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Physical Test

In order to perform a reality check you not only need to ask the question “Am I dreaming?” but you also have to answer it. And how do you answer your own question, since the dream state likes to trick us and disguise itself as “real”? Fortunately, over the years the lucid dreaming community has developed some clever double checks. Make sure to always perform a physical test as well.

Some standard physical tests are:

The Finger. Can you pass your finger through the palm of your hand? In a dream this is possible.
The Hand. Do your hands look normal? Do they have as many fingers as they’re supposed to have?
The Jump. Jumping is not only a hell of a lotta fun but a great reality check. If you jump, do you float down, is there an absence of gravity? In dreams floating is absolutely possible. (As a stepping-stone, try floating before you try to fly!)
The Nose. When you hold your nose, can you still breathe? Most lucid dreamers find this to be the most reliable evidence that they’re dreaming.
The Mirror. Does your reflection look normal?
Reading. Can you read the same sentence twice without it changing? Can you read the same sentence twice without it chulnging?
As you can see by Susan’s example, a second physical test might be necessary; sometimes your first test doesn’t work, fooling you into thinking that you are awake when really you are un a dream.

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When to Perform a Reality Check

If you ask yourself throughout the day the golden question, it will eventually trickle into your dreams. This is why. the reality check is one of the easiest and most rewarding techniques you can try. The question is easy to ask, but turning it into a habit can be a bit challenging for some. Try it out for the next three days, five to ten times a day. Take on this simple habit for even a short period of time—it can spark your first lucid dream. If you need help reminding yourself to do the check, here are some helpful habit-creating tips:

1. Set an alarm on your cell phone every hour or two as a reminder to perform a reality check.

2. Perform a reality check (choose one or two):
Every time you answer your phone.
Every time you walk through a doorway.
Every time you see a dog.
After every meal.
Every time you change locations.
When something strange happens.
Every time you hear music.
Every time you smell something delicious.
When you’re in an emotionally engaging situation.

3. Use dream signs.

Remember those recurring symbols from your dreams, the dream signs that popped up in your journal? Here’s where they come in handy. Perform a reality check every time you see a dream sign in waking life. If, for example, a dog appears often in your dreams, when you see a dog at any point, stop for a moment and do a reality check. Am I dreaming? If you often dream about a friend or a sibling, practice for the next three days by doing a reality check every time you see or think of them. Since these are the recurring symbols of your dreams, it’s very likely that you’ll spot a dream sign while in the dream world, perform a reality check, and become lucid.

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