Dream Signs Tutorial

Written by ninja9578

Dream Signs

Dream signs are signals that can't or rarely exist in the real world, and therefore tell you that you're dreaming. The dream world is very different from the real world and often nonsensical, but most of the time we take what we see as real without question, even if we see something strange.

The main use of dream signs is to confirm that you are dreaming. After becoming aware of the fact that you could be dreaming, you want to look for something that tells you, "yes, you are in fact dreaming!"

Because of this, dream signs are a good type of reality check that's very easy to use - just look around you.

There are some dream signs that are universal to almost everyone, but each person has their own, more specific dream signs. The ability to recognize these signs will give you a confirmation of what reality you are in.





There are several dream signs that are universal and are true for almost every lucid dreamer. These can be picked up on by a careful individual and anyone can learn to look for these signs when they become lucid but still aren't sure if they're really dreaming. Here are some common ones:

Electronics Fail

Electronics usually don't work or don't work correctly in dreams. No one knows why, but it could be because modern technology is so complicated the dreaming brain can not duplicate it.

Incorrect Lighting

Many times the lighting for a situation will not be correct. It will either be too dark or too light. Another noticeable dream sign is that when you attempt to change the lighting, it doesn't work. Quick changes in light require recalculation of colours and shadows, which is far too much work for the dreaming brain, so light switches often fail in dreams. Shadows may also look distorted or go in the wrong direction.

Deformation

Animals, people, objects, and scenery often look strange in dreams. The object of attention tends to be larger than everything in its surroundings. Noticing anything misshapen should be a very obvious dream sign; however it tends to be the hardest one to pick up on unless you really look.

Illegible Text

Sometimes, reading and writing tends to be difficult or impossible in dreams. If text seems blurry or jumbled together, it should be an obvious dream sign. Text may also constantly change and never read the same message twice. This change also happens with digital clocks.





Along with dream signs that are universal among most dreamers, everyone also has their own. These are not so much things that are strange or out of place, more along the lines of recurring themes or plots. This is where having a dream journal will really pay off. After just a few dream journal entries, you should start to see recurring elements. Once becoming lucid, simply go through your dream signs and see if any of them are present.

Places

It could be a place such as a house or a school. Many dreamers find that they dream about the house that they grew up in, even if they haven't lived there in twenty years, the same goes for schools and colleges or places of employment.

People

Most oneironauts have dreams that include their friends; usually it's a select group of friends that seem to have a bigger imprint on the subconscious, hence show up in dreams more often.

Recurring Dreams

Recurring dreams or nightmares should be the most obvious personal dream sign. If you become lucid in the middle of one of these dreams, you definitely know that you're dreaming! Most people have had a recurring dream at least once in their life.

Elements

Many of the dreams of a person will often contain certain elements that are common throughout their dreams. This may be a minor detail, however with careful reading of their dream journal these elements can be picked out and then used as a dream confirmation.

Say a person had three dreams, in one they were at the beach with friends playing volleyball, in the next they were driving home and hard rain made it hard to see so they got into an accident, and in the third their dog peed on the floor and made the dreamer angry.

At first glance the three dreams will seem disconnected and have nothing in common. However, a more careful observer will notice that all of the dreams involved water in some way. This could be a personal dream sign, so when the dreamer gains awareness, they should check and see if there's water around.





Keep in mind that the dreaming brain likes to use metaphors and symbolism so your dream signs may be elusive at first. If you are having trouble finding personal dream signs, it may be useful to contact someone of more experience than you. This is part of the reason that it is recommended to have a public dream journal.

For instance, if you have a known dream sign of a friend named Bill. A possible hiding place for that dream sign could be money, because your brain associates the word 'Bill' with both your friend's name and with money.

Be aware, though, that you might become lucid in a place with no dream signs whatsoever. When this happens, do a reality check so you don't lose lucidity.



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