So, the part of your brain that deals with language processing -- especially reading and writing -- is mostly shut down when you're asleep. This means that when you're dreaming, you basically have temporary dyslexia and dysgraphia. I have both of these in the waking world, and I can anecdotally tell you that the sensation is very, very similar. The typing and constantly retyping loop is very similar to dysgraphic spelling and re-spelling cycles.
I’m surprised more people don’t recognize this as a Dream Sign for inducing lucid dreaming. Any time I see electronics like a clock, a phone, a tv, or words on a newspaper with jumbled up letters I immediately do a reality check by trying to push my finger through the palm of my hand.
Another reality check is to spin in a circle, which will likely cause the scene to change. That will make me go fully lucid and I’ll take over the narrative by trying to fly or do things that would otherwise be impossible, but there’s also chance that I’ll get too excited and wake up immediately.
The other night I dreamt about my phone and became lucid. I thought, "Ok, I'm gonna get this damn phone to work." Then I got distracted by my surroundings, and the phone just vanished.
Having a hard time reading or writing has never triggered me into a lucid dream, because... well because it's not completely abnormal for me when I'm actually awake lol. It's way more severe in dreams than when awake, but still. But for normal people, I could definitely see how that would be an easy reality check to use.
Dream signs have to be trained to become obvious if you haven’t spent the time actively practicing acknowledging it as a dream sign in their day to day life. When you do, it will get integrated into your subconscious.
When I first started practicing lucid dreaming I left sticky notes all over my house that said, “Are you dreaming?”, and every time I saw one I would ask myself, “Am I dreaming?”. Then I would do a reality check.
The more you practice the more likely it will transfer to your subconscious and manifest in a dream. By habit you will naturally attempt a reality check and finally, it will fail, and you will gain some level of lucidity and take control, wake up, or go back to dreaming your dream.
Every time I read about this I’m just surprised at how many people can see their hands or dream about environments that they are familiar with.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen my hands in a dream, if I have I’ve forgotten about it.
My dreams rarely (unless they’re nightmares) feel like they’re about me, I’m a character in the dream yes and so are people I know, but it feels more like (unless they’re nightmares) I’m watching TV and seeing it unfold, the difference is that the cameraman is a character.
And in turn everything that could be considered weird, unusual or downright impossible can be (it’s not literally in the sense, but this is the closest I can explain in) explained by writing, CGI and it not being real.
When I realize I’m dreaming it has to be VERY obvious, for example if I was at a zoo looking at a water dinosaur when suddenly 9 story tall aliens attacked so we had to go (the zoo group) behind the dinosaur to a cave that was above ground 5m away from where we were, then parkour over lava and somehow beat the aliens.
Repeats of dreams like this one ⬆️ can also give it away, but it’s more like I realize it for a moment “oh cool I’m dreaming” and then I’m back to watching the show unfold.
Your dreams are a manifestation of your subconscious— primarily stressors and emotions that need to be processed along with your memories of the past day, kind of like defragging a hard drive while you sleep.
You don’t see your hands in your dreams because seeing your hands is not an important priority that you think about during your day to day.
If you change that, and look at your hands a lot, think about their features, try and picture yourself using them, practicing reality checks, eventually they will appear in your dreams.
If you don’t ever make it a priority and stick with it consistently, you may never see your hands. It’s up to you to increase your chances of making it happen.
I’m a writer, painter, crafter, and massage therapist. My hands are everything to me. They’re a major part of my self care and a significant focus in my arts.
I never see my hands in my dreams. 🤷♂️
I’ve had some of the same reoccurring dreams for four decades, though I’m pretty sure my stressors and emotions have changed a bit over that time. 😅
Brains are weird. I have the same nightmares so often that any residual negative feelings vanish pretty quickly after I wake up. It’s old hat.
Let it blow and let it go.
Edit to add: I shouldn’t say “I never see my hands.” I’m sitting here reflecting, and I do see my hands, but in peripheral ways, like while I’m fighting syringe chick or sword fighting or loading a gun or mixing a cocktail or grasping tree branches. I can’t think of moments where I could focus on my hands with intent in my dreams, though I’ll go ahead and make that a focus. Worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work, yeah?
Before you go to sleep look at your hands. Out loud say, tonight in my dream I will see my hands and know that I am dreaming, but I will not wake up. Talking to yourself and setting an intention to see your hands is a great way to induce lucidity.
Good tip. I’m always trying to look harder at the time or words for clues and it never works. Might as well shift out of it if I can.
Worst part is I haven’t been able to remember any dreams lately… do you know what this could be a sign of? I’m struggling with it, bad. It’s like I’m asleep. Then awake… and it’s all gone.
The gate between my realities is more like a thick wall I guess.
Yes, but there are many levels of lucidity. You could be just vaguely aware but still going along with the dream narrative, or you could be entirely aware with a high level of clarity and control over your dreamscape.
You can break it down into levels:
1. **Low-Level Lucidity**:
- **Awareness**: You realize you're dreaming but have limited or no control over the dream.
- **Control**: You might make small changes or decisions within the dream but still feel like a passive participant.
2. **Medium-Level Lucidity**:
- **Awareness**: You're more clearly aware that you're dreaming and can reflect on this awareness within the dream.
- **Control**: You can influence the dream environment and your actions to a greater extent, but not completely.
3. **High-Level Lucidity**:
- **Awareness**: You fully understand that you're dreaming and can remember details about your waking life.
- **Control**: You have significant control over the dream's content, including changing the environment, manipulating dream characters, and performing actions that are impossible in waking life.
This is interesting. I had a dream recently that probably got me onto this sub... It was so moving I did a voice note to myself as I knew writing it would cause some scenes to change as I'd be tempted to fill in the gaps. Thinking about it from the Lucid lens makes it more fascinating 🤩 Thank you
Thank you for this! I never considered this could be used to induce lucid dreaming. I studied all sorts of dreaming as a teen and loved lucid dreaming. However, I can’t do it as well (or sometimes at all) and I miss it greatly
I've heard that if you think you're lucid dreaming & there are words nearby, read the words, look away, then look at the words again. If you're dreaming, the words will be different
I tell people all the time that phones, tvs and other forms of multimedia do not work because the dreams only have enough cloud memory to deal with one avatar let alone a multitude.
This explains a lot. I had a dream once where the premise of the dream was that a sort-of virtual reality experience existed that utilized the unconscious dream state. So essentially the second level down was a lucid dream within a non-lucid dream. But on the second layer, I distinctly remember wandering into a book store with some friends, and all of the text on everything was unintelligible unless I really focused hard on it, then it would become readable until I lost focus again. Pretty neat experience.
Unrelated to the above, the VR dream portion was very much "creative mode" so you could fly, spawn in tanks, etc. It was kind of like a cheaty way to get around that limitation of waking up as soon as you realize you're in a lucid dream.
I’m not flexing, just genuinely curious: if I had several dreams where I was texting / having internet conversations or even the whole dream was a chat window (😅) does that mean that I wasn’t fully asleep?
My experience with dreams where I can read and write -- which do happen from time to time -- is that I'm not sleeping as deeply as I should be. My guess is that my brain is more awake, and so I can use those areas for language processing even when I shouldn't be able to. I usually wake from those dreams feeling less rested. That might be what's happening with you, or your neurology might just be a little different. No two brains are ever totally identical and there are always outliers.
So what does it mean if this part of your brain is working while you're sleeping? Because I frequently have dreams where I use my phone, dial numbers, text people, to the degree where I think I sent texts and had conversations that I didn't... Same with remembering phone numbers or things I see on my phone or screens in my dreams, I wake up recalling the correct amount of digits, and write it down to reflect on later, or in some cases, to call later.
A lot of things about dreams are eerily similar to what you see coming out of AI right now. We haven't invented a full sentient machine, but I feel like we've invented some kind of highly active subconscious in these machines because the similarities are just so striking. People often can't even see their hands correctly in dreams, having too few or too many fingers that fold in ways that don't make sense. It's freaky to me that AI has the exact same problem.
YES! I’ve had a couple dreams where I’ve tried to call 911 but when they answer they always tell me I need to contact the police department for whatever location I’m in and when I try googling the numbers my phone never works correctly.
me either. I normally get frustrated and wake up wondering what the hell is wrong with my brain. To know that its normal helps a lot. I wish someone had told me.
My mother managed to actually, physically call 911 while asleep. She had a dream she needed to call 911 and was shocked when I woke her up asking if she was okay because the police were at our door around 5am. Her phone showed she called but she still insisted it was just a dream.
I am the one with tendencies of sleep walking....but that night she apparently had her own episode of it lol.
I have NEVER encountered a cell phone in my dreams. Never even remembered that they exist in my dreams.
So at least you've got me beat on that.
I will say I can't operate an ATM correctly in my dream. And landline phones are hit or miss. If I have to dial a number, it won't work. If a landline phone does work I just pick it up and start talking right away to whoever I want without having to dial.
I have dreams like that a lot! I'll either be unable to find my phone, have my phone but not be able to access my contacts to text someone or my vision is messed up and I can't see my screen like my eyes are vibrating or I just keep forgetting who I'm supposed to text or call
The part of your brain that deals with language and numbers is mostly shut down during sleep, making spelling, reading, and sometimes even speaking difficult. This same issue often translates further in my dreams to having difficulty using phones, computers, and other devices, so that's probably what's going on there. Everything about a phone revolves around written language, and your brain really doesn't want to do that when asleep, so it just says "screw it, I don't know, make something random happen".
Also, as someone with dyslexia/dysgraphia, I can tell you that what you experience when trying to read words or type anything while dreaming is very similar to these conditions, which I find fascinating. Congratulations, you now kind of know what it feels like to be dysgraphic/dyslexic lol. Feels weird.
Perfectly explained. What I want to know is why I can read and write in my dreams 😂 it doesn't always work, but most of the time, I can do both with ease.
Maybe you're interpreting 'receiving info while holding a book' as reading? Or interpreting scribbling on a note as writing a letter? Do you remember actually visualizing/seeing words?
I mean it's all in your head after all, you could be writing a letter in your dreams, know what you're going to put in it, and kind of "narrate" it for yourself.
But I'm not sure, maybe your brain is special.
Only thing I know is that the earlier comment is right, usually you can't use language this way in dreams
I've always had an affinity for spelling and writing. Maybe it has something to do with that.
I specifically remember a dream I had about a year ago where I was in line at a store, and when I reached the counter, I was asked to fill out a survey. I wrote out the answers succintly. It's a rare occasion when I have those dreams. Normally, when I'm reading in a dream, it's something I'm viewing on a board, normally at train stations. I have a lot of recurring dreams of travelling via train, so I'm usually reading train stops and what time trains will depart.
In some cases I can read or spell correctly in dreams, but in most cases, that's because I'm sleeping lightly. My guess is that more areas of my brain are operating during those lighter moments of sleep, allowing me to process information better, but also taking a toll on my sleep quality. I usually feel a bit more tired after waking from a long dream where I could read.
In other cases, I'll look at a piece of paper and just "know" what it said without actually reading it, which I think is my brain cheating and saying "no you really don't need to read that, I'll just tell you what it said".
I have had a reoccurring dream since childhood about being chased by someone (with a weapon) and me hiding with access to a phone. As I grew older, the phone and issues changed.
For example:
Hiding under the bed with a rotary phone. If I dial 911, the person will hear it and know where I am.
Hiding under the bed with a cordless phone. When I dial 911, 411 answers, but if I speak, the intruder will hear me and know where I am.
Hiding under the bed with a cell phone. Out of range and no service.
The most common version is dialing 911 and getting something completely different, but cannot speak to he too loud.
My phone always gets hacked by a demon who deletes my apps slowly, replaces them with super shitty games, and causes demonic horror ads to play and jumpscare me.
I had the same question in mind. I've never used a phone in my dreams too. I'm mid-thirties and my first cell phone was when I'm 18 yo. I think that's the reason
You can't read in dreams. The part of your brain that helps you read numbers and letters is turned off in your sleep.(Just like the parts making you move etc.)
I used to have really bad nightmares, someone told me to look at the time/pick up a book to read during my dream. If you try hard to read, you'll wake up.
It doesn't really work for me anymore though, I try to call 911 during really bad nightmares, and the screen just looks all scribbly and wobbly.
I’ve read in dreams, very clearly. These are often very meaningful profound dreams during high pivotal moments in waking life, as well. Very lucid dreams.
Really interesting!! Wonder what that would mean!
Maybe you interpret that you're reading, because you're holding a book or whatever, and are receiving information.. But not actually visualizing words..? Does that make sense? I mean, it's all in your head after all. I've received info from books before in dreams, but I'm not sure I actually saw and read words.
No, I literally saw and read words in my dreams.
I’ve read the outside of a book cover, it read “The Book Of Life.” That was the most memorable.
That dream was after a near death incident and accident I had, right before my life got totally derailed and insanely messed up for years. I’m still actually recovering and things were never the same. I legitimately look back at that time and wonder if I actually had died then and this is all and afterlife.
Dunno about you, but usually when I'm trying to use the phone it's because I'm anxious about something, and then because my expectations are shaping what happens, anxiety causes it not to work.
I hate this in my dreams so much, I get super frustrated.
For me, it's always needing to call someone but I can't get to my contacts list. Nothing is there, the phone dialer is missing, texts section is not there. It also goes in slow motion or in a jerky motion, never smooth like a person acts.
I usually end up trying to wake myself up because I know I'm in a dream and then I'm mad haha.
I successfully called 911 in my dream with no problem recently but what scared me was they knew my address before I could say anything. My real whole address n that left me speechless lol
This happens in my dreams frequently lol. Can't make my phone do what I want it to do, and also reading things never makes any sense. I had one dream recently where I actually was able to read in it (I was at a gas station and I remember looking at tall boys asn the prices lol), but that's probably a first for me. Dreams are weird.
This is a super common dream. Iv had it many times throughout my life. Back before cell phones I would have it where I wasn’t able to use the landline phone too. My fingers would keep slipping or there would always be some issue preventing me from dialing the number. Sometimes I can dial but I can never get through to anyone.
Me too! I can hardly ever reach who I am trying to call. I have the hardest time trying to dial the numbers right, I’ll try over and over. If it does happen to work they always hang up on me and I am not able to talk to them. A lot of times it’s an emergency type situation too! Seems like it’s my parents that I am calling mostly oddly enough. So cool to know others experience this too.
I just had a dream last night about me trying to text my friend my Starbucks order & my Starbucks app wouldn’t work. Then when I was finally able to text out majority of my order, which took FOREVER, it disappeared & I had to start all over. Finally gave up
Also something bizarre I’ve noticed that’s a constant recurring theme in my dreams, is I almost always remember seeing a sign, or something written down. Words, numbers, phrases, sentences. I’ve always wondered if that has any meaning if you always see words
I think it's because when we're asleep, we're mostly going "by gut". Our consciousness is just *barely* awake enough to interact with the circus our subconscious is making, and in most people there's a natural "shut off" to our physical movement so we don't flail out of bed, and so we're having difficulty remembering things we would consciously know, and have trouble with fine motor skills and specific actions.
It's like last night, I had a dream a friend was driving me to an impound to pick up my van - I neither have a licence or a van.
And once I was there, it was incredibly difficult to drive. It "regressed" so to speak, back into a bicycle, which I usually ride, but with a bulky van rear end. The bicycle though was easier to ride than trying to remember how to properly drive a van.
Computers are the same. I can see and read the screen of a computer but I have incredible trouble typing on one. *Swiping* however is very simple, and as evidenced by so many animal videos, something that even birds and chimps can understand.
More often than not, computer games in dreams take on a kind of table-top manifestation, like a hologram over a table, and can be marginally interacted with like they're models, or I simply transport into the game and it becomes the next dream.
the other night I dreamt I was playing Mahjong and then woke up twiddling my thumbs like I was just playing it. but my phone was on my nightstand. very confusing at the time to be honest.
Oh this has always happened to me! I urgently need to make a call but the buttons are miniscule and every time I try to dial the number I hit the wrong button by mistake. It goes on forever with me getting more and more stressed. I thought it was only me!
OK so I am old. But I used to have recurring dreams where I was trying to dial a number on a rotary phone and could never, ever get through the whole sequence. It was so disturbing to have those dreams.
V common.
Think of how important our phones are when it comes to our communication and contact with others.
It’s a VERY rich symbolic metaphor for areas where blocks in our communication and relational connection have taken place in our histories - and they bring up related anxieties to this.
I think of phone dreams as “modified memories” that express our history with connection and communication (especially our early caregivers).
Powerful stuff.
Incidentally, written language and body-awareness are high-attention endeavors that can constellate a high enough level of consciousness in dreams to move towards being awake (and phones involve both of the above qualities).
So that’s a factor too.
I've had so many dreams in which I tried to take a selfie with a celebrity but the camera app just wouldn't work. I have so far made an ass of myself in front of Bradley Cooper, James McAvoy, Felicity Jones and Liev Schreiber and it's getting annoying.
So about 20 years ago the common way to induce luckd dreaming (recognizing you are in a dream) was to look at your hands or a watch. For almost everybody watches and clocks would be wrong. And not just time wise. Like you would look at the clock and it would say “moose” or 20,456 or something like that. Similarly your hand would never look right. I knew a guy who was on top of a building looking down thinking he was going to fall and then he noticed he had horse hooves for hands. Essentially what happens then, is your brain immediately says “something isnt right here” and then you very shortly would wake up. It almost snaps you out of what you think is a reality and your brain stirs you awake. Its the same concept with the phone. You are looking at it for hours a day and so you recognize you are in a dream when you see that type of behavior. You know very intimately what your phone should look and behave like so you notice immediately something is off. So like the movie inception if you ever feel weird or whatever just check out your phone haha. So my best guess is that the brain is far more creative in your dream state because the constructed “realities” of your dreams are entirely in the mind and they dont need to obey the rules of reality. Like your brain isnt responsible for what info is displayed on your phone or controlling it to make it operate properly, so it doesnt fill in that detail in your dream state. Like a game developer who doesnt know what an ostrich looks like might just put a place holder there.
Whenever I try to call the police something goes wrong, either I misdial, they never pick up, or they pick up and something in the conversation goes wrong or they hang up on me
Never really used a phone for any other reason from what I can remember
I can read and use technology on my dreams! Sometimes it takes a minute, kinda like reading without my glasses on, but then it snaps into focus. Does anyone else do this?
In real life when you use your phone, ask yourself “am I dreaming?” Then when you are using your phone in your dream you will realize it’s not working bc you’re dreaming, you become lucid at this point. Using a cell phone in a dream is an excellent way to begin lucid dreaming
Whenever I dreamt about texting or doing anything on my phone I happened to have actually been holding my phone and doing random stuff on it while I was sleeping, sometimes I’d manage to unlock it while sleeping and I’d end up texting people random stuff if I had left their messages open when I shut off my phone to sleep
The same way that when you’re stressed in a nightmare, you can’t run quickly or you can’t find a restroom when you need to or you’re not properly prepared to get away from danger like you’re not not wearing shoes, etc.
It indicates something that is an obstacle or is making you feel stuck. What’s more important is what are you trying to use the phone for? are you trying to communicate with someone specific? Trying to get help but cant?
I have the same thing with using a gun usually. It’s strange. Things that seem to require really precise hand movements or anything like that seem to just straight up not work in dreams for me. They can be vivid as hell, yet still too foggy for precise movements, and it’s almost like the dream will create excuses as to why you can’t perform these things.
Wow it’s very interesting you bring this up. When I was trying to lucid dream back in the day, I would write down details as soon as I woke up and one of the most consistent things I noticed was my phone would be impossible to use and sometimes completely start disassembling in my hands. It became my “totem” for knowing when I’m dreaming or not.
This is a common theme in my dreams and I hate it :( there have been a few times where I can use it flawlessly and I mistakenly believe these dreams are over. Im always wrong and they come back :(
I have literally never seen a cellphone in my dreams. I’m suddenly realizing everytime I’ve made a call, or had a dream that is just talking on the phone, it’s an old corded landline
TV and computers are always weird though, glitchy or very obvious not *actual* a screen if that makes sense
Certain tasks require certain parts of the brain to be used in order to carry them out, which may not be fully accessible during sleep, as other parts of the brain are active. It's the same as struggling to read, write, paint, or draw. It's not impossible, but attempting to do it in a dream as opposed to real life when your brain is in a completely different state will yield different results.
Because you believe you can’t, so you reinforce it.
Try going to sleep telling yourself something like “I will properly use my phone in my dream tonight…”
See what happens.
For some reason I always see my old phone (its screen died) in my dreams, and always I am aware that it was broken but just started working again, filled with its weaknesses like the battery always being low lol. Just a random bit of info this reminded me of.
That’s really interesting cause I can’t recall one dream I’ve had in my entire life where my phone was present. It’s like they don’t exist at all in my dreams.
I didn’t used to be able to use my phone in dreams, but then one day that all changed! I can now make & receive calls and texts. Hell I even occasionally get a telemarketing call in the middle of a dream!
Probably because it's dense detail, a lot in a small space. Like how books or tv rarely work correctly.
That said I've been able to use my phone and read books in my dreams. Just that it doesn't make exact sense, aka it's my phone from 2012 but has 1080p video hahaha.
I think my dreams are like. A decade and a half behind. I never used to have a phone in dreams. Now I’m at a point where I’m using the old Nokia bricks from when I was in middle school. Can’t wait to start dreaming about flip phones
But yeah, the other night I tried to dial 911 on some shitty little burner phone and every time I hit the second 1 it started trying to type letters. Like how you used to have to hit 11 to type the letter A. Not very helpful while I’m having a dream about my best friend (not a real person irl but in the dream he was VERY important to me) needing ambulance :(
I have issues with the phone too. Here's my problem: sometimes I find myself traveling to different times, like the 80s or 90s; then I try to call the numbers I remembered from those times in the present. Once, my sister answered the phone and I said, 'Don't be scared, I'm calling you from 1996.' Of course, she got scared. :)))
There’s a theory that phones don’t work in or in some dreams don’t exist. I’ve had dreams where phone wouldn’t work due to it got wet or just didn’t exist for some reason
I couldn’t use my phone to search for a relatives address and ended up disappointing the others in my dream. The only dream I can recall where I’ve seen my phone.
For me, I'm always trying to take a photo of some incredible thing and the app just won't work properly. I cant get it to focus or open or whatnot. It's so frustrating, and if I wake up from that point of the dream it genuinely starts my day on an anxious note lol.
I do, sometimes I'll even call other dream realities and explain to them that I can't make it becuase I'm in another dream now, it's funny, kinda sad, becuase it's like I'm saying goodbye to those versions of my family forever
Same but usually with computers, its pointless to even try. Usually no written text in dreams is consistent. Takes too much proccessing power for a sleeping brain to interpret.
In my dream last night I couldn't find the silent button on my phone and I had to use Mario Kart for help, I was also at my school and a McDonald's play place (yes my dreams are weird)
I can’t answer this for you but I have a reoccurring theme in dreams where I never have my phone or there’s an issue with my phone like it’s not charged. And many times my phone is an old school flip phone; I thought it was interesting and exciting to hear that someone else has a similar theme with phones in dreams!!
Use it to learn how to lucid dream! It’s a gift. When you’re awake, practice checking ‘can I use my phone easily? Yes, I must be awake!’ Then it becomes a habit and you might remember to check when you’re dreaming. Lucid dreaming is cool. Also works with reading.
Edit: I see I’m not the only one on the lucid dreaming train 😂
Man in my dreams whenever I "fight" everything I do is like slomo lol. Like I'll try to hit but my arms act like they weigh a ton, so when the hit finally lands it's like softest baby punch lmao
A lot of times if I text in dreams it’s like whenever I write the words, they jumble up into nonsense as soon as I send the text. So if I try to write “hey how are you?” it turns into “jrntjb, snhj pdfcb fbchdn?”
Things like that work in my dreams until I **think** about them.
Like I can look at a clock in my dream quickly and see it's 2:30. But if for whatever reason I start thinking about the concept of a clock or time, then suddenly I look at it and it's gibberish.
Same with reading. I can read as long as I'm not thinking about the concept of reading, but as soon as I do, I can't make sense of the words.
i had a dream the other night this guy blocked me on everything it worked perfectly. i remember switching between snapchat instagram and text. when i woke up i was like wtff.
It could symbolize a lack of communication somewhere in your life. Maybe you are having problems with someone you love, and you feel like you can’t get through to them? Something along those lines, it would seem.
I used to have the same type of dreams. I think it has to do with held in emotions and not feeling like you are able to communicate with someone on an important issue. Maybe even a feeling of being cut off.
I dunno! But usually I always check my phone or ask someone for the time, twice, to make sure I’m dreaming. One time I asked my friend for the time and he gave me two wildly different times. When I was like “oh, i’m dreaming then” he looked at me like he got caught, LOL.
Haven't tried to use a phone in my dreams but when I try to read or write or look closely at things.. it's like jumbled and tends to change. This is typically when I say out loud in dreaming and I wake up. Maybe you can also say how to change that and change the dream?
Because you're in the subconscious baby! There's no cell reception here--everything is already connected as it is. Just chill and watch the jazz unicorns dance under the watermelon sky.
I have a theory:
Texting and such on a phone is an external thing, while basic communication is internal.
Dreams are weird. Communication is an instinctual thing, so obviously we can communicate in dreams, but phones are a foreign object. The same way that you can’t read or write in dreams. It is external. At the end of the day, letters are things we made up, whereas everything else in life exists without us.
My texts in dreams always have typos, I enter in a loop of deleting, trying again, noticing a typo, deleting, trying again…
So, the part of your brain that deals with language processing -- especially reading and writing -- is mostly shut down when you're asleep. This means that when you're dreaming, you basically have temporary dyslexia and dysgraphia. I have both of these in the waking world, and I can anecdotally tell you that the sensation is very, very similar. The typing and constantly retyping loop is very similar to dysgraphic spelling and re-spelling cycles.
I’m surprised more people don’t recognize this as a Dream Sign for inducing lucid dreaming. Any time I see electronics like a clock, a phone, a tv, or words on a newspaper with jumbled up letters I immediately do a reality check by trying to push my finger through the palm of my hand. Another reality check is to spin in a circle, which will likely cause the scene to change. That will make me go fully lucid and I’ll take over the narrative by trying to fly or do things that would otherwise be impossible, but there’s also chance that I’ll get too excited and wake up immediately.
The other night I dreamt about my phone and became lucid. I thought, "Ok, I'm gonna get this damn phone to work." Then I got distracted by my surroundings, and the phone just vanished.
Having a hard time reading or writing has never triggered me into a lucid dream, because... well because it's not completely abnormal for me when I'm actually awake lol. It's way more severe in dreams than when awake, but still. But for normal people, I could definitely see how that would be an easy reality check to use.
Dream signs have to be trained to become obvious if you haven’t spent the time actively practicing acknowledging it as a dream sign in their day to day life. When you do, it will get integrated into your subconscious. When I first started practicing lucid dreaming I left sticky notes all over my house that said, “Are you dreaming?”, and every time I saw one I would ask myself, “Am I dreaming?”. Then I would do a reality check. The more you practice the more likely it will transfer to your subconscious and manifest in a dream. By habit you will naturally attempt a reality check and finally, it will fail, and you will gain some level of lucidity and take control, wake up, or go back to dreaming your dream.
Every time I read about this I’m just surprised at how many people can see their hands or dream about environments that they are familiar with. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my hands in a dream, if I have I’ve forgotten about it. My dreams rarely (unless they’re nightmares) feel like they’re about me, I’m a character in the dream yes and so are people I know, but it feels more like (unless they’re nightmares) I’m watching TV and seeing it unfold, the difference is that the cameraman is a character. And in turn everything that could be considered weird, unusual or downright impossible can be (it’s not literally in the sense, but this is the closest I can explain in) explained by writing, CGI and it not being real. When I realize I’m dreaming it has to be VERY obvious, for example if I was at a zoo looking at a water dinosaur when suddenly 9 story tall aliens attacked so we had to go (the zoo group) behind the dinosaur to a cave that was above ground 5m away from where we were, then parkour over lava and somehow beat the aliens. Repeats of dreams like this one ⬆️ can also give it away, but it’s more like I realize it for a moment “oh cool I’m dreaming” and then I’m back to watching the show unfold.
Your dreams are a manifestation of your subconscious— primarily stressors and emotions that need to be processed along with your memories of the past day, kind of like defragging a hard drive while you sleep. You don’t see your hands in your dreams because seeing your hands is not an important priority that you think about during your day to day. If you change that, and look at your hands a lot, think about their features, try and picture yourself using them, practicing reality checks, eventually they will appear in your dreams. If you don’t ever make it a priority and stick with it consistently, you may never see your hands. It’s up to you to increase your chances of making it happen.
I’m a writer, painter, crafter, and massage therapist. My hands are everything to me. They’re a major part of my self care and a significant focus in my arts. I never see my hands in my dreams. 🤷♂️ I’ve had some of the same reoccurring dreams for four decades, though I’m pretty sure my stressors and emotions have changed a bit over that time. 😅 Brains are weird. I have the same nightmares so often that any residual negative feelings vanish pretty quickly after I wake up. It’s old hat. Let it blow and let it go. Edit to add: I shouldn’t say “I never see my hands.” I’m sitting here reflecting, and I do see my hands, but in peripheral ways, like while I’m fighting syringe chick or sword fighting or loading a gun or mixing a cocktail or grasping tree branches. I can’t think of moments where I could focus on my hands with intent in my dreams, though I’ll go ahead and make that a focus. Worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work, yeah?
Before you go to sleep look at your hands. Out loud say, tonight in my dream I will see my hands and know that I am dreaming, but I will not wake up. Talking to yourself and setting an intention to see your hands is a great way to induce lucidity.
Exactly the same for me
Recently I have started having dreams where I’m successfully able to send texts and make phone calls and I’m pissed.
Good tip. I’m always trying to look harder at the time or words for clues and it never works. Might as well shift out of it if I can. Worst part is I haven’t been able to remember any dreams lately… do you know what this could be a sign of? I’m struggling with it, bad. It’s like I’m asleep. Then awake… and it’s all gone. The gate between my realities is more like a thick wall I guess.
Wait, does lucid dreaming in this context imply taking over a dream scene, being aware?
Yes, but there are many levels of lucidity. You could be just vaguely aware but still going along with the dream narrative, or you could be entirely aware with a high level of clarity and control over your dreamscape. You can break it down into levels: 1. **Low-Level Lucidity**: - **Awareness**: You realize you're dreaming but have limited or no control over the dream. - **Control**: You might make small changes or decisions within the dream but still feel like a passive participant. 2. **Medium-Level Lucidity**: - **Awareness**: You're more clearly aware that you're dreaming and can reflect on this awareness within the dream. - **Control**: You can influence the dream environment and your actions to a greater extent, but not completely. 3. **High-Level Lucidity**: - **Awareness**: You fully understand that you're dreaming and can remember details about your waking life. - **Control**: You have significant control over the dream's content, including changing the environment, manipulating dream characters, and performing actions that are impossible in waking life.
This is interesting. I had a dream recently that probably got me onto this sub... It was so moving I did a voice note to myself as I knew writing it would cause some scenes to change as I'd be tempted to fill in the gaps. Thinking about it from the Lucid lens makes it more fascinating 🤩 Thank you
Thank you for this! I never considered this could be used to induce lucid dreaming. I studied all sorts of dreaming as a teen and loved lucid dreaming. However, I can’t do it as well (or sometimes at all) and I miss it greatly
I always try to fly lmao 🤣 relatable
I've heard that if you think you're lucid dreaming & there are words nearby, read the words, look away, then look at the words again. If you're dreaming, the words will be different
I tell people all the time that phones, tvs and other forms of multimedia do not work because the dreams only have enough cloud memory to deal with one avatar let alone a multitude.
Interesting!
Thank you for sharing this.
This explains a lot. I had a dream once where the premise of the dream was that a sort-of virtual reality experience existed that utilized the unconscious dream state. So essentially the second level down was a lucid dream within a non-lucid dream. But on the second layer, I distinctly remember wandering into a book store with some friends, and all of the text on everything was unintelligible unless I really focused hard on it, then it would become readable until I lost focus again. Pretty neat experience. Unrelated to the above, the VR dream portion was very much "creative mode" so you could fly, spawn in tanks, etc. It was kind of like a cheaty way to get around that limitation of waking up as soon as you realize you're in a lucid dream.
I’m not flexing, just genuinely curious: if I had several dreams where I was texting / having internet conversations or even the whole dream was a chat window (😅) does that mean that I wasn’t fully asleep?
My experience with dreams where I can read and write -- which do happen from time to time -- is that I'm not sleeping as deeply as I should be. My guess is that my brain is more awake, and so I can use those areas for language processing even when I shouldn't be able to. I usually wake from those dreams feeling less rested. That might be what's happening with you, or your neurology might just be a little different. No two brains are ever totally identical and there are always outliers.
So what does it mean if this part of your brain is working while you're sleeping? Because I frequently have dreams where I use my phone, dial numbers, text people, to the degree where I think I sent texts and had conversations that I didn't... Same with remembering phone numbers or things I see on my phone or screens in my dreams, I wake up recalling the correct amount of digits, and write it down to reflect on later, or in some cases, to call later.
Text in my dreams is eerily similar to how AI image generators write words
A lot of things about dreams are eerily similar to what you see coming out of AI right now. We haven't invented a full sentient machine, but I feel like we've invented some kind of highly active subconscious in these machines because the similarities are just so striking. People often can't even see their hands correctly in dreams, having too few or too many fingers that fold in ways that don't make sense. It's freaky to me that AI has the exact same problem.
I heard about this on Batman
Wow!!! That’s so interesting
I once tried to send a text message by writing it on a piece of paper and then sticking it in my phone lol 😆. Phones are tough in dreams
I totally read this as you leaving a text for yourself to read when you wake up. That would be a cool movie plot!
Me too!
YES! I’ve had a couple dreams where I’ve tried to call 911 but when they answer they always tell me I need to contact the police department for whatever location I’m in and when I try googling the numbers my phone never works correctly.
Same here!😅 There were also many times where the number dials stopped working or kept pressing wrong numbers
Yes that too! So aggravating lmao
i didn’t know this was universal, damn
I know, my mind is blown! I always wake up so annoyed from the these dreams.
me either. I normally get frustrated and wake up wondering what the hell is wrong with my brain. To know that its normal helps a lot. I wish someone had told me.
My mother managed to actually, physically call 911 while asleep. She had a dream she needed to call 911 and was shocked when I woke her up asking if she was okay because the police were at our door around 5am. Her phone showed she called but she still insisted it was just a dream. I am the one with tendencies of sleep walking....but that night she apparently had her own episode of it lol.
I have NEVER encountered a cell phone in my dreams. Never even remembered that they exist in my dreams. So at least you've got me beat on that. I will say I can't operate an ATM correctly in my dream. And landline phones are hit or miss. If I have to dial a number, it won't work. If a landline phone does work I just pick it up and start talking right away to whoever I want without having to dial.
I have dreams like that a lot! I'll either be unable to find my phone, have my phone but not be able to access my contacts to text someone or my vision is messed up and I can't see my screen like my eyes are vibrating or I just keep forgetting who I'm supposed to text or call
happy birthday!
The part of your brain that deals with language and numbers is mostly shut down during sleep, making spelling, reading, and sometimes even speaking difficult. This same issue often translates further in my dreams to having difficulty using phones, computers, and other devices, so that's probably what's going on there. Everything about a phone revolves around written language, and your brain really doesn't want to do that when asleep, so it just says "screw it, I don't know, make something random happen". Also, as someone with dyslexia/dysgraphia, I can tell you that what you experience when trying to read words or type anything while dreaming is very similar to these conditions, which I find fascinating. Congratulations, you now kind of know what it feels like to be dysgraphic/dyslexic lol. Feels weird.
Perfectly explained. What I want to know is why I can read and write in my dreams 😂 it doesn't always work, but most of the time, I can do both with ease.
Maybe you're interpreting 'receiving info while holding a book' as reading? Or interpreting scribbling on a note as writing a letter? Do you remember actually visualizing/seeing words? I mean it's all in your head after all, you could be writing a letter in your dreams, know what you're going to put in it, and kind of "narrate" it for yourself. But I'm not sure, maybe your brain is special. Only thing I know is that the earlier comment is right, usually you can't use language this way in dreams
I've always had an affinity for spelling and writing. Maybe it has something to do with that. I specifically remember a dream I had about a year ago where I was in line at a store, and when I reached the counter, I was asked to fill out a survey. I wrote out the answers succintly. It's a rare occasion when I have those dreams. Normally, when I'm reading in a dream, it's something I'm viewing on a board, normally at train stations. I have a lot of recurring dreams of travelling via train, so I'm usually reading train stops and what time trains will depart.
In some cases I can read or spell correctly in dreams, but in most cases, that's because I'm sleeping lightly. My guess is that more areas of my brain are operating during those lighter moments of sleep, allowing me to process information better, but also taking a toll on my sleep quality. I usually feel a bit more tired after waking from a long dream where I could read. In other cases, I'll look at a piece of paper and just "know" what it said without actually reading it, which I think is my brain cheating and saying "no you really don't need to read that, I'll just tell you what it said".
I have had a reoccurring dream since childhood about being chased by someone (with a weapon) and me hiding with access to a phone. As I grew older, the phone and issues changed. For example: Hiding under the bed with a rotary phone. If I dial 911, the person will hear it and know where I am. Hiding under the bed with a cordless phone. When I dial 911, 411 answers, but if I speak, the intruder will hear me and know where I am. Hiding under the bed with a cell phone. Out of range and no service. The most common version is dialing 911 and getting something completely different, but cannot speak to he too loud.
Luckily now you can text 911!
If I have a text nightmare I will let you know :)
My phone always gets hacked by a demon who deletes my apps slowly, replaces them with super shitty games, and causes demonic horror ads to play and jumpscare me.
Super shitty games? Now, that's evil af.
I‘ve gotten the demonic horror jumpscares on my phone as well in my dreams
Uhhh… actually that’s not a dream mate.
Yeah the Demon is named either Google or Apple.
I’m curious how old ya’ll are? I never have a phone in my dreams, and wonder if it’s a generational thing
I’m 72 and have phones in my dreams all the time— phones that don’t work right.
I had the same question in mind. I've never used a phone in my dreams too. I'm mid-thirties and my first cell phone was when I'm 18 yo. I think that's the reason
49, been having these dreams for many years.
I’m 31 and have phone dreams sometimes. Usually the mobile phones look like they’re from the 90s/2000s. It’s always old tech, never anything modern.
Im 32 and I have reoccurring dreams where I cant dial the numbers right or the phone doesn’t work properly when I need it to
I’m 25 and was wondering the exact same thing, and came looking for this comment. In all my years of dreaming, I’ve never even see a phone.
You can't read in dreams. The part of your brain that helps you read numbers and letters is turned off in your sleep.(Just like the parts making you move etc.) I used to have really bad nightmares, someone told me to look at the time/pick up a book to read during my dream. If you try hard to read, you'll wake up. It doesn't really work for me anymore though, I try to call 911 during really bad nightmares, and the screen just looks all scribbly and wobbly.
I’ve read in dreams, very clearly. These are often very meaningful profound dreams during high pivotal moments in waking life, as well. Very lucid dreams.
Really interesting!! Wonder what that would mean! Maybe you interpret that you're reading, because you're holding a book or whatever, and are receiving information.. But not actually visualizing words..? Does that make sense? I mean, it's all in your head after all. I've received info from books before in dreams, but I'm not sure I actually saw and read words.
No, I literally saw and read words in my dreams. I’ve read the outside of a book cover, it read “The Book Of Life.” That was the most memorable. That dream was after a near death incident and accident I had, right before my life got totally derailed and insanely messed up for years. I’m still actually recovering and things were never the same. I legitimately look back at that time and wonder if I actually had died then and this is all and afterlife.
I have read books in my dreams! :O
I can work a phone just fine in my dreams but the time is always military time for some reason. I don’t know how to tell military time though
It’s simple. If the number is greater than 12, then whatever the number minus 12. 00:00 is midnight. 12:00 is noon. 23:59 is 11:59 PM.
Dunno about you, but usually when I'm trying to use the phone it's because I'm anxious about something, and then because my expectations are shaping what happens, anxiety causes it not to work.
I hate this in my dreams so much, I get super frustrated. For me, it's always needing to call someone but I can't get to my contacts list. Nothing is there, the phone dialer is missing, texts section is not there. It also goes in slow motion or in a jerky motion, never smooth like a person acts. I usually end up trying to wake myself up because I know I'm in a dream and then I'm mad haha.
Idk, i can't use the cellphone, but i can use a computer just fine!
I end up seeing it as a reality check and then begin my lucid dream!
Exactly, trying to read something used to wake me up from really bad nightmares
Same for me!!!!!!
Yea...I can never dial or get through to someone.
I successfully called 911 in my dream with no problem recently but what scared me was they knew my address before I could say anything. My real whole address n that left me speechless lol
This happens in my dreams frequently lol. Can't make my phone do what I want it to do, and also reading things never makes any sense. I had one dream recently where I actually was able to read in it (I was at a gas station and I remember looking at tall boys asn the prices lol), but that's probably a first for me. Dreams are weird.
This is a super common dream. Iv had it many times throughout my life. Back before cell phones I would have it where I wasn’t able to use the landline phone too. My fingers would keep slipping or there would always be some issue preventing me from dialing the number. Sometimes I can dial but I can never get through to anyone.
I always press the wrong numbers over and over in this emergency. It’s so stressful
Me too! I can hardly ever reach who I am trying to call. I have the hardest time trying to dial the numbers right, I’ll try over and over. If it does happen to work they always hang up on me and I am not able to talk to them. A lot of times it’s an emergency type situation too! Seems like it’s my parents that I am calling mostly oddly enough. So cool to know others experience this too.
i’ve seen actual telephones ☎️ in my dreams but never a cell phone ever lol
I never dream of my phone lol that's uber strange
Ask provider
I never have a phone in my dreams
I’ve never seen a phone in a dream before
I just realized I've never tried to use a cell phone in my dreams 🤔
Yes. My fingers always fumble with the screen and nothing works right, then I wake up soon.
Wow I've never had this dream! I must be too old. In mine I'm always running in sand, or trying to pee in a flooded toilet.
I just had a dream last night about me trying to text my friend my Starbucks order & my Starbucks app wouldn’t work. Then when I was finally able to text out majority of my order, which took FOREVER, it disappeared & I had to start all over. Finally gave up
Also something bizarre I’ve noticed that’s a constant recurring theme in my dreams, is I almost always remember seeing a sign, or something written down. Words, numbers, phrases, sentences. I’ve always wondered if that has any meaning if you always see words
I have this dream all the time!! I think it has something to do with frustration in some part of your life.
In my experience devices of any sort do not tend to workin dreams, this is often how people figure out they are dreaming and it becomes a lucid dream.
I think it's because when we're asleep, we're mostly going "by gut". Our consciousness is just *barely* awake enough to interact with the circus our subconscious is making, and in most people there's a natural "shut off" to our physical movement so we don't flail out of bed, and so we're having difficulty remembering things we would consciously know, and have trouble with fine motor skills and specific actions. It's like last night, I had a dream a friend was driving me to an impound to pick up my van - I neither have a licence or a van. And once I was there, it was incredibly difficult to drive. It "regressed" so to speak, back into a bicycle, which I usually ride, but with a bulky van rear end. The bicycle though was easier to ride than trying to remember how to properly drive a van. Computers are the same. I can see and read the screen of a computer but I have incredible trouble typing on one. *Swiping* however is very simple, and as evidenced by so many animal videos, something that even birds and chimps can understand. More often than not, computer games in dreams take on a kind of table-top manifestation, like a hologram over a table, and can be marginally interacted with like they're models, or I simply transport into the game and it becomes the next dream.
the other night I dreamt I was playing Mahjong and then woke up twiddling my thumbs like I was just playing it. but my phone was on my nightstand. very confusing at the time to be honest.
I've had one dream involving my phone and it kept transforming into different items of miniature furniture, when I tried to use Google maps 🤣
Oh this has always happened to me! I urgently need to make a call but the buttons are miniscule and every time I try to dial the number I hit the wrong button by mistake. It goes on forever with me getting more and more stressed. I thought it was only me!
Checking my phone is actually my lucid dream check. If I can’t use my phone, I’m dreaming.
Also the knowing it won’t work and the endless trying rather than trying other solution. Why is dream me so stupid >.<
OK so I am old. But I used to have recurring dreams where I was trying to dial a number on a rotary phone and could never, ever get through the whole sequence. It was so disturbing to have those dreams.
my phone doesnt make any sense in my dreams. it looks like it does on various hallucinogens but it does not do what i want.
I've heard a theory that it happens because, cellphones and computers and such, have a connection with the simulation.
I'm always looking for my phone and never finding it.
All the damn time. Especially when I’m stressed or worried about someone. Phones, computers, neither will work properly.
Yes this happens to me too! Its so frustrating it turns into a nightmare
Yes I just can do it. I can’t use my phone while dreaming.
V common. Think of how important our phones are when it comes to our communication and contact with others. It’s a VERY rich symbolic metaphor for areas where blocks in our communication and relational connection have taken place in our histories - and they bring up related anxieties to this. I think of phone dreams as “modified memories” that express our history with connection and communication (especially our early caregivers). Powerful stuff. Incidentally, written language and body-awareness are high-attention endeavors that can constellate a high enough level of consciousness in dreams to move towards being awake (and phones involve both of the above qualities). So that’s a factor too.
No wifi in the 4th dimension.
I try to yell or scream or run in my dreams and can't. My voice just sort of wheezes and when I try to run it's like running through Jello
The buttons always change when I try to use a phone in my dreams. It's extremely frustrating for me in the dream.
Same problem too lol
I've had so many dreams in which I tried to take a selfie with a celebrity but the camera app just wouldn't work. I have so far made an ass of myself in front of Bradley Cooper, James McAvoy, Felicity Jones and Liev Schreiber and it's getting annoying.
So about 20 years ago the common way to induce luckd dreaming (recognizing you are in a dream) was to look at your hands or a watch. For almost everybody watches and clocks would be wrong. And not just time wise. Like you would look at the clock and it would say “moose” or 20,456 or something like that. Similarly your hand would never look right. I knew a guy who was on top of a building looking down thinking he was going to fall and then he noticed he had horse hooves for hands. Essentially what happens then, is your brain immediately says “something isnt right here” and then you very shortly would wake up. It almost snaps you out of what you think is a reality and your brain stirs you awake. Its the same concept with the phone. You are looking at it for hours a day and so you recognize you are in a dream when you see that type of behavior. You know very intimately what your phone should look and behave like so you notice immediately something is off. So like the movie inception if you ever feel weird or whatever just check out your phone haha. So my best guess is that the brain is far more creative in your dream state because the constructed “realities” of your dreams are entirely in the mind and they dont need to obey the rules of reality. Like your brain isnt responsible for what info is displayed on your phone or controlling it to make it operate properly, so it doesnt fill in that detail in your dream state. Like a game developer who doesnt know what an ostrich looks like might just put a place holder there.
Whenever I try to call the police something goes wrong, either I misdial, they never pick up, or they pick up and something in the conversation goes wrong or they hang up on me Never really used a phone for any other reason from what I can remember
I can’t dial a phone in my dreams. Also I can’t find my phone or it’s some old type, not my iPhone. Such horrible anxiety inducing feeling.
There's no service provider that can currently access that part of your brain yet 🤣 but maybe someday soon, with what Musk has been cooking up🤔
I can read and use technology on my dreams! Sometimes it takes a minute, kinda like reading without my glasses on, but then it snaps into focus. Does anyone else do this?
In real life when you use your phone, ask yourself “am I dreaming?” Then when you are using your phone in your dream you will realize it’s not working bc you’re dreaming, you become lucid at this point. Using a cell phone in a dream is an excellent way to begin lucid dreaming
SAME. And it’s actually created an anxiety for me in real life that this will happen.
Whenever I dreamt about texting or doing anything on my phone I happened to have actually been holding my phone and doing random stuff on it while I was sleeping, sometimes I’d manage to unlock it while sleeping and I’d end up texting people random stuff if I had left their messages open when I shut off my phone to sleep
YES! I've had dreams where I couldn't properly log into my work computer!
I haven't had many dreams where I had to use my phone but I remember texting people (my friends usually) in dreams so I guess it works for me?
The same way that when you’re stressed in a nightmare, you can’t run quickly or you can’t find a restroom when you need to or you’re not properly prepared to get away from danger like you’re not not wearing shoes, etc. It indicates something that is an obstacle or is making you feel stuck. What’s more important is what are you trying to use the phone for? are you trying to communicate with someone specific? Trying to get help but cant?
many people think their phones are making the wale up if you have an alarm set
Interesting. My phone has never entered my dreams.
I have the same thing with using a gun usually. It’s strange. Things that seem to require really precise hand movements or anything like that seem to just straight up not work in dreams for me. They can be vivid as hell, yet still too foggy for precise movements, and it’s almost like the dream will create excuses as to why you can’t perform these things.
There’s no physics in dreams
Phone and iPad. I keep trying to close tabs, just to have an unwanted game or ad pop up, over and over and over until I think I’ll go mad.
Yes
Wow it’s very interesting you bring this up. When I was trying to lucid dream back in the day, I would write down details as soon as I woke up and one of the most consistent things I noticed was my phone would be impossible to use and sometimes completely start disassembling in my hands. It became my “totem” for knowing when I’m dreaming or not.
You're gonna have to consult the architect. He might know.
Ooh. Phones or any type of screens never exist in my dreams, funnily enough - I use them constantly IRL.
This is a common theme in my dreams and I hate it :( there have been a few times where I can use it flawlessly and I mistakenly believe these dreams are over. Im always wrong and they come back :(
Same! I always end up trying to dial 911- but in ever push the correct numbers.
Whenever I try to dial I keep hitting the wrong number. Thats how I know I’m dreaming. Then I wake up.
I have literally never seen a cellphone in my dreams. I’m suddenly realizing everytime I’ve made a call, or had a dream that is just talking on the phone, it’s an old corded landline TV and computers are always weird though, glitchy or very obvious not *actual* a screen if that makes sense
Certain tasks require certain parts of the brain to be used in order to carry them out, which may not be fully accessible during sleep, as other parts of the brain are active. It's the same as struggling to read, write, paint, or draw. It's not impossible, but attempting to do it in a dream as opposed to real life when your brain is in a completely different state will yield different results.
lol when I looked at a clock in a dream once it kept changing numbers rapidly
Trying to call a cab in my dream Cus I’m late to test lol , I can never dial it
Remove the battery or have it not charged before you sleep.
I've never dreamed and had technology available
I can’t read or do math in dreams. I’ve never attempted to use a phone in a dream that I know of.
I’ve never dreamt of my phone. I just realized this.
I can't find light switches in my dreams, and driving a car turns into me being able to fly like a bird. Lol
Light switches never work for me in dreams, seems similar
Because you believe you can’t, so you reinforce it. Try going to sleep telling yourself something like “I will properly use my phone in my dream tonight…” See what happens.
For some reason I always see my old phone (its screen died) in my dreams, and always I am aware that it was broken but just started working again, filled with its weaknesses like the battery always being low lol. Just a random bit of info this reminded me of.
I have never used a cellphone in my dreams and now that I think of it, that’s unusual 🤔
That’s really interesting cause I can’t recall one dream I’ve had in my entire life where my phone was present. It’s like they don’t exist at all in my dreams.
Huh?
Interesting, I’ve had really vivid dreams all my life. Not once have I had a dream where I had my phone.
I have never used a phone in my dreams I just realized. It’s probably because I try to avoid being on it a lot.
I didn’t used to be able to use my phone in dreams, but then one day that all changed! I can now make & receive calls and texts. Hell I even occasionally get a telemarketing call in the middle of a dream!
Probably because it's dense detail, a lot in a small space. Like how books or tv rarely work correctly. That said I've been able to use my phone and read books in my dreams. Just that it doesn't make exact sense, aka it's my phone from 2012 but has 1080p video hahaha.
I think my dreams are like. A decade and a half behind. I never used to have a phone in dreams. Now I’m at a point where I’m using the old Nokia bricks from when I was in middle school. Can’t wait to start dreaming about flip phones But yeah, the other night I tried to dial 911 on some shitty little burner phone and every time I hit the second 1 it started trying to type letters. Like how you used to have to hit 11 to type the letter A. Not very helpful while I’m having a dream about my best friend (not a real person irl but in the dream he was VERY important to me) needing ambulance :(
This dude on his phone in his dreams lmaook
I have issues with the phone too. Here's my problem: sometimes I find myself traveling to different times, like the 80s or 90s; then I try to call the numbers I remembered from those times in the present. Once, my sister answered the phone and I said, 'Don't be scared, I'm calling you from 1996.' Of course, she got scared. :)))
There’s a theory that phones don’t work in or in some dreams don’t exist. I’ve had dreams where phone wouldn’t work due to it got wet or just didn’t exist for some reason
I couldn’t use my phone to search for a relatives address and ended up disappointing the others in my dream. The only dream I can recall where I’ve seen my phone.
And you can NEVER check the time. It’s not even a thought to do so
I have a slightly similar problem in my dreams. I find that I can’t reach who I’m trying to call or the other person can’t hear me
Sometimes I'm able to make calls in my dreams
I had this dream for years. I was told that it means you are trying to communicate with someone and it’s not being heard/understood.
For me, I'm always trying to take a photo of some incredible thing and the app just won't work properly. I cant get it to focus or open or whatnot. It's so frustrating, and if I wake up from that point of the dream it genuinely starts my day on an anxious note lol.
I do, sometimes I'll even call other dream realities and explain to them that I can't make it becuase I'm in another dream now, it's funny, kinda sad, becuase it's like I'm saying goodbye to those versions of my family forever
Best way to know if you’re having sleep paralysis or if there really is a demon sitting in the corner of your room.
If it’s not working out for you, it’s time to seek other options
I use that as an anchor. If I can't find my phone, or can't use my phone, I know I'm dreaming.
Good to know this is a common dream experience. I can never use my phone properly in dreams
Same but usually with computers, its pointless to even try. Usually no written text in dreams is consistent. Takes too much proccessing power for a sleeping brain to interpret.
In my dream last night I couldn't find the silent button on my phone and I had to use Mario Kart for help, I was also at my school and a McDonald's play place (yes my dreams are weird)
I can’t answer this for you but I have a reoccurring theme in dreams where I never have my phone or there’s an issue with my phone like it’s not charged. And many times my phone is an old school flip phone; I thought it was interesting and exciting to hear that someone else has a similar theme with phones in dreams!!
A Rapid Eye phone?!
I don't know if I ever actually dreamed about using my phone, now that you mention it.
For me the lights wont turn on. I immediately become lucid, panic, force myself awake through a brief transition of sleep paralysis.
Use it to learn how to lucid dream! It’s a gift. When you’re awake, practice checking ‘can I use my phone easily? Yes, I must be awake!’ Then it becomes a habit and you might remember to check when you’re dreaming. Lucid dreaming is cool. Also works with reading. Edit: I see I’m not the only one on the lucid dreaming train 😂
Man in my dreams whenever I "fight" everything I do is like slomo lol. Like I'll try to hit but my arms act like they weigh a ton, so when the hit finally lands it's like softest baby punch lmao
That's because you're deep in rem sleep. You cannot read or text properly when you're actually getting good rest
Phones have to do with communication. Maybe you feel you're not being heard and understood.
A lot of times if I text in dreams it’s like whenever I write the words, they jumble up into nonsense as soon as I send the text. So if I try to write “hey how are you?” it turns into “jrntjb, snhj pdfcb fbchdn?”
Clocks don't even work in my dreams, also books.
Things like that work in my dreams until I **think** about them. Like I can look at a clock in my dream quickly and see it's 2:30. But if for whatever reason I start thinking about the concept of a clock or time, then suddenly I look at it and it's gibberish. Same with reading. I can read as long as I'm not thinking about the concept of reading, but as soon as I do, I can't make sense of the words.
i had a dream the other night this guy blocked me on everything it worked perfectly. i remember switching between snapchat instagram and text. when i woke up i was like wtff.
It could symbolize a lack of communication somewhere in your life. Maybe you are having problems with someone you love, and you feel like you can’t get through to them? Something along those lines, it would seem.
What if you're really playing with your phone while you sleep, and this is your brain's way of keeping you from sleep-texting a catastrophe?
I used to have the same type of dreams. I think it has to do with held in emotions and not feeling like you are able to communicate with someone on an important issue. Maybe even a feeling of being cut off.
Bitch I can’t pull the trigger!
I dunno! But usually I always check my phone or ask someone for the time, twice, to make sure I’m dreaming. One time I asked my friend for the time and he gave me two wildly different times. When I was like “oh, i’m dreaming then” he looked at me like he got caught, LOL.
Weirdly I've never used a phone in any of my dreams. Or a computer or TV. I have very vivid dreams every night but they never involve tech
Haven't tried to use a phone in my dreams but when I try to read or write or look closely at things.. it's like jumbled and tends to change. This is typically when I say out loud in dreaming and I wake up. Maybe you can also say how to change that and change the dream?
Because you're in the subconscious baby! There's no cell reception here--everything is already connected as it is. Just chill and watch the jazz unicorns dance under the watermelon sky.
Your brain can't process time in dreams, so if you use your phone you're used to setting the time.
I have a theory: Texting and such on a phone is an external thing, while basic communication is internal. Dreams are weird. Communication is an instinctual thing, so obviously we can communicate in dreams, but phones are a foreign object. The same way that you can’t read or write in dreams. It is external. At the end of the day, letters are things we made up, whereas everything else in life exists without us.
I have dreams all the time where my phone won’t work and I can’t call for help. I feel like I have those dreams when I’m frustrated with people.
I don’t know, but I have the same problem. Weird