Reality Testing for Dreaming
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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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?
17. Look/use a telephone
Are all the numbers in order? Press the "call" button. Do you get the
"boooo" tone?
18. 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?
19. Say something
Sometimes your voice can be disorted in a dream, so just say something
like "I think pie is good".
20. 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?
21. Look at your pets
If you have pets, just look at them. Do they look normal? Stroke them.
Do they feel as they should?
22. Talk to somebody
Talk to somebody, preferably somebody you actually know. Do they act as
they usually act?
23. Play some music
Are the lyrics as they should be? Are the singers the people that
should be singing? Does it sound distorted?
24. Smell something
Quite easy. Spray something or some perfume or just smell something-
does it smell as expected?
Posted by Tracy
at 4:51 PM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 30 June 2005 6:29 PM EDT