Ok, I’m sure that this question must have been raised on some other thread before, so if anyone can point me to it, please do, and this thread need not be.

My question is this: if what we consider to be “real” / waking life is in fact some sort of dream (or Matrix-like experience), how do we: 1. know, 2. wake up (if indeed waking up is the best thing to do. Suicide does not seem to be an option) 3. gain more lucidity.

What would the waking life equivalent of “dream signs” be? I’ve had quite a number of very unlikely coincidences happen to me over the years which, depending on my mood, make me very suspicious about the nature of reality.

Any thoughts?