How to Tell You're Having a Dream
Okay, so you're dreaming. But how do you realize you're in a dream so you can "wake up" within it? There are two popular methods: spotting "dream signs," and "critical state testing."
Dream signs, which have nothing to do with "dream interpretation," are essentially a mental catalog of the inconsistencies you normally experience while in a dream. They can be hard to spot, and you may not have many that appear regularly, but they are there. For example, one of my major dream signs is being with people I don't recognize but still feel convinced I know. If I can establish the fact that this "friend" I'm with in my dream isn't actually somebody I've met before, I can become aware of the dream and may be able to become lucid.
Other people I know have dream signs like "people don't have discernible faces, or any faces at all," or "I never seem to be myself when I dream." Yours could be much simpler, however, like never wearing clothes you usually wear, or perhaps none at all. Or maybe you'll notice the layout of a familiar place is nothing like it was before. Whatever they may be for you, start writing down your dream signs in your dream journal. The more regular inconsistencies you can note and become aware of, the more likely you are to notice them while you're dreaming and become aware.
Critical state testing, on the other hand, is something you must practice in the waking world. These tests are designed to be routinely performed while you're awake, so that when you are tumbling through dreamland, you can perform the same test and realize you're asleep. It's very effective if you do it right. That's why establishing a personal critical state test is going to be your next assignment.
Assignment: Establish a Routine "Am I Dreaming?" Check
Critical state tests can be something as simple as asking yourself, "Am I dreaming?" or as complicated as going over a dream state checklist. No matter what you choose to do, however, asking yourself if you're dreaming should be a part of your test. After all, if you never ask if you're dreaming in the waking world, what are the odds you'll do it when you're asleep?
My personal critical state test is very simple:
I look at my hands and flip them over, ask myself if I'm dreaming (aloud if possible), then look around to make sure I actually know all the people I'm with (dream signs!). If anything seems slightly amiss, I tell myself to hover or fly.
When you conduct your test is important, though. Create a rule set for yourself and follow it. For example, you can establish that you'll execute your test every time you: go to the bathroom, have a glass of water, see an attractive person, get up from your desk, talk to a certain person, etc. If you can, try to incorporate the dreams you've been having within your rule set. For example, if you've been having dreams that poke at your social anxiety, make uncomfortable social situations one of your triggers for a test. Or if you're afraid of heights and you have dreams about that, do a test every time you feel that fear.
But a critical state test, no matter how personalized, is useless if you don't do it with some regularity. Since you're just getting started, you're best off doing it at least 10 times a day, every day. Once you get into the practice of it, about five times a day may be good enough. Eventually, you'll go to perform your routine check, and lo and behold, you actually will be dreaming. Excitement and wonder will wash over you as you become intentionally lucid for the first time.
Okay, oneironauts: sleep tight and dream on.
Share This Post
