Hey Neverfly, why do I find it difficult, nearly impossible, to read in my dreams? I read well enough when I am awake, but I have observed in semi-lucid dream states that I can't read so much as a stop sign. I just assume by the shape and color.
Why are you asking me?:shrug:
<Cough> I have, with concentration, been able to read in a few dreams. But I'm not sure this counts as being fully asleep... a bit like a Night Terror, where you're in between REM sleep and being awake.
Most people also do not dream in color. In my case, which is more rare, I dream in vivid color- more vivid than colors appear when awake.
The reason, I think, is that the cognitive parts of the brain, those that handle complex mental tasks such as reading, writing, problem solving, self awareness and such must shut down during REM sleep. Rather, they must shut down in order to rest lest their functionality be compromised. Without regular rest, the cognitive parts of the brain suffer damage and a long enough time without sleep will cause total breakdown- Otherwise known as death. I'm not sure what physical processes are involved in this and knowing me, I'll be googling that shortly...:shy:
You will find you cannot do a lot more than read when asleep. You cannot solve complex problems, write, perform pattern recognition, maybe even color recognition.
Your self awareness is lacking if not completely gone, and sometimes people will dream of themselves from an outside point of view. Others may dream of themselves but with an obscured, grayed out or unrecognizable face.
You also are very unlikely to look in a mirror in a dream.
You may not be able to count past three in a dream or unable to change your own actions. You must "watch" yourself do things you might ordinarily never do- or unable to perform functions you should be able to, such as able to stand up from a fall (Find yourself too weak to simply push yourself up) and unable to determine why.
Because the cognitive part of the brain is On Break.