Thread: What'sup with not being able to read in dreams?

Can't you read in dreams? Us normal people can.. I have never had any problem with reading.
Dunno what's up with you man..

Seriously though (I was just kidding), why would you even NEED to read in dreams? You can read while awake, dude! I would rather fly off to somewhere, jump across rooftops, blow stuff up, or visit some ladies.. (ehem).
In fact, not being able to read can be a useful dreamsign. If you ever see some suspicious text, read it.. and you might realize you're dreaming

Originally Posted by DrunkinDreamer

it gets anoyying. and if there are words i can barely read then. and anything over two sylibals is impossible to sound out.

I can read perfectly fine in dreams, I just have difficulty recalling my dreams. I only read when I find something that intrigues me, which it turns me lucid. Last time I read something in a dream, I just started rehearsing and memorizing material for when I wake up due to my bad dream recalling. It didn't work because I somehow knew I was about to wake up, so I stopped memorizing and delved deeper into the dream to find out the purpose behind the material presented instead. Woke up shortly after, which I wasn't able to find out the purpose of the text and I couldn't remember what the text said.

Well, it is normal when people can't read in dreams, but if you practice it, I bet it can be overcome, in lucids at least <.<

It's normal for people to not be able to read, and likewise, to not be able to tell the time. And if you can read, it will often change if you look away and then look back.

I usually can read but I don't often remember exactly what was written.

Have the expectation that you and everyone else can read easily in your dreams. Concentrate on knowing that it is simple to read in your dreams when you go to sleep. That could help.

Originally Posted by Orior

..... why would you even NEED to read in dreams?

I've had this happen. It can be frustrating if what you want to read is interesting. I had a few dreams where I found and ancient tome that (supposedly) was full of occult knowledge. Trying to read it proved futile, as the characters just seemed to blur without blurring, hard to explain. Recently I had a dream where I needed to use a telephone but the numbers looked "foreign" with strange symbols in place of common numbers. I've plenty of dreams where store signs were legible, street signs, the interior of a car and the console on the dash, etc. It may be some mental thing where when you want to read something and really focus on it you don't have the power to, and maybe is metaphoric sign about how you view yourself?

I've had dreams in which I use a PC and when I type instead of characters I wanted and typed some random letters popped up so I had to use copy paste to google for porn. Yeah, I know.

The only time I've seen text in a dream is when it is a part of my field of vision. It isn't like I'm reading from a book or sign.

Oh, as to why read text, I generally read when I want to study and can't be bothered to do it in waking <.<

Try to absorb the information, maybe? If you're lucid, you might be able to close your eyes and will up an audiobook.

I can read in dreams, but I'm told that's pretty bizarre. Not having text work the way it should is par for the course, and might be enough to make you lucid. In which case... audiobook.

Dialing numbers suck!! I've had dreams where there was a sense of emergency, and I pick up the phone to try and dial 911, or someone else. The numbers don't blur or anything but I can clearly see myself pressing the buttons but on the screen the numbers come out totally different. It's pretty annoying and it's always when something bad is happening.

Originally Posted by Elucive

I've had dreams where there was a sense of emergency, and I pick up the phone to try and dial 911, or someone else. The numbers don't blur or anything but I can clearly see myself pressing the buttons but on the screen the numbers come out totally different.

Oh, I hear you. I am horrible with dialing numbers in dreams, so I eventually started mashing random numbers into the keypad. Before I figured it out though...

Originally Posted by Samael's DJ

"Does anyone have a cell phone?" I shout into the basement, frustrated and panicking. I begin dialling numbers on a blackberry no one gave me. 090. 901. 109. 119. My frustration reaches a peak.

Meh, reading isn't too bad in dreams. It's writing I have trouble with.

I attribute the ease of reading to my superb recall skills IWL (especially concerning text).

Originally Posted by Samael

Oh, I hear you. I am horrible with dialing numbers in dreams, so I eventually started mashing random numbers into the keypad. Before I figured it out though...

Reading about your difficulties with dialing is why I just hit 'send' and scroll through who I've supposedly called recently. Contacts list might work better. . .

I've just started putting people on dream-speed-dial. I have seven spots left, you want one?

Ha, sure. I'm not much for phone conversations, though.

And I'm not much for teleporting. This is an experiment, I tell you.

I'll go get my lab coat.

Originally Posted by liquidSamurai

I've had this happen. It can be frustrating if what you want to read is interesting. I had a few dreams where I found and ancient tome that (supposedly) was full of occult knowledge. Trying to read it proved futile, as the characters just seemed to blur without blurring, hard to explain. Recently I had a dream where I needed to use a telephone but the numbers looked "foreign" with strange symbols in place of common numbers. I've plenty of dreams where store signs were legible, street signs, the interior of a car and the console on the dash, etc. It may be some mental thing where when you want to read something and really focus on it you don't have the power to, and maybe is metaphoric sign about how you view yourself?

That's when you need to get creative. Some things can't be done easily in dreams...for these, you can sometimes find a loophole. Pull out a device that will beam the information directly into your brain, or read it to you. Reading in dreams is notoriously difficult, and as people have mentioned, it is so hard and unpredictable that it actually makes a fantastic dream sign. I suppose if you're really determined and desperate to read, you can try and overcome it, but the text-to-speech solution just seems infinitely easier.

Lucid dreaming sorta feels like a shroomz trip for me, and while i'm tripping i cannot read (the letters just melt of the page.) In Lucid dreams i can read, just the other day i was in a LD and focused on a wall and a poster appeared, it was a picture of an apes face with text over it reading "CUT OFF YOUR EARS, THEY'RE UGLY" lol

Ive never tried to read a book in a dream but I can read videogame cases perfectly fine. I have had dreams about getting new video games and So I would look at all my games and either choose one to play or if I have a new one in the game I will play that. Ive never really tried to read anything other than words on the TV or videogames in my dreams. Oh and Ive never had trouble dialing numbers with my phone in dreams. tho It is hard to answer your phone in your dream when it is ringing in real life

okay, in the last week I have had 2 reading dreams and in one I also wrote. One of these dreams was incredible in what I could read. Although it did feel like I was a fraction of a second behind in thought compared to real life, the writing in this notebook was crystal clear, and I was reciting lyrics in real-time to music. One of the most vivid reading dreams I've ever had, although I was not lucid, it was quite vivid. I cannot recall what I wrote but I think I added to the lyrics.

I have trouble reading long passages. I can get little phrases, but anything that requires continuity of thought is very difficult. I also find it hard to remember what I just read. My short term memory sucks in most of my lucid dreams.

When I was a kid I saw a Batman cartoon in which he was chasing after some dream villian and wanted to know if he was asleep or not. So he pulled a book off the bookshelf and looked at the pages and could not read the worlds. That is how he knew he was asleep. Everytime I try to read in a dream, I think of that.

Sometimes i can read and sometimes i can't. I remember in a recent dream i was trying to access my email. I use outlook.com for my school email, but in the dream i kept trying to go to lookout.com instead. In the dream, i was sure i was going to the right place. It's funny how a dream flips things around.