What is the difference between Dream and Imagination? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the difference between Dream and Imagination?

Asked by Jenske , Last updated: Apr 14, 2024

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5 Answers

Elena Sheldon

Elena Sheldon

Being in the arts and science department amuses me every day.

Elena Sheldon
Elena Sheldon, Director of research, Diploma in Arts and Science, Berkeley, California

Answered Dec 09, 2020

Imagination is the act or ability to create and develop mental images and stories in your mind. There may also be pictures, sounds, or other sensory events that are not there in real life. Imagination often necessitates inspiration of some kind to thrive and keep growing into something positive that motivates the person.

However, imagination can be dangerous when it is negative, such as imagining yourself, beating someone up, or stealing something. When imagination is positive, it tends to spark an individual’s creativity. Imagination occurs when we are awake.On the other hand, dreams occur when we are asleep. Dreams can be a bridge guiding toward signs or premonitions. Many people often wonder what dreams mean and the significance of symbolism in dreams.

There is a whole psychic phenomenon concerning the meaning of dreams, and dreams can be objects for interpretation and spiritual importance. Dreams can take place in a single episode or as a succession of related dreams. Many people have recurring dreams. The most common ones consist of flying, being a passenger in a car driving itself, or death. Dreams can also be daydreams, which happen in an awake state.

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Ben

Ben

But Can you play this?

Ben
Ben , Professional Gamer, Styria

Answered Nov 27, 2020

Dream and imagination might look similar because they refer to people's ability to reproduce or create mental events of things that are not real. The primary difference between dream and imagination is that dream is a product of our unconscious mind, while imagination is a product of our conscious mind. You can only imagine things when you are fully conscious, which is why you can decide what to imagine. We don't have any power over what to dream about. That is why you can dream about anything. Imaginary events that are processed in our dreams come as a result of the current state of our mind. Most people believe that every dream has its meaning. That is why some religions do not downplay the significance of every dream. The consciousness of our minds to picture events as though they are real is what differentiate dream from imagination.
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Steinn

Steinn

Get immense pleasure in travelling and writing about visiting places.

Steinn
Steinn , Corporate employee, Graz

Answered Nov 27, 2020

Dream and imagination are two different terms, although there are some similarities between the two. The two terms refer to the mental state of an individual, and they can easily influence each other. Imagination refers to the ability or power to form or create mental images, pictures, sounds, and other similar sensory events. What usually causes imagination is when an individual is hit by a stimulus. When this happens, it allows an individual to have access to more options and ideas that will help him or her creates more mental images. On the other hand, a dream is a series of imaginary events seen in the mind when an individual is sleeping. An individual does not need to engage his or her mental space before these imaginary events can be processed. This is because dreams happen during our unconscious state. On the contrary, you must be ready to engage your mind to imagine things. Imagination differs from a dream because it occurs during our conscious state.
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Zack

Zack

Find happiness in writing new things.

Zack
Zack , English Professor, PhD, Basel

Answered Nov 18, 2020

Imagination is something that will happen when you have received a stimulus that will make your mind wander. A person will usually imagine when he/she is awake. This means that when you imagine things, you may be imagining good things that may happen to you, or you may be imagining the worst-case scenario that may occur. When you say dream, this is something that you may experience while you are sleeping. There may be different influences on why you have experienced or encountered that dream, but you have no control over your dreams. You will usually have control over your imagination.
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Daniel Drake

Daniel Drake

Daniel Drake
Daniel Drake

Answered Jul 20, 2020

Dream and imagination are two different words that will also have different meanings. When you say “dream,” this can refer to something that you would experience at night, especially when you are at a certain level of sleep. A “dream” can also refer to something that you would like to aim for. When you say “imagination,” this means that you are thinking about something or you are trying to manifest something that will come into your life.

Dream and imagination are two different words that will also have different meanings. When you say
Imagination will require you to think about the potential things that may happen, depending on the type of decision that you want to make. One main difference between the two is that dreaming may happen when you are not conscious, while imagination will occur when you are conscious.

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