You Can’t Read In Your Dreams Even Though I Swear I Have And Other Interesting Dream Facts

I just got an email from Rachel, who came across the post from a few years ago about how everybody but me dreams that their teeth are falling out. She sent along this article, and if you’re interested in dreams at all it’s definitely worth a look. 30 Interesting Facts About Dreams (Backed Up By Science)

It covers a lot of things including the question of do blind people dream (we do), but the bit that most caught my eye was this:

19. You Can’t Read In Your Dreams
Just about anything can happen in a dream, but according to Bookriot.com, reading isn’t one of them. Books or signs may indeed enter your dreams, but if you look very closely, you’ll notice an absence of letters or words, or they’ll simply be illegible.
Interestingly, the brain’s logic and intellect essentially take a nap while we’re dreaming. Perhaps this is why we tend to be more carefree in our dreams than we are in real life.
Along with being unable to read text, it’s impossible to read a clock while dreaming. And if you glance at yourself in the mirror, the image reflected will be a blur, or it will show someone else entirely.

That blows my mind a little, because I’ve absolutely had dreams where I’ve read things with Braille on them. They’re almost always quick things like a bathroom sign or a note from somebody who needs help, but dream me can definitely read them. Am I the only one? I’d love to get some thoughts from some other blind folks on this.

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6 Comments

  1. Hmmm. In my Sixteen Tons dream, I just knew there was braille there but I don’t think I actually read words. And there was that other dream where I would try to read but couldn’t actually do it and I was freaking out. But I’m not sure if I can actually remember reading actual words and processing them. Will have to think.

  2. two things. About the acting out dreams, I only have one thing to say. “Sneak devil devil sneak sneak devil devil sneak thing!” And when they talked about babies dreaming, all I could think of was that Barenaked Ladies song “When you dream, what do you dream about?” Would love to know.

    1. Hahahaha.  Is that dream that you were being secretly recorded and had to go find the device and shut it off the only time you’ve ever sleepwalked?  It’s the only one that comes to my mind.

      I’d love to know what babies dream too.  Babies and the Shmans.

  3. I think once I sleepwalked around my folks’ house and plunked myself in a chair in front of the TV for no apparent reason. This was after I was all grown up and came back for a visit. I remember mom coming and finding me and urging me to go back to bed. I remember waking up and feeling inexplicably all ashamed. I think those are the only two incidents I can remember.

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