Thread: realizing that you're dreaming

I'm sorry if this is the wrong section to post this in but i'm new to this forum and i've been dreaming lately but whenver i dream i always think its' real. Are there any techniques to make myself realize that its a dream or what? I have a one track mind for example whenever i'm focused on doing something in a dream that's the only thing i want to do, and one more question. Is there any way to make yourself dream of anything you want to?

There's no shame in being new to lucid dreaming, but your questions, and many many others can all be answered by visiting the main site at http://www.dreamviews.com/

Originally Posted by topten35

I'm sorry if this is the wrong section to post this in but i'm new to this forum and i've been dreaming lately but whenver i dream i always think its' real. Are there any techniques to make myself realize that its a dream or what? I have a one track mind for example whenever i'm focused on doing something in a dream that's the only thing i want to do, and one more question. Is there any way to make yourself dream of anything you want to?

At first it seems impossible to do RCs and realize your dreaming. But with enough training to recognize dreamsigns it can be done. The dreamsign becomes second nature to walking in the dream. You see it you remember it as a dreamsign and knowing that it's a dreamsign you will do a RC. The challenge is seeing the dreamsign on a regular basis. You can either incubate a dreamsign or use one that you already have by checking through dream journals. It would be better if the dreamsign also existed in reality then you can practise the routine of doing a RC only when you see your dreamsign.

IMJ

Originally Posted by imj

At first it seems impossible to do RCs and realize your dreaming. But with enough training to recognize dreamsigns it can be done. The dreamsign becomes second nature to walking in the dream. You see it you remember it as a dreamsign and knowing that it's a dreamsign you will do a RC. The challenge is seeing the dreamsign on a regular basis. You can either incubate a dreamsign or use one that you already have by checking through dream journals. It would be better if the dreamsign also existed in reality then you can practise the routine of doing a RC only when you see your dreamsign.

IMJ

I totally agree with this. Plus you can incubate what you want to do in an LD. Soon this and control will be second nature. It all takes practice.

I find that sometimes when I am dreaming I do many different reality checks and they all turn out positive. Later on I wake up and realize I actually was dreaming after all. I think if you over do the rc's during the day it imprints it into your subconscious so even in your dreams they can turn out positive. As for controlling your dreams, the best method is WILD. If you have any questions about that just email me at [email protected].

Originally Posted by dan.j.c

I find that sometimes when I am dreaming I do many different reality checks and they all turn out positive. Later on I wake up and realize I actually was dreaming after all. I think if you over do the rc's during the day it imprints it into your subconscious so even in your dreams they can turn out positive. As for controlling your dreams, the best method is WILD. If you have any questions about that just email me at [email protected].

As to the note about reality checks becoming automatic and losing their potential power, I think sometimes it helps to tell yourself that, even in waking reality, you ARE dreaming. If you take a look around and really observe the environment and imagine it is a dream, it may help you avoid the problem of automatically answering 'no, this is not a dream' to the reality checks.

Thanks for the advice mate. That seems pretty sensible so I'll try that out for now on!