Exploring the Unconscious Creation of Reality
Thought
Contemplation on the interplay between lucid dreaming techniques and reality perception.
Note
Dreaming our reality.
Analysis
When considering the mechanics of lucid dreaming, where the realization of being in a dream allows the dreamer to manipulate the dream environment, we can draw a parallel to our waking reality. The assumption arises that by becoming more aware of the unconscious factors that shape our perceptions and actions, we could potentially exert greater control over our life experiences, akin to the control we have in a lucid dream.
The idea of "dreaming our reality" emerges from the synthesis of lucid dreaming practices and cognitive psychotherapies that aim to reshape one's interpretation of reality. Applying lucid dreaming principles to life means recognizing habitual thoughts and patterns as malleable—not unlike dream scenarios—and working actively to modify them.
Our waking life is the canvas, and our mind, full of preconceptions, experiences, and biases, holds the palette of colors. Understanding the nature of thought as a dream that can be guided holds powerful implications—it suggests that we can architect our experiences and responses in ways that align with a desired reality.
Bisociation, a concept developed by Arthur Koestler in "The Art of Creation", is the intersection of two unrelated matrices of thought, creating an "Aha!" moment. "Dreaming our reality" bisociates the processes of lucid dreaming with cognitive-behavioral activities aimed at altering one's mental narratives and, consequently, their real-world experiences.
Sources
- "Society of Mind" by Marvin Minsky
- "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" by Stephen LaBerge
- "Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Second Edition: Basics and Beyond" by Judith S. Beck
- "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle
- "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman
Papers
- "Philosophical conceptions of the self: implications for cognitive science" by Shaun Gallagher
- "Reality monitoring in the waking and dream states" by Jie Zhang et al.
This reflection merely scratches the surface of a vast interplay between conscious and unconscious processes that shape our lived experience. Bringing elements of lucid dreaming awareness into our waking life not only empowers us with the agency to alter our subjective experience but also challenges the rigidity of our mental models. As we learn to navigate through the layers of our perception, we become architects of our own reality, using the tools of imagination and awareness to construct a life that reflects our deepest wishes and potentials.