Printable View
Hello guys and gals (: I am new to lucid dreaming and have just made a dream journal. I wrote down some tips to help me improve my dream recall and some include doing reality checks. I would like to know how to perform the "light switch" reality check so that I may remember to do it in my dreams. And can you also explain what it is supposed to do exactly and maybe include some other techniques?
Thanks guys for all your answers! I really appreciate it! (:
Welcome to DreamViews! Hope you're excited to start lucid dreaming. :D
For some people, flicking a lightswitch on (any lightswitch) won't actually do anything in a dream--it'll just remain dark. So as an RC, what you can do is find a lightswitch, then tell yourself it won't work (this will influence the RC's success if done in a dream), and flick it. If it works and turns on/off like it should, then you're awake. However, if the lightswitch doesn't do anything, then you're dreaming.
However, I wouldn't actually recommend this reality check due to its low success rate (it's the kind of one where it works for some people and not for others--take me, for example, lightswitches work fine in my dreams), and in the situation that you're at work or outside or driving, there might not be any lightswitches. If you're up for it, there's some other RCs you could try:
-My personal favorite, pinching your nose and trying to breathe through it (make sure your mouth is closed, too!). While you're awake, this obviously won't work, you won't be able to breathe. However, in a dream, since you're not actually pinching your nose in real life, you'll be able to do it effortlessly. It's... trippy, to be honest.
-Sometimes people's hands look weird when they're dreaming. Count your fingers--is there 5, and are they all the right size? You can also try sticking your index finger through the opposite palm (expecting it to work), it will go through your hand if you're dreaming.
-Sometimes text is jumbled up in a dream or it won't say the same thing if you look away and re-read it. The same goes for a clock--look at a clock, look away, look at it again. Does it say the same thing?
-Some people try to levitate as if they were already dreaming (you do this by sheer willpower and expectation, and by imagining you're levitating)--obviously this won't work if you're awake. Though while it's the most discrete and doesn't require any sort of materials, I wouldn't recommend this RC if you're just starting out in lucid dreaming, as it requires a little bit of practice with dream control to work successfully during a dream.
Those are just some common ones, there's a lot more.
Also, a note about reality checks--whatever RC you do, make sure you do it thoughtfully. Pay attention to the results, and really ask yourself if you're dreaming or not. I only mention this since a lot of people come here saying their RC didn't work in a dream, when about 75% it's only because they didn't actually watch the results. It sounds silly, but we think a lot of silly things in dreams, so just make sure you get into the habit of paying attention while you're RCing!
I know, a bit more information than you asked, but the more the merrier.