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Today I had a lucid dream to an "alternative universe", where I was 100% aware of being in a lucid dream. One thought that came to my mind during it was that the universe I have been to was in crisp 8K HDR. As someone with no special mental (dis)abilities (including photographic memory), how is it possible that I cannot draw in my mind something more complex than a 4x4 chess board, but I could see a high-resolution dream?

My guess would be "My brain is lazy during normal times but eager to render at a high resolution in dreams"?

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  • $\begingroup$ I can draw letters and animals and trees in my mind. Perhaps you need more practice? $\endgroup$
    – Emil
    Commented Jul 3, 2021 at 7:06
  • $\begingroup$ I suppose it depends if you draw by concepts or individual lines. It is harder to draw individual lines to make up an object. $\endgroup$
    – Emil
    Commented Jul 3, 2021 at 7:27

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I share similar concerns with you here in the Philosophy Stack Exchange:

https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/82488/where-is-it-that-i-go-when-i-dream?noredirect=1#comment231329_82488

There is a great article on this in PsychologyToday where the author makes an attempt to draw some parallels between Dreams and Many Worlds Interpretation. Here it is: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-catcher/201407/dreams-and-the-many-worlds-interpretation-quantum-physics

Another great source of information on this topic would be Eva T.H. Brann's work entitled: "The World of Imagination: Sum and Substance" which I highly recommend and would argue is the best source to begin your search for an answer.

Even the CIA has a take on it here: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp96-00788r001700210016-5

A part of the problem is whether or not dreams are an experience of a "place" (Topos) that one goes to. Since you have experienced what a lucid dream is like then for you this would seem to be obvious; insofar as you would refer to it as an "alternate universe" (Or a 'simulated universe'). That is what it has seemed like to me in moments of Lucid Dreaming that I have personally experienced.

As to what the factors are that determine the level of resolution between a dream and the visualization of the chessboard as you put it is indeed difficult to ascertain. I cannot provide an answer in all honesty but the resources shared above should provide some food for thought.

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