If most of us “run” towards the interpretation of dreams, as during sleep we “encounter” flying horses and battles with aliens, there are some “guests” who never come when we are dreaming.

Psychologists say there are some things people can’t do while dreaming, from using their smartphones to eating or looking at themselves in the mirror.

Bright Side shows six of these impossible actions during dreams:

Use of smart phones

According to one theory, we dream so that our brain processes anxieties and fears, and this helps us cope with stressful events. Under certain circumstances smartphones can appear in our dreams. Alice Robb, the author of a book about dreams, shows that people are more likely to see smartphones in dreams when they are going through intense life events, such as the loss of a loved one, difficult times, etc.

Writing, reading or speaking

The areas of the brain responsible for interpreting language are much less active when we are asleep. The same applies to reading, writing or speaking in a dream. People who use language a lot in everyday life, such as writers or poets, may be able to understand the language in their dreams and come up with new and useful ideas after waking up.

Meeting with unknown people

Most dreams are based on common elements from our lives, so we have probably seen strangers appear in our dreams. We may not remember them because the interaction was brief and meaningless and we do not consciously remember them. But this does not prevent the brain from portraying new faces based on features.

Doing physical activities

We’ve all tried physical activities, different sports, but in a dream it doesn’t work the same. During sleep the muscles are immobile. In this way, our brain makes sure that we do not act on what we are dreaming. This feeling of slow motion can occur due to a lack of muscle response or slower neural processing during sleep.

Seeing yourself in the mirror

Mirrors and reflections are curious concepts when it comes to dreams. The point is that in the real world, reflections obey the laws of physics, but dreams direct us to our subconscious. Seeing your reflection in a mirror can be about seeing yourself from a psychological perspective. So the things you see in a mirror can be related to events in your daily life, self-esteem, etc.

Enjoying the food

Our brain creates dream experiences for us either by basing them on real life experiences or we come up with our own idea of how certain things might feel. So the food can taste like you imagined, better, or taste unpredictable based on your memories.