How can I be more aware that I'm dreaming?

[Merro]

Ok first night I had my first lucid dream. It was a false awakening until I realized there was something wrong with this picture. When I looked out side the window and I saw something wrong. I noticed I was dreaming. I forgot to stabilize what was going on then I woke up. How can I keep my self more aware and let my self know I am dreaming in a dream? I know you have to keep a dream journal but what can you do to realize that your dreaming? Most of the times I'm in my own little world in a dream and I can't remember to find the elements to know that I'm dreaming. It's like my dreams tell me that I am awake during a dream. I am tired of this. I remember one night I had a dream. I was living in a house that had leveling problems with my parents. The house kept moving slowly back and forth and it kept on making creaking noises or what ever. That was the best time to know I was dreaming. But most of the times when I'm at odd places in dreams I am thinking I am awake. I can't tell my self that I am dreaming. It's like I'm watching a reality show on TV. But I'm actually there. What can I do to keep my self more aware that I'm dreaming? And sometimes when dream characters tell me I'm dreaming. I never become Lucid. What can I do to make things more easier? I can't keep a dream journal right now because I don't have any money to get a notebook. And I don't have my own computer to type down my dreams.

[imj]

It's hard to guage or control the dream self while in dreams so don't be hard on yourself. What you can do is to during the day...'pretend' you are in a dream and realised it. Pick on a reason that suggested it's a dream....don't do any reality checks because the reality checks may be the one that is causing your mind to think it's not in a dream. IMJ

[Robot_Butler]

Two things can help you learn to be aware you are dreaming. The first is becoming familiar with your dreams, so you can recognize the feeling of dreaming. This is where keeping a dream journal helps. Review your dreams frequently, and try to remember what it felt like to be dreaming. You can identify dream signs to act as reminders. The second thing you can do is practice staying aware during your waking life. Reality check throughout your day, asking yourself if you are dreaming. How do you know? Become familiar with how it feels to be awake. You want to be familiar with both states, so you can compare the two states. Eventually, you should be able to instantly identify whether you are awake or asleep, just based on how you feel. Your thoughts, your short term memories, your relationship to the world around you. They all feel different in a dream.

[kulananda]

Practice the Yoga Nidra download listed on this site. It helps to keep you awareness awake while the body goes into deep sleep/relaxation.

[MatrixMaster92]

Two things can help you learn to be aware you are dreaming. The first is becoming familiar with your dreams, so you can recognize the feeling of dreaming. This is where keeping a dream journal helps. Review your dreams frequently, and try to remember what it felt like to be dreaming. You can identify dream signs to act as reminders. The second thing you can do is practice staying aware during your waking life. Reality check throughout your day, asking yourself if you are dreaming. How do you know? Become familiar with how it feels to be awake. You want to be familiar with both states, so you can compare the two states. Eventually, you should be able to instantly identify whether you are awake or asleep, just based on how you feel. Your thoughts, your short term memories, your relationship to the world around you. They all feel different in a dream.