Dream vs Imagine
Dream and Imagine are two experiences of a human being at different situations. Both these terms differ to a great extent in terms of their inner meanings and connotations.
Dream is a state of experience that is otherwise called sleep. It differs from the state of deep sleep or slumber in the sense that in the sleeping state man is susceptible to experiencing dreams.
On the other hand ‘Imagine’ is a state of experience that happens in the awakening state and not in the sleeping state. This is one of the main differences between dream and imagine.
In imagination you would experience what you have not seen too. For example you can imagine yourself talking to a person who you have not met even once in your life. On the other hand you cannot dream about a person whom you have not met even once. For example you cannot dream about talking to Akbar the Great, the Mughal emperor!
On the other hand you can imagine yourself talking to Akbar the Great, the Mughal emperor in the awakening state. This is a very important difference between the two states of dream and imagine.
Another important observation to be made in the state of dream is that you would not be in a position to distinguish sometimes between the living and the dead. For example if you dream about your grandmother who died long ago, you would not experience the feeling of looking at the dead grandmother in your dream. Only when you return back to the awakening state you would realize that you have dreamt about the dead grandmother.
On the other hand in imagination you would easily distinguish between the living and the dead. You can imagine about the dead grandmother in the awakening state fully aware of the fact that she is not alive anymore.
Dreaming may not prove dangerous whereas imagining may prove dangerous. Wild imagination may lead to destruction and loss sometimes. Dreaming stops there whereas imagination continues till the doubts are cleared. Hence it is said that wild imagination should be avoided at all times.