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REALITY
CHECKS
Reality checks are a method of discerning
between dreams and reality. It is
extremely important to perform these.
One could say they are the “keys” to lucid
dreaming. It is also extremely important
to make sure that you expect these to produce
dream results — you accept your reality, even
when it is a dream. It would be
counterproductive to expect real-life results in
a dream, as the outcome of a reality check can
be modified by the placebo effect. It won't
affect outcomes in real-life (unless you are
mentally ill!), but you will probably have a
higher success rate in dreams.
So here are some reality checks. You should be
familiar with the entire list even if you only
use a few.
|
|
|
Reliability |
Speed |
Discreetness |
Overall |
|
Breathing |
Can you
breathe through a tightly shut nose? |
5 |
5 |
3 |
4.34 |
|
Jumping |
When you
jump, do you float back down? |
5 |
5 |
1 |
3.67 |
|
Reading |
Do sentences
change when you read them? Read, turn
away and repeat it to yourself, and then
turn back and read it again. Do this
twice. |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4.34 |
|
Light
switches |
Does a light
switch work? |
5 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
Vision |
Do you have
perfect vision? This only works for
people who have at least slightly blurry
vision in the waking world. |
4 |
5 |
5 |
4.67 |
|
Hands |
Are your
hands a strange colour, have too many
fingers (sometimes they disappear and
reappear when you try to count them!) or
have other abnormalities? Can you push
your finger through your other hand? |
4 |
5 |
5 |
4.67 |
|
Time |
Does your
watch or clock tell a reasonable time?
Are you even able to read the time off
it? Sometimes clocks have the wrong
number of hands or have strange symbols.
Note: Digital clocks often work better
for this reality check. |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4.34 |
|
Powers |
Are you able
to fly (just visualise it), unlock doors
or have other magical powers? Try to
walk through a wall, window or mirror. |
4 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
|
Mirrors |
Do you look
normal in a mirror? |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Nose |
Can you see
your nose with one eye closed? |
2 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
Memory |
Are you able
to remember how you got here, why you
are here and what happened an hour ago?
This is not always a reliable reality
check! |
2 |
3 |
5 |
3.34 |
Choose a few reality checks which you will do
regularly. Keep doing reality checks until you
are convinced that you aren't dreaming. You
should always carry out more than one
reality check. If you find that it is not a
dream, look around you and think of what would
be different if it was a dream. If you do this
it will make it more likely that you will do a
reality check in a dream.
Apart from doing reality checks throughout the
day, you also need to do a reality check
immediately after you wake up. This helps you
become lucid in false awakenings, when you begin
to act out the following day in a dream.
If you have trouble bringing reality checks into
your dreams then before going to bed imagine
yourself in a dream, noticing odd details and
doing a reality check. Then do a reality check
in real life. If you do this a few times before
bed you will find that you will do it more often
in dreams.
If you are in a situation where you cannot do a
reality check, such as at a public speaking, try
to do one as soon as possible. You can do some
reality checks very discreetly, such as feeling
your fingers to make sure you have five. If you
start to say “well, I can't do a reality check
now” you should not be surprised when you make
this mistake in a dream!
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