Lucid dreaming

[dreamer]

Have you experienced it? You're in a dream and you know it's a dream (or there is at least a vague realization to that effect), but you don't wake up and can control (at least to some extent) what's happening in that dream.

It happens to me every once in a while, maybe two or three times a month. Started a few years ago, I don't know why.

I think this is fascinating and it can be a lot of fun. It's like the ultimate virtual reality. What I find particularly interesting is how well the imagination works if we don't really try to imagine something but let our brains just generate the sensations naturally. What I see in a lucid dream is undistinguishable from real reality, it looks exactly the same, as if I were actually seeing stuff with my eyes open.

I mention virtual reality here because I think this is a good indicator that one day full immersion virtual reality (via direct brain stimulation) will be possible.

One more thing: When I'm in a lucid dream and I want to do something that would be impossible in the real world (like radically modify my surroundings, teleport myself to another place, summon objects and people, fly around etc.) it's often not possible. It only works if I convince myself that I can do it. For example if I want to fly and I start thinking "this isn't right, I should fall back to earth" I will fall. It's almost like the Matrix.