I'm regularly asked by those new to the subject, for an easy and low-effort technique. Something that LATEST How to remember your dreams How to remember your dreams To lucid dream, I recommend being able to remember at least one vivid dream per night. That will boost your self awareness in dreams (making lucidity more likely) and also means you can actually remember your lucid dreams. Which is nice. Here are four detailed tips on how to remember your dreams more frequently. And if you don't think you dream at all - trust me, you almost certainly do. It takes an extraordinarily rare sleep disorder to deprive someone of dream sleep. LATEST Mugwort Dream Sage of the chumash Mugwort: Dream Sage of the Chumash Indians It is estimated that these wise and wily Indians have been using mugwort in their healing and ritual practices for 13,000 years, where it is known as the ‘dream sage’. They use the herb to promote good dreams, which they consider an essential aspect of normal human functioning! But that’s not all... LATEST Silene Capensis Silene Capensis: The African Dream Herb Silene Capensis has been used for millennia by the Xhosa shaman of the river valleys in the eastern cape of South Africa, where it is known as Undela Ziimhlophe or 'white paths'. It's fragrant white flowers open only at night, when they emit a fragrant and almost hypnotising aroma. Also known as African Dream Herb or Ubulawu, Silene Capensis induces spectacularly vivid dreams - yet has never entered the mainstream and remains a fringe taste within western culture. FEATURE How to have amazing lucid dreams How to have amazing lucid dreams Experts agree that everyone is capable of having lucid dreams. Dreaming itself is a normal function of the mind. We all dream every night, even if we don't remember. And we all achieve conscious awareness while awake every single day. So what does it mean to combine these states? Why, the amazing ability to have conscious - or lucid - dreams. Sounds simple, doesn't it? So why do I keep hearing from people who say they can't achieve their first lucid dream? 10 steps to lucid dreams Neuroon Open Kickstarter Homedics HDS 2000 Sleep Relaxation Machine 17 things I learned in 17 years of lucid dreaming How long can you survive without sleep? Bestselling Books on Lucid Dreaming 30 common dream symbols Top 10 lucid dreaming mistakes Famous Lucid Dreams How to create original music in a lucid dream How do dreaming pills work Copyright © 2008-2017 World of Lucid Dreaming. All Rights Reserved. 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