No, it's not like active telepathy. You have to go in with a specific goal in mind— it's closer to interrogation, just without the unpleasant trappings that can go with it.

And it's not easy. People naturally have a defense mechanism in their subconscious. Dreams can also mimic reality closely, up to and including the experience of pain. More than a few recruits in the initial military projects went off the deep end that way, couldn't tell reality from a dream. Thought they were still bleeding out when they woke up, that sort of deal.

[ It was a particularly harrowing experience. Glancing up, he silently hands the bottle back. She looks like she needs it more. ]

Sorry, not really the best material to talk about.