List of Reality Checks

**Demerzel** · 06-29-2004 06:42 PM

This contains a list of Reality Checks. A quote from the FAQ....

Originally posted by Lowercase Society
What is Reality Testing (RT)?
-Reality testing is merely what it sounds, it is testing the reality you are in, and in this case, it would be “Am I dreaming, or am I awake?” This provides a clear way of defining and distinguishing the dream world from the waking world. There are many ways of doing this, but it is good to ask yourself the question as many times as you can in a day. Or you can make a list of things each day to test your reality. For example, everytime you see yourself in the mirror, every time you hear a dog bark, every time you see an attractive person. Hopefully as this becomes a day-to-day task in the waking world, it will become one in the dreaming world. It has been noted that things in the dream world seem very ‘fuzzy’ or words and letters tend to re-arrange themselves in the dream world. If you wear a digital watch (regular ones don’t work as well), look at it once and note the time, look away, and look back at it: if the time has changed or the numbers re-arrange themselves, you are dreaming! You should try this every time you can with reading something, like billboards, a book, or anything similar. You might perform a reality test, upon recognizing a DREAMSIGN.

1. Look at your watch or a clock
This is likely to work, as numbers and letters are normally random in dreams. So, if you look at your watch and it is "12:25" one time and "2:33" the other, you know you are dreaming, and can attempt to become Lucid or something similair.

2. Attempt to Write
When you write, it may not be legible or normal, and the letters may change, as with above. If you notice this, it may be an idea to do another check, or attempt to become Lucid by flying or something similair.

3. Try to find unusual things in the world
These are things to look out for in a dream. If, for example, the sky is green and an alien is attacking you, it is most certainly a dream. Of course, it could be 100 times more subtle than this, as is normal. When you pick up on this, try flying or something similair. This should trigger Lucidity.

4. Find a book, newspaper, magazine, or any other reading material
When you are lucid dreaming, the part of your brain in charge of recognizing numbers and letter is still asleep. If you have problems reading text, or read it once and when you try again it is different, then you are most likely dreaming.

5. Turning the lights on/off
When you are dreaming, one of the things that you are unable to do is adjust the light level of the settings you are in. If you try to turn the light switch on/off and nothing happens then there are 2 possibilities:
a. You are dreaming
b. The light bulb burnt out the light switch doesn't work for some reason.

6. Trying something considered "impossible"
Another method to test whether you are in a dream or not is to try somthing that you know is impossible in the waking life. Commonly used examples of this are: Putting your finger through your palm, crossing over through a mirror, levitating, etc. I suggest you don't try something like flying out your window or such...just to be on the safe side...

7. Memory Check
This is a method where you are "asking" yourself what have happened during the day, or fortunately a dream. Try to think back as far as you can. When you perform this method, you will be aware if you have experienced anything illogical during the day, and you may have blank periods.

8. Mirror Check
Go to a mirror, and look at your self carefully. Ask yourself if you are dreaming. If you are dreaming, it is likely that you will notice something strange in the mirror. For instance, you could have a different hair style from normal, or different clothes. You may also look like you are a completely different person. In this case, you are definately dreaming.

9. Self Observation Test
This is a very flexible reality check. It takes little time, and you could do it almost all the time. Look at your self. If you have, for instance, 7 fingers on one hand, you are dreaming. You could also look at your clothes. If they look strange, you are probably dreaming.

10. Look for a dream sign
Dream signs are common things which appear in your dreams. For example, in some dreams, you may always see a certain person (possibly a dream guide) and the same features (for example, something which does not exist in reality but is always there in your dreams).

11. The Breathing Test
This is a nice all-rounder. Pinch your nose closed and keep breathing. Try not to think about your breathing while doing it, just leave your usual 'automatic' breathing to do its work. Then check if you actually managed to breathe. If you can, you're dreaming.

12. Emotion Analysis
Pay close attention to how you feel. If something causes you to react a certain way - frustration, bliss, laughter, it would be a good time to determine your state. The feelings generated by a dream are the same as in the waking world, so it's certainly something to keep in check.

13. Constant physical awareness
If you're like me, you've been trained to be rushing from point A to point B throughout life. Life is a race and there's no sense of *now*. Learning to control the feeling of now is a great way to pick up on the inconsistencies. I find that learning to consciously acknowledge the little things in life is a great way to regenerate the mind's analytical ability. I find this to be very strong in kids. They will pick up on something insignificant to my mind, and point it out to me, and I will be thinking 'How did you notice that?'
It's that sense of 'now', the feeling that there's not some light waiting at the end of a tunnel, but that the tunnel is filled with light.

In order of appearence
Thanks to:
Lowercase Society for the FAQ excerpt,
Techboy for checks 1, 2 and 3,
Truthbearer for checks 4, 5 and 6,
Human for checks 7, 8 and 9,
Neil for check 10,
Placebo for check 11 and
Awaken for checks 12 and 13.

Other reality checks are discussed throughout the forum. Have a look around and see what you can find!

**Demerzel** · 06-29-2004 09:48 PM

Mmm. Help build the list.

**Truthbearer** · 06-30-2004 01:48 AM

Find a book, newspaper, magazine, or any other reading material: When you are lucid dreaming, the part of your brain in charge of recognizing numbers and letter is still asleep. If you have problems reading text, or read it once and when you try again it is different, then you are most likely dreaming.

Turning the lights on/off: When you are dreaming, one of the things that you are unable to do is adjust the light level of the settings you are in. If you try to turn the light switch on/off and nothing happens then there are 3 possibilities:
1. You are dreaming
2. The light bulb burnt out or 3.The light switch doesn't work for some reason.

Trying something considered "impossible": Another method to test whether you are in a dream or not is to try somthing that you know is impossible in the waking life. Commonly used examples of this are: Putting your finger through your palm, crossing over through a mirror, levitating, etc. I suggest you don't try something like flying out your window or such...just to be on the safe side

**Demerzel** · 06-30-2004 11:11 AM

Thanks. Official Helper: Truthbearer. Anybody else feel free to help and I'll add your suggestions and name to the list. Also feel free to criticise and provide comments.

**Human** · 06-30-2004 12:53 PM

Memory Check:
This is a method where you are "asking" yourself what have happened during the day, or fortunately a dream.
Try to think back as far as you can.
When you perform this method, you will be aware if you have experienced anything illogical during the day, (or dream).

Mirror Check:
Go to a mirror, and look at your self exactly.
Ask your self if you are dreaming.
If you are dreaming, it is likely that you notice something strange in the mirror. For instance, you could have a different hair style than you usually have.
It may also happen that you looks like you are a complete different person. In this case, it is no doubt you are dreaming.

Self Observation Test:
This is a very flexible reality check. It takes little time, and you could do it almost whenever you remember it.
Look at your self. If you for instance have 7 fingers on one hand, you are dreaming.
You could also look at your clothes. If they looks strange, you are propably dreaming.

Hope this helps.

**Seeker** · 06-30-2004 01:10 PM

YEAH!! You guys keep this up! This is gonna be a great tutorial when you guys finish with it!

**Demerzel** · 06-30-2004 01:14 PM

Thanks!

Neil has just given me another check.

**Placebo** · 06-30-2004 02:54 PM

The Breathing Test: This is a nice all-rounder. Pinch your nose closed and keep breathing. Try not to think about your breathing while doing it, just leave your usual 'automatic' breathing to do its work. Then check if you actually managed to breathe. If you can, you're dreaming

**Demerzel** · 06-30-2004 03:06 PM

Thank you, Placebo.

I'm going to ask (and I'm sure if I don't, Seeker or a moderator will) that you don't quote another site word for word, because that is effectively copyright theft, and icedawg, Seeker or I would get the blame for that.

[edit]
(after reading post)

No, it wasn't directed to you specifically, Placebo.
[/edit]

**Placebo** · 06-30-2004 03:07 PM

I didn't quote

**Demerzel** · 07-01-2004 12:01 PM

Help me?

**Blissful** · 07-01-2004 02:04 PM

This morning I realized and "old faithful" RC failed on me. I don't typically become lucid during the weekdays but I think my nightly routine of yoga and meditation is really helping me.

I was under a strong suspician that I was dreaming (and I was) so I asked everyone in my dream to stop and check their hands. I checked my hands and they were perfect. Realizing that what was happening was not normal, I kept looking at my hands and asking other people in my dream "Are we dreaming?". I woke up this morning very very dissapointed.

QUESTION TO ALL YOU EXPERIENCED LUCID DREAMERS: Have you ever tried to do a RC that has always worked in the past only to have it fail? I mean, HANDS PEOPLE!! Hands always look different in some way. Mine were perfect. Is it possible that your brain can catch on and try to trick you?

Your thoughts?

Blissful

**Placebo** · 07-01-2004 02:21 PM

I wouldn't discount the possibility - the mind is a wily thing.
But it hasn't happened to me yet. Touch wood.

**Awaken** · 07-01-2004 03:58 PM

Emotion Analysis

Pay close attention to how you feel. If something causes you to react a certain way - frustration, bliss, laughter, it would be a good time to determine your state. The feelings generated by a dream are the same as in the waking world, so it's certainly something to keep in check.

Constant physical awareness

If you're like me, you've been trained to be rushing from point A to point B throughout life. Life is a race and there's no sense of *now*. Learning to control the feeling of now is a great way to pick up on the inconsistencies. I find that learning to consciously acknowledge the little things in life is a great way to regenerate the mind's analytical ability. I find this to be very strong in kids. They will pick up on something insignificant to my mind, and point it out to me, and I will be thinking 'How did you notice that?'
It's that sense of 'now', the feeling that there's not some light waiting at the end of a tunnel, but that the tunnel is filled with light.

Sorry for the abstract-ness, all the straightforward checks were taken

[/b]

**Demerzel** · 07-01-2004 04:03 PM

Thanks. And yes, RCs can fail.

**Neil** · 07-01-2004 05:53 PM

For me, the digital watch check has failed. I have looked at a digital watch and it has worked perfectly. Actually it was a mobile phone, but it was the same principle.

**Demerzel** · 07-01-2004 06:05 PM

(off topic: Woohoo, my flag's in use.)

Anyway, it has been mentioned that RCs can fail.

**Blissful** · 07-01-2004 06:13 PM

Originally posted by Techboy
(off topic: Woohoo, my flag's in use.)

Anyway, it has been mentioned that RCs can fail.

I think it's not "off topic" to at least address or let the lucid learners reading these messages about reality checks that they CAN FAIL (as I had never experienced a failed RC before and found it quite shocking, especially on the hands)!

What a coincidence that my failed attempt this morning caused me to go to dreamviews to post this question and I saw this new topic.

Maybe not a coincidence.....

Blissful

**Demerzel** · 07-01-2004 06:18 PM

Yay, my idea was a coincedence!

And I meant "YAY! my flag's in use" was off topic

**Blissful** · 07-01-2004 09:23 PM

Originally posted by Techboy
Yay, my idea was a coincedence!

And I meant \"YAY! my flag's in use\" was off topic

Oh, I thought you were using your flag to stop the thread from going into failed RC's. hee hee.. My mistake.

Your idea was a coincidence? Do explain? Sounds interesting.

Blissful

CT · 07-01-2004 10:16 PM

I guess it depends on your amount of awareness, on how active your left brain is. If its not alot but just enough to notice, text will mess up. If its really active and you do an RC it might just not change... and you'll still not get lucidity... THough if anything really weird happens, you probably will

**Kaniaz** · 07-03-2004 03:06 PM

If any of these are already mentioned, then well, oh dear.

Turn on a light/electrical item
In dreams, lights and other electrical items do not usually act as they do in real life - try turning on a light on the light switch, for example. Chances are that in a dream it will not work.

Look at a clock
Can you read the numbers? Do the numbers make sense? For example, look out the window. If it's pitch black, and the clock reads "12:00am", then it's quite obvious that you've got the curtains closed or you're dreaming.

Try to push your finger through your palm
Just do what it says. No explanation really needed.

Use a computer
This one's easy. Do your normal startup programs run? Can you access the internet okay? Go to a lucid dreaming site every day you wake up - it might help trigger an LD.

Look at some text
This is easy. Look at some text, look away. Look back. Has it changed? Also, see if the text makes sense or if you can read it.

Look outside
Is the weather normal for the season? For example, if it's snowing in the middle of summer you're either dreaming or the ice age has started.

Look at the layout of your room
Is it how you left it when you went to sleep? If you have shelves, is everything on the shelves that you expected to?

Look/use a telephone
Are all the numbers in order? Press the "call" button. Do you get the "boooo" tone?

Use a mirror
This is easy. Look in a mirror. Is it acting weird?

Jump
Just do it. Do you float? Do you stay in the air for an abnormal amount of time? Do you hear the "thump" sound when you land?

Say something
Sometimes your voice can be disorted in a dream, so just say something like "I think pie is good".

Look at a television
Is it doing what it should be? Can you hear it? What show is on? Does it make sense? For example, if it's showing a news report and it's being read out by a pink elephant, you are dreaming.

Throw something
Throw a soft ball or something of the sort. Does it act as you would expect it to? Does it stay up or move abnormally far?

Look at your pets
If you have pets, just look at them. Do they look normal? Stroke them. Do they feel as they should?

Talk to somebody
Talk to somebody, preferably somebody you actually know. Do they act as they usually act?

Play some music
Are the lyrics as they should be? Are the singers the people that should be singing? Does it sound distorted?

Smell something
Quite easy. Spray something or some perfume or just smell something- does it smell as expected?

Look at your hands
Do they look okay? Look at the detail of them and the creases in them.

**Bladekillua** · 06-14-2007 04:59 AM

I just pinch my self and see the outcome easy as that it works for me

I do it during the day too even though i know am awake.It helps because at the moment i pinch myself i temporarly take control since am axesing my memory and i just stay in control lol its a litlle complicated cant explaine it that well:p it just works for me all the time ...

**FreeOne** · 06-14-2007 05:43 AM

here is one that i dont think has been said

Try to Drive i dont know about you, but its really hard to drive in my dreams. I usually can't control the car and i can't drive in a straight line. And maybe its just me, but the streets are always empty when i drive in dreams.