a teacher or speaker would ask the group to close our eyes and picture an object or scene. After becoming bored I'd open my eyes look around the room, see everyone with their eyes closed, concentrating. Then I'd wonder to myself. Is this like the story of the Emperor's New Clothes and everyone is faking it?

I have had a handful (maybe a dozen or so throughout my life) of fairly realistic dreams. So maybe I'm not a lost cause and, like Superkid says, just need to try harder.