--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let's suppose that you were able every…" description: "\"“Let's suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream that you wanted to dream. And that you could, for example, have the power within one n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/983/alan-watts-587_dream_let-s-suppose-that-you-were-able-every-n_2484538.jpg" --- # Let's suppose that you were able every night to dream any… ![“Let's suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream that you wanted to dream. And that you could, for example, have the power within one night to dream 75 years of time. Or any length of time you wanted to have. And you would, naturally as you began on this adventure of dreams, you…” quote by Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/983/alan-watts-587_dream_let-s-suppose-that-you-were-able-every-n_2484538.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/983/alan-watts-587_dream_let-s-suppose-that-you-were-able-every-n_2484538.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/983/alan-watts-587_dream_let-s-suppose-that-you-were-able-every-n_2484538.jpg) > ““Let's suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream that you wanted to dream. And that you could, for example, have the power within one night to dream 75 years of time. Or any length of time you wanted to have. And you would, naturally as you began on this adventure of dreams, you would fulfill all your wishes. You would have every kind of pleasure you could conceive. And after several nights of 75 years of total pleasure each, you would say "Well, that was pretty great." But now let's have a surprise. Let's have a dream which isn't under control. Where something is gonna happen to me that I don't know what it's going to be. And you would dig that and come out of that and say "Wow, that was a close shave, wasn't it?" And then you would get more and more adventurous, and you would make further and further out gambles as to what you would dream. And finally, you would dream ... where you are now. You would dream the dream of living the life that you are actually living today.”” [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage explores how unlimited, controlled dreaming would become boring, leading us to crave unpredictable experiences that mirror real life, ultimately valuing authentic existence over fantasy. **In simple terms:** Unlimited dreaming becomes dull; we seek real, unpredictable life. Key Takeaway Embrace reality, not endless fantasy. Themes authenticity experience life meaning dreams Mood reflective thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative work - adventure seeking - risk taking Key Concepts existentialism psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does unpredictability teach us about fulfillment? - How can we find meaning in ordinary life? 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It's not just because of my will and my dream, it's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-luque/there-s-a-reason-why-i-m-here-and-it-s-not-just-for-me-it-s-not-just/) [Vicente Luque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-luque/) > [I would never dream, for example, of going to The States to photograph your wildlife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-dennis/i-would-never-dream-for-example-of-going-to-the-states-to-photograph/) [Nigel Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-dennis/) > [“To dream, for example, that I’m simultaneously, separately, severally the man and the woman on a stroll that a man and woman are taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/to-dream-for-example-that-i-m-simultaneously-separately-severally-the/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Your abilities are not enough to fulfill your wishes, so work considering your wishes and not your abilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/your-abilities-are-not-enough-to-fulfill-your-wishes-so-work/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“If you fulfill the wishes of your employees, the employees will fulfill your visions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/if-you-fulfill-the-wishes-of-your-employees-the-employees-will/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I promised her to fulfill her all wishes, but I was unaware, leaving me was also one of them her wishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-promised-her-to-fulfill-her-all-wishes-but-i-was-unaware-leaving-me/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I have too many dreams to fulfill. I hope I can fulfill them in this lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esha-deol/i-have-too-many-dreams-to-fulfill-i-hope-i-can-fulfill-them-in-this/) [Esha Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esha-deol/) > [“Help others to fulfill their dreams and you will fulfill yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditi-agarwal/help-others-to-fulfill-their-dreams-and-you-will-fulfill-yours/) [Aditi Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditi-agarwal/) > [DREAMS; TO FULFILL YOUR DREAMS, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TAKE CHANCES NOR SACRIFICES](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel/dreams-to-fulfill-your-dreams-sometimes-you-have-to-take-chances-nor/) [JOEL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel/) > [Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfill. For my darling, I love you, and I always will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/love-me-tender-love-me-true-all-my-dreams-fulfill-for-my-darling-i/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [I chase dreams that fulfill me and not a dream that somebody else describes to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-chase-dreams-that-fulfill-me-and-not-a-dream-that-somebody-else/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [You can always dream. Life is full of dreams that you can fulfill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/you-can-always-dream-life-is-full-of-dreams-that-you-can-fulfill/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [Insomnia please release me and let me dream of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faithless/insomnia-please-release-me-and-let-me-dream-of/) [Faithless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faithless/) > [Let the dream unroll itself to its very end. You cannot help it. But you can look at the dream as a dream, refuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/let-the-dream-unroll-itself-to-its-very-end-you-cannot-help-it-but/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) ## More by Alan Watts > [“The self-conscious feedback mechanism of the cortex allows us the hallucination that we are two souls in one body -a rational soul and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-self-conscious-feedback-mechanism-of-the-cortex-allows-us-the/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The more we try to catch hold of the present moment the more elusive it becomes. It is like trying to clutch water in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-more-we-try-to-catch-hold-of-the-present-moment-the-more-elusive/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The Universe is the game of the self, which plays hide and seek forever and ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-universe-is-the-game-of-the-self-which-plays-hide-and-seek/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-my-happiness-at-this-moment-consists-largely-in-reviewing-happy/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [...mysticism and empiricism go together in opposition to scholasticism...they base themselves on the non-linear world of experience rather than the linear world of letters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/mysticism-and-empiricism-go-together-in-opposition-to-scholasticism/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The hallucination of being a separate ego will not stand up to biological tests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-hallucination-of-being-a-separate-ego-will-not-stand-up-to/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/although-profoundly-inconsequential-the-zen-experience-has/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Everything is perpetually becoming new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/everything-is-perpetually-becoming-new/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The psychotherapist ... tries to help the individual to be himself and to go it alone without giving unnecessary offense to his community, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-psychotherapist-tries-to-help-the-individual-to-be-himself-and-to/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [“As you make more and more powerful microscopic instruments, the universe has to get smaller and smaller in order to escape the investigation. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/as-you-make-more-and-more-powerful-microscopic-instruments-the/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [We are at the moment looking at space as something to be entered by the tremendous thrust of a rocket because that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/we-are-at-the-moment-looking-at-space-as-something-to-be-entered-by/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [A philosopher is a sort of intellectual yokel who gawks at things that sensible people take for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/a-philosopher-is-a-sort-of-intellectual-yokel-who-gawks-at-things/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The best way to convince someone is by making him realize that what you speak came from his own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-best-way-to-convince-someone-is-by-making-him-realize-that-what/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The myths underlying our culture and underlying our common sense have not taught us to feel identical with the universe, but only parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-myths-underlying-our-culture-and-underlying-our-common-sense-have/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [To feel that life is meaningless unless “I” can be permanent is like having fallen desperately in love with an inch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/to-feel-that-life-is-meaningless-unless-i-can-be-permanent-is-like/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) [Explore all 460 Alan Watts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Let's suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream that you wanted to dream. And that you could, for example, have the power within one night to dream 75 years of time. Or any length of time you wanted to have. And you would, naturally as you began on this adventure of dreams, you would fulfill all your wishes. You would have every kind of pleasure you could conceive. And after several nights of 75 years of total pleasure each, you would say \"Well, that was pretty great.\" But now let's have a surprise. Let's have a dream which isn't under control. Where something is gonna happen to me that I don't know what it's going to be. And you would dig that and come out of that and say \"Wow, that was a close shave, wasn't it?\" And then you would get more and more adventurous, and you would make further and further out gambles as to what you would dream. And finally, you would dream ... where you are now. 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