Chapter 124: Three Layers of Dreams

Inside the camera frame, Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes and posed a simple question:

"As the saying goes: close your eyes and open them, and a day has passed."

"Close your eyes and don't open them, and a lifetime has passed."

"Everyone can clearly understand—the time spent sleeping and the time spent awake are naturally inconsistent."

"As for how large the time ratio difference is between dreams and reality?"

"There is research on this."

As his words fell, inside the lecture hall of the Kyoto University of Science.

This time, Jiang Zhe's words were too straightforward, allowing all the experts to understand the meaning behind them.

What Jiang Zhe was talking about was precisely the time ratio difference between being awake and entering a dream.

By deeply studying the ratio of dream time to real time for individual humans, one could apply it to the ratio of time flow between an internal universe and the outside universe.

As long as the time ratio is clearly researched, one can know exactly how many times faster external time is compared to the internal universe.

Of course, this is not absolute, but rather has a relative reference value.

Inside the frame, Jiang Zhe pondered for a moment, structured his content, and continued to explain:

"A cliché, but the topic remains dreams."

"However, dreams also have distinctions."

"As far as is currently known, human dreams are divided into three layers. These three layers are generalized levels, which contain various subcategories."

"What exactly are these three layers?"

"Dreams are divided into three layers."

"Taking dreams as reality: This is the first layer of dreams."

"We humans usually find it difficult to realize we are dreaming at this level."

"At this level, dreams appear very real, and it is hard for people to distinguish whether they are in reality or in a dream."

"It's like when you dream of being trapped in water, sinking to the bottom again and again, no matter how you struggle, you cannot escape; it's as if you are in a quagmire, deeply trapped within it."

"Only after you die in the dream can you break free from it."

These dreams are something 100% of people globally have experienced.

When one is unaware that they are dreaming, most humans will encounter extreme danger. Dying by jumping off a building, dying of thirst in a desert, being swallowed by a deep-sea beast, being killed by someone, being executed, and so on.

For the audience, this is deeply relatable.

Jiang Zhe adjusted his headset, listened to the broadcast director's report, and after finding that the audience had no questions, he continued to explain:

"Knowing it is a dream: This is the second layer of dreams."

"In the second layer, people start to realize that they are dreaming."

"This awareness makes the dream become more complex and variable, and people may engage in more thinking and activities within the dream."

"What is it like?"

"For example, if you have an ancient dream—"

"You dream that you have time-traveled, whether it's to the Ming Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, or Qin Dynasty."

"At this time, you can think clearly for yourself, so you will cherish this opportunity; however, you cannot control your body in the dream."

"You will watch yourself in the dream from a third-person perspective as you choose different paths—"

"Perhaps you will establish your own faction in the dream."

"Or you might be forced to act like a dog for the emperor of a feudal dynasty—after all, people want to struggle to survive in chaotic times, acting like a dog for the emperor... no, that term is a bit insulting, it's working for the emperor, and then seeking a lifetime of glory and wealth."

"When you die of old age, you will break free from this dream and wake up."

"Even after waking up, you will still find it lingering in your mind."

Jiang Zhe detested feudal dynasties from the bottom of his heart.

In ancient times, the so-called golden ages were only considered golden ages if the common people didn't starve to death.

A true golden age can only be the modern era; at the very least, there is no worry about food, no worry about work, there is land to farm, and life is passable—that can be called a golden age.

Since ancient times, how many emperors, in order to stabilize their imperial power, have regarded the common people as lowly subjects; yet the number of sacrifices... was just to exchange for the dominance of one family.

These words also made many viewers in the livestream start to reflect.

"You promised it was about lucid dreaming, but you ended up shattering my time-travel dream."

"I used to fantasize about traveling back to ancient times, helping the emperor consolidate imperial power, then becoming the sole dominant force, attacking overseas... After what you said, boo hoo, my Daoist heart is shattered."

"Actually, it's not Teacher Jiang's fault; it's because feudal dynasties really didn't treat commoners as people; helping the emperor might let the common people eat and dress warmly, but freedom is greatly compromised."

"That's right, take that guy Zhu Yuanzhang for example, stubborn and self-opinionated, so suspicious; coming from a peasant background, after becoming emperor, he had absolutely no vision or overarching perspective of an emperor; working for him, you had to write your will every day before going to court."

"To the person above, weren't there any good emperors in ancient times?"

"This... my teacher told me a principle: anyone who separates themselves from the commoner class is an enemy, no matter who they are."

"Hey, hey, hey, how did we get onto ancient times? We are listening to Teacher Jiang talk about dreams right now, stop getting off-topic in the comments!"

"Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, the experts, especially the historians, could not help but agree with Jiang Zhe's point of view.

If the experts were allowed to travel back to ancient times... they wouldn't change any so-called historical regrets at all.

The 1.4 billion people of modern Xia are all the [fruit] borne by the feudal dynasties of past eras.

Without their incompetence, without their exploitation, there simply wouldn't be the 1.4 billion people of today.

The historians were even grateful for the incompetence of past emperors, grateful for the uprisings of past peasants, and grateful for the collapse of past dynasties.

Only with those [causes] could there be the 1.4 billion common people of today.

Just as the experts were thinking about this, Jiang Zhe began the next step.

"Observation and Dream Control: This is the third layer of dreams, and also the highest layer!"

"At this level, we are not only able to realize that we are dreaming, but we can also actively control and observe the dream, and even make some predictions and prophecies."

He faced the camera and held up a finger.

"Regardless of what kind of dream it is."

"Good dreams: dreams of glory and wealth, dreams of family harmony."

"Bad dreams: dreams of murder and arson, dreams of the whole family being killed."

"Erotic dreams: dreams of rape and plunder, dreams of ethical and moral corruption."

"When you have these dreams, and clearly know you are dreaming, you will think it over, and then excitedly participate in them."

"Of course, the process of participating won't be explained in detail; you all have deep personal experience with this."

After speaking, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. He knew that many, many people had had those dreams.

Clearly a straight man or woman, yet they would have same-sex dreams.

Clearly a young man or woman, yet they would have all sorts of messy, bizarre, and ethically corrupt dreams.

Clearly a normal middle-aged or elderly person, yet they would have dreams of pedophilia or pederasty; and all sorts of things like that.

Seeing this scene, the audience was more active than ever before.

"Don't, don't stop; I want to hear, especially about the erotic dreams!"

"This... tell us more, I've tipped 1000 yuan, please explain the [erotic dreams] in detail."

"I beg you, talk about it, you must talk about it..."

Professor Hua Yunfeng, Old Feng, and a host of experts were also looking at the big screen with meaningful expressions.

They also really wanted Teacher Jiang to talk about it...

Inside the leadership conference room. Old Zhao, Old Wang, Wang Lin, Xiao Shiyi, and others saw the comments on the big screen, as well as the poll options released by the broadcast director.

The corners of their mouths couldn't help but twitch.

"These guys, they don't learn knowledge properly; as soon as this is mentioned, they get excited."

"What's hateful is that the broadcast director even put up poll options; 99% of people voted for it..."

"This... Brother Jiang, for the sake of ratings, you'll have to handle it yourself..."

"Brother Jiang, don't get banned; the Television Station has audits from SARFT..."

Inside the big screen. Listening to the broadcast director's report while suppressing laughter. Jiang Zhe couldn't help but darken his face and gave a dry cough: "Ahem, why do so many people want to hear about erotic dreams? We are a knowledge livestream room; this doesn't count as useful knowledge; I'm not talking about it, I'm not."

"Alright, let's skip it, skip it; I am not that kind of host."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a chorus of boos in the livestream room.

"Boo~~"

"The money for the tips was wasted."

"Ahem, there are many children in the livestream room; actually, it's probably better not to talk about it."

"I'm 9 years old this year, I've had a dream about being grown up, and then in the dream, I had an erotic dream with an uncle and auntie, and there were three of us, and that uncle and auntie are my dad's friends~~"

"Holy crap, whose kid is this? You're 9 years old and already this dirty? Hurry up and introduce the uncle and auntie to me, your big brother, let me take the suffering for you."

"+1"

"+10000!"

At this, the audience did not continue to press the issue.

Jiang Zhe had a look of utter hopelessness; a nine-year-old child... it looks like they have a "promising future" ahead!

Helplessly, he continued to explain: "Back to the topic."

"As for precognitive dreams, there is a lot to be said."

"Some people dream of a car accident in their dreams; a disaster."

"When that other person wakes up, the car accident happens right before their eyes shortly after."

"And some people dream of a string of numbers in their dreams, and coincidentally, those people write them down."

"Then, they buy a lottery ticket with that string of numbers in reality; and finally, they are surprised to win."

"Of course, as for the matter of winning the lottery, that will absolutely not happen in our country!"