Dream versus wakefulness

[blazeofglory]

How do you know exactly whether you are in dreams or realities? There are analysts of dreams, Freud and the like who interpret dreams. But are they perfectly capable of analyzing and interpreting dreams? No one is convinced fully in point of fact. And there are thin lines between dreams and realities.

I have read a Zen stories in which a Zen master gives a good account of the stupefaction between dreams and realities. He failed to realize whether he was a butterfly dreaming of being a man or a man dreaming of a being a butterfly.

When the screen is lifted we visualize things, colors, sounds, ethers etc and when the screen is pulled down it gets blurred. Nights and days are like that. Both dreams and realities or wakefulness both get blurred and come to an end. Light is an illusion and perceived when there appear reflections on the retina – a light sensitive membrane in the eye. Or else there is no light and so is the sound. This universe is full of chaos and nothing else.

In fact all of us, human beings, wonder at what we see and at the stuffs we humans and the rest of other beings inhabiting here are. I often am amazed at my existence here. And oftentimes I seek but to no avail. We humans are different from our fellow animal beings in that they rest at peace with the universe but we are always vehemently inquisitive about everything we eye in this cosmos. The likes of them, questions about the macrocosm, our place therein and the meaning about being born here oftentimes disquiet me. And this impels me to share the feelings here on the forum to know whether others too think along parallel lines.

[billl]

Of course, some degree of memory is necessary for our dreams to unfold in an intelligible manner (otherwise every character or object would be seen as if for the first time)--but I am definitely struck by how much more free reign my mind has in accessing memory while I am awake.

In my dreams, I sometimes consider a situation in relation to my past experiences, and those memories often are of people and activities in the real world (e.g. not memories from dreams). Also, in my dreams, I sometimes remember the activities of a previous dream--and I don't really distinguish dream-memories from real-memories, when I'm dreaming. In dreams, both types of memories seem similar (at least usually, as much as I can remember).

In real life, on the other hand, my recollection of dreams is sometimes not very good at all, but when I do remember something from a dream, I am much more aware of the fact that the memory is a DREAM memory, not a memory of a real event.

[Isitandthink]

I am sure most of the guys here know regarding the power of thought.
The ability to influence reality through thinking.

Simple example: The Armstrong guy who had cancer despite his comebacks and success at the Tour De France through his thoughts and attitude. And similarly many miraculous turn of events that mankind has shown throughout history.

So if dreams are defined as: "a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep", the description of dreams as thoughts would have rendered it becoming real because it possess the ability to cause an impact on reality?

After all, it may be that both of them are real due to the above mentioned characteristics just that we experience it during different settings?