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Dreams and Morality

Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 2:22 am
by PsYcHo
I'm going to assume that most of the persons on this forum consider themselves to be morally upright. (This is not a loaded intro, I consider myself to be morally upright too. )

But...

I notice something in my dreams. I usually stick to my basic morals in my dreams, (I don't cheat on my partner, or kill for no reason, or harm those who have not wronged me) but... I steal in my dreams. And not for survival (If you have to steal to eat, that is not a crime to me) but I steal just because I want something in a dream, and I don't feel bad about it.

Does anyone else have dreams where they go against basic morals that they would not cross if awake?

Re: Dreams and Morality

Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 7:58 am
by DarlBundren
PsYcHo wrote:Does anyone else have dreams where they go against basic morals that they would not cross if awake?
I don't think I've ever dreamt about stealing things. I'd find it peculiar since I don't really care about material things that much. Do you? Is there anything you'd like to steal?

Dreams are fascinating. They are probably older than language and much of what we associate with our rational self. It's not surprising that people are less inhibited in their dreams.

Re: Dreams and Morality

Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 8:05 pm
by brimstoneSalad
The typical explanation for dreams is your brain making sense of more or less random nerve impulses, and it will often use things you've been recently primed with.
Temptation or even something you saw on TV might trigger a particular dream.

Sometimes the premise of a dream can be having done something terrible and coping with that. Basically a nightmare. I think I've had a few of those, but I don't really remember... mostly it seems like dreams are things being done to you.

Re: Dreams and Morality

Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 10:18 pm
by EquALLity
PsYcHo wrote: Fri May 19, 2017 2:22 am I'm going to assume that most of the persons on this forum consider themselves to be morally upright. (This is not a loaded intro, I consider myself to be morally upright too. )

But...

I notice something in my dreams. I usually stick to my basic morals in my dreams, (I don't cheat on my partner, or kill for no reason, or harm those who have not wronged me) but... I steal in my dreams. And not for survival (If you have to steal to eat, that is not a crime to me) but I steal just because I want something in a dream, and I don't feel bad about it.

Does anyone else have dreams where they go against basic morals that they would not cross if awake?
Same, it kinda freaks me out when I wake up sometimes.
I'm glad it's not just me, I guess I'm not evil. :)

Re: Dreams and Morality

Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 10:27 pm
by PsYcHo
DarlBundren wrote: Fri May 19, 2017 7:58 am
I don't think I've ever dreamt about stealing things. I'd find it peculiar since I don't really care about material things that much. Do you? Is there anything you'd like to steal?
Actually I'm quite a minimalist. By some standards, I live quite primitive despite being able to afford better. I have no cellphone ( :o ), I wear clothes until they are threadbare, and I purchase 90% of my books second-hand.

The items I steal in dreams are not anything I particularly covet in real life. Occasionally it may be a large sum of money (like a stack of gold left unsupervised in a store for some reason), but just as often I steal items just because they pique my interest; a fancy watch that has a design I like for instance.

Re: Dreams and Morality

Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 10:30 pm
by PsYcHo
EquALLity wrote: Sun May 21, 2017 10:18 pm Same, it kinda freaks me out when I wake up sometimes.
I'm glad it's not just me, I guess I'm not evil. :)
I never said I wasn't evil. :twisted: (I just said I don't go against my own morals...)

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

No one else has experienced anything similar in their dreams?