Since the brain perceives dreams as being real, does this mean reality could just be a dream?

Answer 1

I've been studying alot about quantum mechanics, conginitive psychology and the like. I personally believe that what you term "reality" is basically how you view the world. Its all in how and what you "think" your world is. Reality is based on thoughts for the most part. Thoughts are like a fantasy, so in a way yeah...reality is a dream [as in a collection of our own thoughts and perceptions]. There are of course fixed laws like gravity and the like. But perception is up to you. You might view the rain as something that will ruin your entire day [thought and perception]. So you will stay in based on your own thinking. However, if i view it as "a little setback, but i can deal with it" [my thought and perception] then i will go about my day happily. Reality is what you think it is, once you get beyond fixed universal laws. Hope i helped ! *crosses fingers*

Answer 2

Dreams are thought of to be a way to keep the brain occupied, or still busy while the body recouperates. Our senses are mostly shut down during this time, so we do not dream of lying in bed mostly, but of things we have already experienced, some kind of collage of our lives, or a certain time. Freud blieved dreams served as a means for us to get over the repression from our superego, which is here internal conflict starts from. We can know that our reality isn't just a dream, like the dreams we have at night because of the functioning of our senses, and mostly our lack of control over everything. In a dream gravity or newton's three laws don't lways apply, in the real world, however, they do.

Answer 3

RU sure the brain perceives dreams as being real? Haven't you ever dreamed that you know it's a dream, but make a *conscious* effort to play it out to the end? Even if you've had that dream only once, that's pretty strong evidence the brain does not perceive dreams as being real. Also, we have learned from Gestalt that the brain tries to make sense of things. There is little hope that dreams can ever make sense. So Gestalt sleeps b/c it knows it's function is useless as dreams are not real.

Answer 4

Indeed. But in today's societies, those individuals that perceive that reality is a dream are under psychiatric care or in mental institutions (or for the unlucky ones, wandering the streets and alleys of our cities and villages). In ancient cultures those special people that found that reality was a dream usually occupied exhalted positions such as shamen or priests.

Answer 5

I guess it all is a matter of PERCEPTION, both dreams and reality- That's just how the brain works, and something we dont fully understand (ie, what is consciousness?)
Our brain PERCIEVES things to be what they are, whether real, or, in the case of maybe a crazy person, they think certain things are FAKE, that people are lying to them, or that certain truths/facts are not true, etc. etc.
It's all dependent upon how the brain recognizes and responds to things-- real things, fake things- that determine our "reality"- which can easily be very warped (body image, ego, paranoia...) in less real or more real ways and so on...

Answer 6

It's possible, but what does it matter? Even if I am in a dream, or if my life as I know it is a figment of imagination, I still think and feel in the here and now. I still have to mow the lawn, pay bills, go to work....Whether or not my life is "true" reality, it is MY reality, and that's all that really matters.

Answer 7

I often feel that my entire life is and has been a dream and that I will wake up.
Some times dreams can be prophecy but the majority of the time it is the subconscious muddling everything together.
If you are stressed about something the brain does not rest while you are asleep so becomes confused.

Answer 8

Dreams are more likely a peek into another dimension or dimensions where we exist as spirits without appendages, but are little more than a spot of light. When some of the stuff in dreams is completely unique it is hard to believe you made it up. Of what?

Answer 9

Philosopher Rene Descartes discussed this a bit. He said "cogito ergo sum", which means "I think, therefore I exist". So if you are dreaming, you still have to exist or you wouldn't be capable of dreaming. But that doesn't nessesarily mean that your dreams "exist" or that your reality isn't a dream.
:-)
Philosophy is fun!

Answer 10

Ah... matrix style, hun??
Could be... I guess then that our aim in life would be to get up!! I guess in a way what you are saying is true. The knowledge of God and self realization that we are supposed to attain through life is supposedly for our 'awakening'.
Maybe religion is all about waking up from this dream???!!