Non-Cooperative Dream Characters

hotapple · Joined: 21 Nov 2010 Posts: 7

As a fairly experienced lucid dreamer, I have become quite skilled at manifesting specific dream characters, ranging from people I know in waking life to celebrities. Generally, my initial interactions with these dream characters are positive. Unfortunately, I have found that lately these characters start to turn on me as the dream progresses. The changes range from the character ignoring me or trying to get away from me as if I'm bothering them, to becoming menacing and chasing me. This typically leads to a deterioration in the dream to the point where I wake up. Sometimes I am able to "start fresh" in a new dream, but when I re-manifest the character the same undesirable traits remain.

I assume that this change in the nature of the dream characters is a reflection of something in my subconscious, but I am unsure of how to take control of this. Has anyone else had similar experiences? Is there anything that you've done that has helped?

roman67 · Joined: 31 May 2012 Posts: 444 Location: London

I have never experienced this. So, I don’t have any idea that what to do in that situation.

Lence · Blogger Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 390 Location: Belgium

Yes, I recognize this.

hotapple · Joined: 21 Nov 2010 Posts: 7

Thanks so much for the suggestions!

Talking with these dream characters in the way you suggested sounds like a practical approach, and is something that I've never really tried. The dream may not unfold exactly how I planned it, but I suppose my dreams aren't exactly unfolding according to plan anyway. Relinquishing my need for control might be a good thing.

I thought that because I had "created" these characters through my thoughts and expectations I should be able to control their actions in the same manner...but I guess if I've learned anything from years of lucid dreaming is that things usually aren't quite that straightforward.

phobetor · Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Posts: 60 Location: Western Australia

Although you created them their role to you cannot be defined by you but must be discovered by you.
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It IS a dream

nailgirl10 · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 1:03 am Post subject:

I don't have much to add to this thread, but I had to laugh at its title. "Non-Cooperative DC's" ...story of my dream life. I sometimes wish there was a "like" button on posts here (a la Facebook).
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I'm goin' in...

roman67 · Joined: 31 May 2012 Posts: 444 Location: London

You can give this suggestion to the moderator for the like button.

Conor12 · Joined: 13 Nov 2011 Posts: 103 Location: Australia

Dream characters can be a real burden. You're just trying to have fun in your dreams and their being all agressive/uncooperative/downright frustrating. Remember that they are created from your own mind, so don't be pushy. Stephen LaBerge's studies have shown that being kind and reasonable with lucid dream characters can yield far better results than by trying to control them. Due to our waking-life morals and expectations of people's reactions, our subconscious feels uneasy about being controlling to DCs, and thus such things as 'dream avengers' can arise as the mind tries to punish itself. But for you it just sounds like (similar to so many of us) your DCs are reluctant in response to your authority.
I agree that you should try to talk to them. You may have unresolved issues that you can help to resolve by speaking to your subconsious via these characters. Remember, DCs are part of your mind. Approaches that we would take to resolve things with people in waking life (eg. talking things through) can sometimes be mmore effective than manipulation, where your mind can refuse to cooperate.