This is a little off-topic concerning DreamViews.
I signed up either there, here or another place when Googling around. I found someone that needed help, I signed up, and I helped them out. Lost track there since my computer died. Trying to retrace my steps when I found this thread. My apologies if I happened to dredge up some ancient post.
I started a thread asking a question about how come many teacher in the spiritual traditions seem to subscribe to the theory of evolution in their material. I was attacked, insulted, and for the most part treated as if I was a complete moron. Then the thread was deleted.
I also started a sort of DreamViews hookup thread, and a female moderator there decided, as near as I can tell, that she didn’t like me. Probably due to a still earlier thread I started offering myself for a hookup for Valentine’s day that in the end gave everyone some good laughs. She insulted me, called me desperate among other things, talked like no female I have ever met (or would ever want to meet) and she moved my thread to Senseless Banter, in essence killing it without deleting it.
I was angry and I considered reporting her. Then I discovered in the Friends list of both Administrators that she is listed, and debated for a bit what to do. I reported her post, she really had no right no move my thread and I did not break any rules. Ultimately I decided to let it go. It’s this whole, “No Attachment, No Aversion” thing I’m doing, compounded with trying to be real me, what non-dualistic teachers write about - I’m trying to get to that point.
Anyhow up to that point I was happy with DreamViews. I helped folks out, found some really good, insightful instructions and even made a few friends. But moderators should not act like that, so I can believe that there are things going on there which shouldn’t be.
Back on subject…
The worst book I ever read, “Soul Flight”, taught the reader that basically it’s all in your mind. You don’t go anywhere when you astral project, DCs are all you, etc. I thoroughly disagree. I am sure that some DCs at least are you. If you created them as aspects of yourself, then you probably also created minds for them to think with. I am even open to being proven wrong, that it is all in your head. But I would still believe that DCs could think. My current belief, subject to change as needed, based on limited experienced and the reading I have done so far, is that in dreaming you encounter aspects of yourself, other dreamers, and possibly even travellers outside physical waking realty, maybe even alien, as in not of earth, in origin, with a waking physical life elsewhere. In such a mix of possibilities the characters, objects and even environments you interact with may have some level of intelligence. Carlos Casteneda talks about “Inorganic Beings” and I have read about “Elementals.” Both are sentient entities you can encounter in your dreams, I have encountered one or the other of them myself, and they have the ability to think.
So those are my thoughts, that DC characters can think, reason, act for themselves, have freewill, etc. They may also be under the control of the dreamer, whether by choice or as an aspect of the dream in the capacity of some sort of role to play, the veritable, not literal angel on one shoulder and demon on the other. The dreamer speaking and acting with themselves for some purpose.
In the end go with whatever feels right to you. Keep an open mind to other possibilities. Never settle for one belief, one reality, to the exclusion of all others.
DreamViews is down again -