Thread: Reality check questions...

When dreamers don't know or aren't sure they're dreaming, they aren't lucid.

Generally, dreamers do a reality check because they aren't sure if they're dreaming or not. Because the reality checks are done when the dreamer is not sure of whether they're dreaming or not, the dreamer is not lucid until the reality check makes them sure they're dreaming. The exception is if the reality check is done after being sure they're dreaming just for fun or as part of a stabilization routine rather than genuinely checking their state.

When not lucid, the dreamer can carry out a reality check because the dreamer can still associate awareness of the dream with things other than what they're aware of, including with doing a reality check. The associations form a chain, which leads the dreamer to realize that they're dreaming.

An example of association chain would be: flying dolphin=impossible=do a reality check=reality check fail=dreaming

The dreamer can associate impossible things or anything else with reality checks, so because they can still make these associations when not lucid, they can do a reality check when not lucid.