So the other night, I had one of those, "I'm not sure if it's real or FA" dreams

Yeah, I "woke up" in my bed, and I immediately got up thinking it was a dream. I walked to the bathroom and plugged my nose as an RC. I could breathe through it, but it felt like the air was just barely seeping in, like maybe I hadn't plugged it enough. Not knowing whether it was real or not, I did the only logical thing; I pointed my index finger at my shower and said, "Bang!" Nothing happened, so I went back to bed with a, "Let me back in the dream, I wanna go back!" Mentality, and I felt overcome by a force literally feeling like it was pulling me back into a dream. What happened next I don't really remember, but I'm still not sure whether this was real or not. I'm leaning towards a dream, but I pretty much never FA where I'm actually sleeping, it's always in some random place...

This happened to me too. And I found out that if you're not sure if you're awake or dreaming, you're definitely dreaming (unless you're mad.) Maybe the dream seems realistic, but if you have to question if you're awake, you must be dreaming.

I had an FA one time in which I 'awoke' in my bed with my right arm doing this weird snake motion while sticking up in the air. It was like a cobra or something. I had the 'awareness' that it was an 'energy' technique that I had learned in the dream that I was awakening from. I've had false awakenings before but this one was so realistic (in terms of feeling of being awake, most def not content) that I still almost have to wonder. Dreams are tricky.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yellowlight

if you have to question if you're awake, you must be dreaming.

---

That's a terrible mentality to have. Not to mention, it's not true.

Just always do a handful of reality checks. When you do them, suspect you are dreaming.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shift

Not to mention, it's not true.

---

Why isn't it? Didn't you ever have that feeling when you're not sure if you're awake or dreaming? You had to ask "Am I dreaming or am I awake?". Didn't it turn out that you were dreaming?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yellowlight

Why isn't it? Didn't you ever have that feeling when you're not sure if you're awake or dreaming? You had to ask "Am I dreaming or am I awake?". Didn't it turn out that you were dreaming?

---

I've had that feeling a few times when I'm awake. Though I guess it happens more when you're dreaming, so it's a good starting point.

For starters, because a good lucid dreamer will get that feeling while awake much more often than the average person, simply because they are aware of the odd things that signify dreams and when similar things occur in waking life, they catch on.

Also, a good lucid dreamer who practices reality checks during the day is going to feel very often that they might be dreaming when they are really awake. This is an important part of reality checking- suddenly realizing that even though you thought you were awake, you have no way of knowing if you are or not. Realize that there's no possible way you could know if you were awake or not except to reality check. You could just be fooled by a very vivid dream. So your mindframe when RCing or seeing a dream sign or hearing the word dream should be "Oh, I think I might be dreaming. I think I'm dreaming."

So yes. I've felt this way a number of times in waking life and not actually been dreaming. It's false to say that if you think you're dreaming, you are.

Well, I've never felt like that while awake. I think I should stop assuming that everyone's like me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yellowlight

Well, I've never felt like that while awake. I think I should stop assuming that everyone's like me.

---

It's like this. One time I went to the library and on on my way in I noticed a nice car parked in front. While I was inside the person driving that car left and someone with the exact same car in a different color parked in that same spot.
When I walked out and saw that, I had one of those feelings, and did an RC, because it seemed like the car had changed color. A dreamlike inconsistency.

Exactly. I was walking with my dad outside the mall, and thinking to myself what a great place it was to bring a dog who needs to be socialized. I turned to tell this to him, that we should bring our puppy to the spot, and right then we happened to pass a dog sitting by a bench looking at all the people. IDEAL RC situation. Wondered if I was dreaming. Found out I was not. Valued the opportunity to wonder and then RC.

The trick isn't that you should be blown away by random occurrences, and wait for these to happen, but that when something strange happens, even if it's not that strange, you mentally blow yourself away by realizing that you can't tell if it's a dream or not. It's not that the thing itself is that weird, but that you recognize the possibilities and the POTENTIAL.