Are you dreaming? If not how do you know you aren't dreaming?

Question

i pinched myself in my dream last night, it hurt but i was still dreaming. that pinch in the dream sure didn't wake me up.

Answer 1

I believe that one of the Greek philosophers asked that same question. Socrates I believe it was. Said we were all just a dream. You only feel, see, and taste things because you think you can. Life is all in your head. Creepy ain't it?

Answer 2

Depending on what the dream was about and/or how vivid it was, your sleep pattern could have been interupted, causing you to be less rested upon waking up...which is how I know I had a dream even if I can't remember details...I wake up and feel as though I have gotten no rest.

Also, I find that if I am able to fall asleep instantly, the old "I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow," scenerio, I usually don't dream. If I am awake and thinking about things, good or bad, I usually dream.

As for knowing when you are not, I guess there really isn't any way to tell unless you go into a clinic and have them hook you up to a bunch of wires and sleep for them. Then they can tell by your brain wave patterns and are able to more accurately state whether you have dreamed or not.

And finally, am I dreaming now? Well of course not. LOL If I was dreaming, I wouldn't HAVE to go to work, pay bills, feed cats, cook, clean, tend the animals, etc. Those things might need to be done in my dream, but I wouldn't HAVE to do them. And I have a feeling everything would be a bit more surreal if I were dreaming now...and it's not. So no, I am not dreaming at this very moment.

Answer 3

First of all, my dreams mostly involve audio/visual sensations, yet I feel a distinct pain in my knee from where I fell down and scraped it this morning. Also, the sequence of events in my mind is proceeding smoothly and logically, whereas my dreams tend to have illogical shifts, i.e, one minute I'm in my old bedroom at my parents' house (where I no longer live) and the next I'm at the grade school or high school that I haven't attended in decades. Instead, I'm experiencing things like typing on the computer, my cat meowing, and the phone ringing. It's not an exciting reality, but it is reality nonetheless.

Answer 4

truthfully you can't answer this question because of all we know we know by theory in a dream how do you know that pain doesn't hurt for all you know when we are sleeping that could truly be reality that we are actually alive in how do we know that the pain we feel at the time isn't just a figment of you imagination the truth is you can't tell it is impossible to know something that is beyond the comprehension of someone who is trapped in an enigma that he wants to exist really for all we know we are sleeping and when we die we have finally woken up I mean when we are sleeping it has the same effects of being dead except while we are sleeping our body tries to pull us back to this supposed reality so how can we truly know that this reality isn't a dream and if it is a dream how do we reach the true reality. It is an enigma a question that the answer doesn't exist in a simple yes or no the answer is something that sides with neither.

Answer 5

I am conscious. Aware of everything about me. Not been to sleep since I woke up this morning. When I pinch myself it hurts. I am not dreaming I am awake.

Answer 6

it is called lucid dreaming
u can so tell if u r dreaming like if there are lights around and there is a light switch, flip it. and if the lights cut off, u r not dreaming. and if the lights r still on and wont come off then u r dreaming
same thing vis versia
hope i helped
also u can watch a movie called "waking life"
it is a really cool movie

Answer 7

No, I'm consciously and fully aware of my environment.

In my dreams either the environment is not logical (i.e. things out of sync) or I am unaware of the illogical or nonsensical happenings. Once I become fully aware or overly anxious I always wake up, such is the case for everyone.

One cannot be conscious and unconscious at the same time.

Answer 8

well, when I dream I remember what I was dreaming about sometimes... or my sister hears me talking in my sleep, but you won't remember every thing, you will remember bits and pieces... but if not then it will seem like you closed your eyes and it was dark, no images were flashing by, no "inside of the head movie" going on, it will just be black or red and then you will wake up it will seem like you closed your eyes for about 4-10 seconds, that is the best I can explain.

Answer 9

pinch yourself. If it hurts your awake.
if you don't think of it, you are most likely sleeping.
if you think this is a dream, it's not cause i'm real!!

Answer 10

In my dreams, I live a perfectly happy life. That's how I know I am not dreaming at this moment.