I’ve yet to have an LD, but I was wondering about something…
From what I’ve read, it’s possible to fly, to run super fast, to break walls down with your fists, and etc. in an LD. But these are things that can be manifested physically. How about doing extraordinary things mentally? Such as calculating the square root of 5,366,536 in your head, or reading an entire book (that is if you can even read coherently in LDs) in minutes and still comprehend it. It doesn’t seem logical to me that extraordinary mental tasks can be done in an LD. Mental tasks are done with the conscious mind, and so are lucid dreams right? Does consciousness alter in an LD? I can’t comprehend that. It makes sense that perhaps you can have a higher level of consciousness. Maybe that would help doing mental tasks a bit better than normal, but nothing that would be godlike. Physical tasks I can understand because you’re in your own dream world. You are GOD. But mental…
wow! Great question, I’m yet to have a LD, but am getting VERY close, so if I have a lucid dream any time soon I’ll try. My guess is that you will be able to ‘read’ a book in minutes, but not every word, just sortof soak in the info, like if you’re on a telephone in a dream, you may not hear the other person but you can tell what they’re saying. Does that make any sense at all?
Hmm, good question
I have no experience with it, but there were also threads talking about stopping time.Some people said that they did it, dreamed a dream that lasted 5 hours in the dream world, although they only slept for one hour.
If something like that would be possible, you could also read a whole book.I don´t want to raise the time question again, though, since it already has been discussed in detail (if you are interested, just ask the search)
Anyway, generally said all your imaginary, creative abilities are enhanced in dreams, but your logical abilities are decreased.
So, I think you would have problems with anything like math, but you could perhaps write a song or poem better than while awake
Lucid dreaming is different to every perosn. The best way I could describe a lucid dream is by telling you to look around you right now. This could be a dream right now and you dream will be alot like this.
As for computing big numbers and performing physical tasks, that is up to your imagination and what you want to accoplish with them. Try to read a book by eating it… it just might work.
A very intriguing question! I would like to point out that voluntary physical acts are controlled by your conscious mind, just as are various mental feats. Since this is the case, I see no reason that one couldn’t possess various mental superpowers. I don’t know if you’d classify this as a physical or mental feat, but some people can cause objects to levitate in their LDs. Traditionally, this is seen as some kind of mental power. I will have to experiment with computational feats and get back to you. If anyone has any experience with this, please share!
Stephen La Berge addressed this question in his book EWLD. He wrote that some inventions(I forgot which ones) were thought of thanks to lucid dreaming. He cited one example of this kid that was taking chemistry in college would solve complex equations in his lds and they turned out to be 99% accurate when he tested them out in real life resulting in an A+ in the course. So I guess that you can really think at a higher level while lucid dreaming.
mbb809, your post reenforces my belief that extraordinary mental feats are possible in LDs. They say that the average person only uses around 10% of their brain. Perhaps in LDs, being able to overcome the various mental blocks we have created due to our upbringing and conditioning, we can use even more of our brain’s natural power in the dream state. In dreams, we are able to cast aside the shackles of logic and religion and other hindrances and truly free our minds.
Maybe I was misinterpretted so I’ll try and clarify.
When I say ‘physical’, I mean things that you can do or manifest with your conscious mind. In this case, levitation would be a physical task since you’re imposing your will on something to lift it up.
I can’t think of a good way to explain what I mean by ‘mental’, so I’ll give some examples.
Computations and calculations (like I mentioned early) are things I consider mental tasks. Also, perhaps mental coordination; like playing a musical instrument. Has anyone gone into a dream and played Beethoven on the piano? I could see a problem with this since you’re in a dream, and you could be just pressing random keys and Beethoven would still play out. So if someone wants to try this make sure you can (1) read piano notes in RL, and (2) make sure the piano is not ‘rigged’ and that the piano keys work correctly.
Well, maybe that made it a little more clear on what I’m looking for. I just have a hard time of transfering my exact thoughts to words.
I just think it’d be weird going into a dream and being able to make insanely large calculations or something, and then waking up and not being able to do it. It’d probably make me depressed or something.
The case that LaBerge cites is of a guy doing computer flowcharts in his dreams, though it doesn’t actually say that these were charts he couldn’t do when awake.
And the fact that you seem to be capable of impressive physical feats in dreams doesn’t mean much, since you actually aren’t. You haven’t genuinely gained these abilities, your subconscious simply provides its best guess at what the results would look/feel like. I’d imagine that if you tried solving an incredibly complex piece of maths your subconscious would just do the same, take a guess.
There seem to be advantages to thinking through problems in dreams; Kekule’s envisioning of the structure of Benzene, or another case that LaBerge mentions of someone visualising 4D space are good examples, but these seem to be instances of people looking at a problem from a different angle, rather than suddenly gaining mental abilities far above normal.
I have tried that few times… it seems to depend on how lucid you are and how logically you’re thinking. I had some dreams where I’m extemely lucid and able to think logically, I seem to become highly intelligent and am able to solve problems that I’d never do in my real life. So, in a way… I do learn from my dreams, but if I’m not as lucid and am not thinking as logically, I am as stupid as a monkey. Hope you see my point.
I play guitar in my dreams quite often (as in RL). I have noticed that sometimes it sounds normal and sometimes I just cant seem to play right. The last dream I played guitar in was a few nights ago. I was playing a Bach piece I have been working on in RL and not only did it sound normal, but I played it exactly like I play it in RL (all notes were where they should be). So playing instruments in dreams is possible (for me anyway ). I’ve started incorporating my reality checks into my guitar playing so I can have a better chance to get lucid and play .
I’ve had “computer coding dreams” when I was taking computer programming courses in college. I’ve heard that these are common dreams for computer programmers.
When I had a programming project due for class, my head was filled with programming code. One night I had stayed up late to work out a bug in my program. When I was trying to go to sleep flowcharts, computer code, and all that junk constantly ran through my head. When I woke up I knew exactly what I needed to edit to make it work, and it did.
Anyone that has played the game Tetris can relate. Remember being “Tetrisized?” It’s when you see the game pieces in everyday life and you mentally try to fit them together. Hmm, an L-shaped tetris piece would fit perfect between that book shelf And when you tried to sleep your mind ran through hundreds of tetris shape. Heh, how insane.
Another mental excercise I remember doing was practicing the piano. I was trying to learn “Fir Elise”(Spelling?) at the time and I honestly think my dreams help me alot in learning this piece. In the dream the notes and keys seemed accurate, unlike reading.
I think it’s very difficult and next to impossible to read one sentence in a lucid dream, much less a book. I’ve been able to read and remember names and phrases, but they often change if I try to re-read them.
I think you raise a great idea for us to examine. Physical feats in our LDs are easy, but it’s the mental challenges that seem less explored and can be more puzzling. I think this aspect of lucid dreams is where we can extract the most potential.
PS. Is it 2316.5785115121827012271868735649 Thanks to MS calculator.
Interesting what you said about your programm-dream.Perhaps I underestimated the “mental power” of dreams.They certainly can be a great help if you are thinking so hard about a problem that you can´t see the simple solution.You know, to give you another point of view.
I also know that Tetrisized.Although, I like chess more, it often makes me think about were this hore/jumper could go g
And when you tried to sleep your mind ran through hundreds of tetris shape. Heh, how insane.