We can all agree that, allthough Dreams can get extremely, convincingly realistic to the point of being freaky, Perception in general is quite different in Dreams. Most RCs focus on Differences between the nature of the Dreamer's enviroment, but the problem with those RCs are that the Enviroments seldomly give us a hint that we might be Dreaming as it either keeps us too busy or doesn't seem any abnormal at all.

However another thing that is typically different from Waking Life in Dreams is our General Perception itself. That "Dream-Feeling" is actually because we are in an altered state of Perception: an ideal indicator that you are Dreaming. And perception is something you'll allways have with you. You could make a habit of Checking the Perception of your senses.

Visual:
Waking Life:
Well you oughta know exactly how you see in Waking life. Sharp, Coherent, Streaming and with the colors and contrast you're used to.

Dreams:
Things generally look somewhat, or heavily, blurred/hazy in Dreams. Or sometimes they look SUPER sharp(hyperreal) Often Colors are enhanced and shapes are exagerated/deformed.

-RC: Check your Vision frequently throughout the day: Is it Sharp? Or Blurry? Are the Colortones and contrasts as usual? No matter what your conclusions are allways follow it up by another, reliable RC.

Auditory:
Waking Life:
You oughta know off course. Coherent, continuous sound-perception, Sound percieved should be consistent with the source(voice, machine, wind..etc) the Accoustiscs of the space it is made in (Bedroom, huge Cathedral hall, Echoing caves..etc) and proportional in volume ( a plane crashing on the horison some 10 kilometres ahead of you should sound like a deep, but distant and relatively soft explosion) and the direction from which the Sound
came should be consistent with the action that made the sound (Your Footsteps' sound should come from right below you, a car passing by on the right should be heard from the right)

Dream:
Sound is often most unusually percieved in Dreams. Strange Echos, ping-Pong Left-Right effects, Muffled/Muted sound, the complete absence of sound or The perception of Sound in any other unusual, perhaps undescribable ways are often experienced in Dreams.

-RC: Any strange echos? Unusual ways of perceiving sound? Any strange sound effects? No sound at all? Muted or interrupted perception of Sound?
Follow with another, reliable RC.

Tactile:
Waking life:
If someone touches you you feel it the moment of contact. Well you oughta know...



Dreams: Reduced or sometimes absent tactile perception of a physical body. Sensations such as Pain, itch, Sexual Stimulation, The feel of a surface or the Feel of falling in your Stomach are often overly Dramatised and feel very unusual. When moving, instead of a coherent, step by step, walk forward many Dreamers percieve a sort of forward floatation/thought-driven motion. I often feel as if I am bodyless unless the Storyline of my Dream needs to create a specific physical sensation.

-RC: Check your Tactile sense. Do you feel anyhow Dissociated from your body?( Do "You" feel completely attatched to/placed inside your body?) Touch your skin: Does it feel as usual? Follow up with another, Reliable RC.

Taste&Smell:
Hardily ever, if EVER at all, remember having used these senses in Dreams. Let me know if that isn't the case for you.

Emotionally/Psychological:
The perception of percieved "internal" Emotions, feelings, sensations, mindstates within the Mind itself.

Waking Life:
You ougghta know.

Dreams:
A magical/twisted/strange overall sensation of the Mind/Self. Emotions are usually greatly exagerated and often experienced in an unusual way and/or mixed in with other emotions in combinations that are never, or hardily ever, felt during waking life.

-RC: Check how you feel internally. Any signs of unusually mixed feelings? Any alien emotions/sensations? any signs of emotional/psychological exageration? No matter what your conclusions are follow up by another, reliable RC.

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My Deaf Dreams:

I have noticed that, allthough sometimes DCs speak or there is music or ambiance sound in my Dreams, actually my Dreams are quite Mute. When someone will speak to me I will "hear" them say it, but I will hear it like I hear a verbal thought. The same with Music: I will hear it as if I am hearing a song that's stuck in my head. It's more imaginative than real, whereas the visual aspect of my Dreams are very Real. I noticed this a while back.

I have always remembered Dreams Visually, sometimes but rarely, with an element of tactile sensations(dog bite, falling-feeling in the stomach..etc), But I can never recall any sounds from my Dreams. Only those "Imaginative" sounds when DCs are talking to me or when a plane crashes near me for instance, but not nearly as realistic as the experiences of my other senses. Just like sound doesn't really play a role in my Dreaming.

Are there any Dreamers around here who find the same to be the case for themselves?

Cuz a Good Reality Check for these people might be to Take some time to "snap out of the moment" and listen to the Sounds of their enviroment. And try and analyse wether the Sound you percieve is any different from usual, Muffled/muted or completely abscent. No matter what the conclusion of your Sound-analysis is always do a second Reality Check afterwards; Stick-hand-through-solid-object has never failed me before.