I got lost in a closet last night

[Malakar]

But there's some sort of checks and balance system in place that still governs what you can and can't do in a dream, whether you have realized that you're dreaming or not.

Yeah, that's pretty much how my dreams work. It seems that what happens is usually what my perception of reality would dictate, whether I know I'm dreaming and try to control it or not. It is rare for me to realize that I'm dreaming, and I tend to wake up soon after, so I haven't had many chances to experiment.