reality checks?

Reality checks are simple. Mind to spend some of your time reading the Bible I just wrote below.

In our waking lives, we are sure that we are awake. This is because we are conscious and reasoning, so the possibility of being in a dream just never springs to mind (unless you are a lucid dreamer, of course).
In our dreams, the belief that what we see is real is also present. Subconsciously we believe that what we see in a dream is real. Actually, lucid dreaming derives exactly from that: it means knowing that what you are experiencing is actually a dream, something made by your mind which you can control... and not reality.

But how can we know if we are in a dream or awake? The answer is Reality Checks. Although our dreams can be incredibly realistic and vivid, they are not flawless. Some things that happen normally in waking life may not work properly in dreams (like hiting a switch and lights not turning off), or maybe something impossible or highly unusual happens in our dreams, while it wouldn't happen in reality (like a whale swimming in the desert). Those things that accuse you of being in a dream are called Dream Signs. And you can use them in favour of knowing if you are actually awake, or only dreaming.

For example: digital watches tend to not work properly in a dream. This is because our dreaming minds have trouble to create the numbers we see. For that reason, you could test if you are dreaming or awake by looking at your watch. if it seems screwed up, then you are in a dream. You basicaly just "tested" reality, to know if you are (or not) in a dream. Hence the name, Reality Checks. You used a characteristic of dreams (digital watches not workign properly) to determine if you are dreaming or awake.

Reality checks can be used whenever you see something suspiscious: something which could be a Dream Sign. I personally use the "breathing through a pinched nose" Reality Check. Just pinch your nose and try to breathe through it. If air comes naturally in and out through your pinched nose, then you are dreaming.

Finally, sometimes Reality Checks are not even needed to know if you are in a dream. You may find yourself in such an unusual situation in a dream, that you will just know it is a dream without having to Reality Check. It can happen, for example, that your small sister tells you your father has turned into a pink cat. This just obviously tells you you are in a dream, without the need for a Reality Check.

Guess I covered it all. Any questions, shoot :D