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Is there in existence any set of physical parameters which can be measured, which would enable one to determine whether or not reality by itself is a dream?

Bak1139
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    If relity is a drem, there are no physical parameters to be measured. – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Jan 13 '18 at 18:11
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    Well if you dream that you measured something, how would you know your measurement is a dream? I'd imagine that professional experimental physicists dream of measuring things all the time. – user4894 Jan 13 '18 at 22:24
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    Reality cannot be a dream. What we think of as Reality could be, and if we think of Reality as the physical world then many say it is. There is no test for falsifying this theory, as we see from the plot-line of the Matrix. Whether this is because of the lints of the tests or because it is in fact a dream is not an empirical question since if it is a dream so are our senses. . –  Jan 16 '18 at 10:05
  • The only test would be to take up meditation and explore who is doing the dreaming and asking the question. . . –  Jan 16 '18 at 10:07
  • Descartes said "I think, therefore I am". Whatever "entity" is asking the question "do I exist?" definitely exists. Of course, it could just be a random pattern of energy or something even more bizarre. Everything beyond that could be fictional. So, the only reality you know exists is your "mind" or whatever it is that's considering it's own existence. –  Jan 16 '18 at 15:46
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    Possible duplicate of Are we living in a simulation? The evidence – CriglCragl Feb 15 '18 at 17:02
  • This is a possible duplicate of https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/q/24/29944 – Frank Hubeny May 19 '18 at 01:33
  • No, there is no such parameter. As Eddington remarks ;There is no phenomenal way out of the phenomenal world'. If such a parameter existed the Perennial philosophy would be falsifiable and philosophers would look like fools for not noticing it for thousands of years. . . . –  Jun 18 '18 at 11:15

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Yes. Take a glass full of water and let it fall and shatter on the floor. Pick up the glass and drink the water. If you can do it, it's a dream. If you can't, it's reality.

Frank Hubeny
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Guill
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No, this is impossible. Any measurement made would have to be interpreted by a subjective experience that is subject to manipulation by one's dream.

MacroGuy
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    One's act of dreaming would also interpret the measurement. Is the dream separate from the dreamer? Do you have a reference to other literature related to your perspective? – Frank Hubeny Aug 17 '18 at 03:38
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This article offers a possible answer - meditation should be possible even in a dream that isn't recognised as such, and lead to being 'more awake' by observing the minds operations on the world vs the world presented by our senses https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-buddhist-sleep-lesson-a_b_428653 In this Buddhist perspective there is more and less dream-like, and this can be observed subjectively.

Lucid dreamers talk about things like digital displays and the operation of light switches being giveaways - though it sounds like there is a lot of variation between dreamers to me.

CriglCragl
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