Reality checks: Difference between revisions

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'''Reality checks''' are the act of consciously checking ~~your~~ environment for signs that you are dreaming. The intention of this exercise is to do it enough that the action becomes automatic, thereby causing one to reality check within a dream. A reality check often takes the form of a simple action that is likely to result in a different outcome depending on whether or not one is in a dream.

'''Reality checks''' are the act of consciously checking the environment for signs that you are dreaming. The intention of this exercise is to do it enough that the action becomes automatic, thereby causing one to reality check within a dream. A reality check often takes the form of a simple action that is likely to result in a different outcome depending on whether or not one is in a dream.

~~Performing~~ this task at regular intervals or when [[dream signs]] occur it is possible to train one's mind to better recognize the dream state. A reality check can result in a [[DILD]] when done successfully, as the dreamer realizes they are dreaming and sustains that awareness through [[stabilizing techniques|stabilization]] techniques.

If performing this task at regular intervals or when [[dream signs]] occur, it is possible to train one's mind to better recognize the dream state. A reality check can result in a [[DILD]] when done successfully, as the dreamer realizes they are dreaming and sustains that awareness through [[stabilizing techniques|stabilization]] techniques.

In order to determine whether or not one is dreaming, it is necessary to develop a habit of performing frequent reality checks. A reality check simply involves asking questions, such as "am I dreaming?" or "is this a dream?" alongside of a specific action which is capable of determining if one is awake or asleep.

In order to determine whether or not one is dreaming, it is necessary to develop a habit of performing frequent reality checks. A reality check simply involves asking questions, such as "am I dreaming?" or "is this a dream?" alongside a specific action which is capable of determining if one is awake or asleep.

As most people are not in the habit of asking themselves "am I dreaming?" while in the midst of a dream, it is necessary to train oneself into the habit of regularly questioning reality. By training oneself to habitually question reality during waking life, the habit will eventually carry over to dreaming life and ultimately one will find themselves posing the question while dreaming. When this happens, the odds of realizing one is within a dream increase and thus further increases the odds of achieving lucidity.

In order to gain the best results possible, these reality checks should be performed habitually every time the situation changes and on a daily basis. For example, every time one walks through a door or enters a new environment a reality check should be performed. Every time one talks to a new person or simply remembers that ~~they~~ they may well be dreaming a reality check should be performed. If this is done 10 - 30 times a day the habit will quickly spill over into one's own dreams.

In order to gain the best results possible, these reality checks should be performed habitually every time the situation changes and on a daily basis. For example, every time one walks through a door or enters a new environment a reality check should be performed. Every time one talks to a new person or simply remembers that they may well be dreaming a reality check should be performed. If this is done 10 - 30 times a day the habit will quickly spill over into one's own dreams.

=Practical methods=

There are many ways one both remind themselves to reality check, as well as ~~preform~~ the reality check itself, here are some suggestions to do so categorized by the ways in which they work.

There are many ways one both remind themselves to reality check, as well as perform the reality check itself, here are some suggestions to do so categorized by the ways in which they work.

==Reminders==

===Replications===

*'''Nonsensical literature''' - Some books, such as James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" and Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of leaves" do a remarkable job of emulating various components of how books tend to act in dreams. Such books and/or passages from them can serve both as examples of dream signs, and triggers to remember to reality check.

*'''Nonsensical literature''' - Some books, such as James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" and Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of leaves" do a remarkable job of emulating various components of how books tend to act in dreams. Such books and/or passages from them can serve both as examples of dream signs and triggers to remember to reality check.

*'''Surrealist art''' - The surrealist movement was a direct attempt by artists to replicate the paradoxical experiences they had while dreaming into various physical media. A major player in the early movement, André Breton, summarized its aim in the following quote: "I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality, if one may so speak."<ref>https://books.google.ca/books?id=12TuC9IkxKIC&q=resolution+of+these+two+states#v=snippet&q=resolution%20of%20these%20two%20states&f=false ~~| Manifestoes of Surrealism~~</ref> For this reason many works of surrealist art can serve both as examples of dream signs, and triggers to remind one to perform reality checks.

*'''Surrealist art''' - The surrealist movement was a direct attempt by artists to replicate the paradoxical experiences they had while dreaming into various physical media. A major player in the early movement, André Breton, summarized its aim in the following quote: "I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality, if one may so speak."<ref>André Breton, Manifestoes of Surrealism (1969) (Book) | https://books.google.ca/books?id=12TuC9IkxKIC&q=resolution+of+these+two+states#v=snippet&q=resolution%20of%20these%20two%20states&f=false</ref> For this reason many works of surrealist art can serve both as examples of dream signs, and triggers to remind one to perform reality checks.

*'''Optical illusions''' - Such objects and images will often act in a seemingly paradoxical way that is not easily explainable. Similar phenomena can occur in dreams due to the lack of external stimuli to stabilize complex patterns and thus can serve both as examples of dream signs and triggers to remind one to perform reality checks.

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 {{proofread}}
 [[File:Cg0ww.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Changing one's desktop wallpaper to an image like this as a reminder to perform [[Lucid_Dreaming#Reality_checks|reality checks]] will greatly improve one's own sense of general lucidity.]]
-'''Reality checks''' are the act of consciously checking your environment for signs that you are dreaming. The intention of this exercise is to do it enough that the action becomes automatic, thereby causing one to reality check within a dream. A reality check often takes the form of a simple action that is likely to result in a different outcome depending on whether or not one is in a dream.
+'''Reality checks''' are the act of consciously checking the environment for signs that you are dreaming. The intention of this exercise is to do it enough that the action becomes automatic, thereby causing one to reality check within a dream. A reality check often takes the form of a simple action that is likely to result in a different outcome depending on whether or not one is in a dream.
-Performing this task at regular intervals or when [[dream signs]] occur it is possible to train one's mind to better recognize the dream state. A reality check can result in a [[DILD]] when done successfully, as the dreamer realizes they are dreaming and sustains that awareness through [[stabilizing techniques|stabilization]] techniques.
+If performing this task at regular intervals or when [[dream signs]] occur, it is possible to train one's mind to better recognize the dream state. A reality check can result in a [[DILD]] when done successfully, as the dreamer realizes they are dreaming and sustains that awareness through [[stabilizing techniques|stabilization]] techniques.
-In order to determine whether or not one is dreaming, it is necessary to develop a habit of performing frequent reality checks. A reality check simply involves asking questions, such as "am I dreaming?" or "is this a dream?" alongside of a specific action which is capable of determining if one is awake or asleep.
+In order to determine whether or not one is dreaming, it is necessary to develop a habit of performing frequent reality checks. A reality check simply involves asking questions, such as "am I dreaming?" or "is this a dream?" alongside a specific action which is capable of determining if one is awake or asleep.
 As most people are not in the habit of asking themselves "am I dreaming?" while in the midst of a dream, it is necessary to train oneself into the habit of regularly questioning reality. By training oneself to habitually question reality during waking life, the habit will eventually carry over to dreaming life and ultimately one will find themselves posing the question while dreaming. When this happens, the odds of realizing one is within a dream increase and thus further increases the odds of achieving lucidity.
-In order to gain the best results possible, these reality checks should be performed habitually every time the situation changes and on a daily basis. For example, every time one walks through a door or enters a new environment a reality check should be performed. Every time one talks to a new person or simply remembers that they they may well be dreaming a reality check should be performed. If this is done 10 - 30 times a day the habit will quickly spill over into one's own dreams.
+In order to gain the best results possible, these reality checks should be performed habitually every time the situation changes and on a daily basis. For example, every time one walks through a door or enters a new environment a reality check should be performed. Every time one talks to a new person or simply remembers that they may well be dreaming a reality check should be performed. If this is done 10 - 30 times a day the habit will quickly spill over into one's own dreams.
 =Practical methods=
-There are many ways one both remind themselves to reality check, as well as preform the reality check itself, here are some suggestions to do so categorized by the ways in which they work.
+There are many ways one both remind themselves to reality check, as well as perform the reality check itself, here are some suggestions to do so categorized by the ways in which they work.
 ==Reminders==
 ===Replications===
-*'''Nonsensical literature''' - Some books, such as James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" and Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of leaves" do a remarkable job of emulating various components of how books tend to act in dreams. Such books and/or passages from them can serve both as examples of dream signs, and triggers to remember to reality check.
+*'''Nonsensical literature''' - Some books, such as James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" and Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of leaves" do a remarkable job of emulating various components of how books tend to act in dreams. Such books and/or passages from them can serve both as examples of dream signs and triggers to remember to reality check.
-*'''Surrealist art''' - The surrealist movement was a direct attempt by artists to replicate the paradoxical experiences they had while dreaming into various physical media. A major player in the early movement, André Breton, summarized its aim in the following quote: "I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality, if one may so speak."<ref>https://books.google.ca/books?id=12TuC9IkxKIC&q=resolution+of+these+two+states#v=snippet&q=resolution%20of%20these%20two%20states&f=false | Manifestoes of Surrealism</ref> For this reason many works of surrealist art can serve both as examples of dream signs, and triggers to remind one to perform reality checks.
+*'''Surrealist art''' - The surrealist movement was a direct attempt by artists to replicate the paradoxical experiences they had while dreaming into various physical media. A major player in the early movement, André Breton, summarized its aim in the following quote: "I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality, if one may so speak."<ref>André Breton, Manifestoes of Surrealism (1969) (Book) | https://books.google.ca/books?id=12TuC9IkxKIC&q=resolution+of+these+two+states#v=snippet&q=resolution%20of%20these%20two%20states&f=false</ref> For this reason many works of surrealist art can serve both as examples of dream signs, and triggers to remind one to perform reality checks.
 *'''Optical illusions''' - Such objects and images will often act in a seemingly paradoxical way that is not easily explainable. Similar phenomena can occur in dreams due to the lack of external stimuli to stabilize complex patterns and thus can serve both as examples of dream signs and triggers to remind one to perform reality checks.