There are so many different reality checks that can be performed, that I thought I’d share a few more common ones. I’ve already discussed reality checking in some detail.
The key to using reality checks in daily life to trigger lucidity in dreaming is to perform them with awareness and intent. A reality check that’s performed, ‘by the way,’ or on unconscious autopilot will be of absolutely no use in dreaming. A reality check that is performed without the effort to seriously examine the results will bear no benefits in dreaming, as it will equally be performed with no effort or intention in dreaming.
Looking at hands and other body parts usually makes for a good reality check. Looking at your hands in a dream, and they can often look strange. Furthermore, if you look away and then look back at them, you will often find that they have changed!
There is the nose pinch which I’ve discussed previously. Holding one’s nose and attempting to breathe in or out during dreaming will usually be possible, where it obviously wouldn’t in waking reality.
Looking at a clock, particularly a digital one is also a popular option. If you look at it once, then look away, and then look back again, you may find that the time has changed dramatically. A digital alarm may in fact even be displaying an impossible time such as 31:92
More advanced is attempting to fly, or noticing a strange floaty feeling when walking. This does however a fine sense of awareness, with which, you would probably already be lucid!
Most dreamers will tell you not to bother thinking about using flying as a reality check as it’s a technique in it’s own right that needs mastering, and they’re probably right. For some reason my very first lucid dream involved flying and I’ve been flying in dreaming ever since. It seems to be something that just came naturally for me. That being said, I do have a funny tale of using flying as a reality check to share.
Roughly a year ago now, I recorded a dream in my journal involving a failed reality check involving flying. The more complex or advanced a reality check is, the more likely it is to fail. Reality checks should be kept very simple. I was in my parents home with my parents, brother and one of my brother’s friends. I turned to my father and said, “I’m just going to check if I’m dreaming.” now in reality he would have probably looked at me quite strangely, but instead he said, “oh ok then.” I outside the house to the front garden and tried to jump off ready to fly. I just hopped and fell to the ground, much like I would have done if I’d tried to fly in waking reality. I then got u, walked inside and said to him, “I guess I’m not dreaming,” and continued unaware in my dream! In hindsight, what happened was that instead of performing a reality check, I just dreamed about performing a reality check, without any real intention whatsoever. When my reality check failed, I did not consider performing another or questioning the situation further.
A final reality check that I can share Is trying to use light switches and electronic devices. In dreaming, they often behave strangely or don’t work as expected. Give it a go!