Reality Checking in YOUR Dream Universe

[AspirationRealized]

This thread deals with ideas given to me largely from BillyBob's perspective, as I have interpreted it from his many guides. Namely, the Infinite Universes of Lucid Dreaming, which he says should be read with Mastering Your Dreams for better understanding. If you're lazy and don't want to read it, he explains that what you experience in all dreams is based on schemata (which, in a very hurried rush way of explanation are your own "expectations" of what the world should be), and when you change the "dream world" you are merely manipulating them. So, in essence... Lucid Dreams actually are limited only by two things. You (example being, you believe you can't turn on light switches, so you can't), and the time we spend there. I will start my own discussion by saying that I myself am no Lucid expert. I only started getting reacquainted with the idea of Lucid dreaming last night... the first time I took interest in LDing, I didn't see the wealth of information here at Dream Views. I have never had a Lucid Dream. I hardly remember normal ones (but since my time reading all this great stuff, I did remember one dream so far that had Jack Nicholson in it... but I digress...). This discussion isn't to argue against BillyBob's concepts. If you want to do that, find one of his posts. We are going to assume that we create (and by the same token, destroy) any limits in a Lucid Dream, for this thread. So, if this is true... how does one Reality Check? What if in my dream, digital watches stay the same when I double take? What if light switches do work? Things can get a bit complicated there, but the most obvious answer to me is that if I do something against normal reality, I'll know I'm dreaming. But if these concepts are true... could we indeed create our own unique reality check? Could we influence our schemata in some way so that, whatever we choose we want to do to check for a dream will work within the dream state? I would appreciate anyone's experiences with unique reality checks, or with reality checks not working in this thread. Any more ideas relating to this subject would be great too. Sometimes answers are just more questions. I'd also like there to be newbs like me struggle with this, along with some more experienced LDers helping us along the way. Perhaps BillyBob could make an appearance, since this question is based in his ideas.

[Moonbeam]

It is fairly common for reality checks not to work. I've had three different reality checks in a row fail me, and even tho I knew it was a dream, I took the stairs instead of jumping off the balcony, just in case. I still went on to have a great lucid dream. I really don't know a fool-proof reality check, and despite the occasional failure usually one or another will work for you. Remembering to do them is the hard part; that is accomplished by what you do when you are awake. Learning to recognize your own particular dream signs helps a lot. This is true for me, and I know for a lot of other people as well: often you know you are dreaming before you do the reality check, instead of the other way around. So failure of any one particular reality check is not that critical.

[mez]

Yes, schemas are what our dreams are built from. I believe there is one fool proof reality check. Holding your nose and trying to breathe through it. Obviously if you are awake you will be physically holding it and you wont be able to breathe but if you are asleep you will not be physically holding it so you will be able to breathe.

[Moonbeam]

That one is not fool-proof either. Sometimes if feels like you haven't gotten your nose all the way closed or something, and that's why you can breathe. It's like your mind finds weird explanations to try and keep you from becoming lucid sometimes.

[Dizko]

This one is easy for me. In 90% of my dreams, lucid or not, i can fly. So if im unsure, i just try to fly. This normally works. But i mean...the very fact i am questioning reality is usually enough for me to realise its a dream. Sometimes i just know its a dream, infact, in the 2 lucids i have had, i didnt use reality checks, i just knew.

[mez]

This one is easy for me. In 90% of my dreams, lucid or not, i can fly. So if im unsure, i just try to fly. This normally works. But i mean...the very fact i am questioning reality is usually enough for me to realise its a dream. Sometimes i just know its a dream, infact, in the 2 lucids i have had, i didnt use reality checks, i just knew. thats exactly how all my DILDs pan out. If I can ask myself "could this be a dream" I pretty much just assume it is and skip the reality check and just try to fly instead which always works.

[G0MPgomp]

Heh.. I too just test to soar in the magnetic fields.. Or I wake myself up for a millisecond to reassure me that I am in bed, and then re enter the dreamscape, almost before I left it. Seems to me it is not any problem to do for any one uf us, BTW! .. I think most of us just forget, or even chose to forget about it.. Also a bit off topic, but I think it fits this post: First thought when waking can be: "What shall I do now" - "Now I shall do this and that" - etcetera.. As opposed to being: "What did I just do" - "Where was I" - "Who was I with" .. See how one can chose then, even subconsciously?!