Depends on one's imaginative capabilities, honestly. Yes, I'm quite serious. What I've been able to do in dreams (controlled or otherwise) rivals any sand-in-hand experience I could have while waking. I won't claim imagination is a pure replacement for personal experience, but there's something special about abstract thought.
I think you're comparing dreams to memories of experiences. Try comparing your dreams to an experience while it's happening, and I think you'll find the dream was not quite so vivid as the feel, taste, smell, and sight of the world.
