Reality checks
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.
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 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.
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.
Practical methods
There are many simple reality checks that can be used to accurately determine whether or not one is currently dreaming and these are listed below:
- Pushing one's thumb into the palm of their hand - During a dream, if one is to push their thumb into the palm of their other hand and exert pressure, it will pass straight through the hand and come out onto the other side. This can be used to determine whether or not one is dreaming very reliably.
- Double taking / rereading text and clocks - During a dream, if one decides to read text or check the time on a clock, upon further examination it will be shown to have changed or be unreadable. This means that every time one looks away and looks back, the information will change repeatedly, appear as nonsensical or never keep still. This can be used to determine whether or not one is dreaming very reliably.
- Counting fingers - During a dream, if one is to look at their hand and attempt to count their fingers, they will quickly realize it is impossible. The amount of fingers may constantly change or simply remain somehow intrinsically uncountable. This can be used to determine whether or not one is dreaming very reliably.
- Pinching one's nose and breathing - During a dream, if one tightly pinches their nose shut and attempts to breath, they will find that they can breath through their nose as normal regardless. This can be used to determine whether or not one is dreaming very reliably.
- Reminders - An excellent way to remind oneself to perform reality checks is to put notes containing messages such as "are you dreaming?" or "perform a reality check" in places which one frequently looks at throughout the day. For example, putting a visible note by a frequently used computer screen, writing a message on one's hand or changing one's desktop wallpaper to the image found on the right will greatly improve general lucidity.