Reality testing is one of the most common and effective ways of inducing lucid dreams. Also known as the reality checking, reflection technique, or critical state testing, the idea is to determine whether or not you are dreaming by performing a few tests described below. If you can successfully perform a reality check while you are dreaming, becoming lucid will be second nature to you.

How to Perform a Reality Test (aka Reality Check)

There are a variety of ways to perform a reality test – but they’re all pretty common in that they challenge the possibilities of reality. For example, one of the most common techniques is to look at a digital clock or text book, look away, and then look at it again. If you’re dreaming, the words and numbers will probably have changed drastically – helping you become lucid.

One of the strange inconsistencies in the dream world is the inability to maintain numbers and words in digital clocks and books. Though this makes the dream world slightly less realistic, it also makes becoming lucid easier. Imagine if the dream world were perfectly realistic – you would have a much harder time realizing that you’re dreaming because reality tests wouldn’t be possible. And if the dream world were perfectly realistic, you would never be able to enjoy the sensations and benefits of lucid dreaming. In short – it’s the inconsistencies that make the dream world more easily accessible and enjoyable.

Here are a couple of reality tests you can perform, organized by theme – you’re most likely dreaming if something unrealistic happens.

Example Reality Tests

Changed Appearance

Look at your hands – are there extra, missing, or disfigured fingers?

Look at a mirror – do you look normal?

Touch your hair – does it suddenly seem longer or shorter than it should?

Superpowers

Try to fly or levitate – jump off the ground see how long you remain off the floor

Try teleporting – close your eyes, imagine yourself somewhere else, and open

Try breathing with both your nose and mouth closed – can you still breath?

Telekinetic Abilities

Try turning off lights with your mind – close and open your eyes to see the results

If you’re outdoors in daylight, try making the sun set with your mind

Close your eyes and imagine a sandwich appearing in front of you – open your eyes

Tips for Performing Reality Tests

Go ahead and try some of the above tests and see which ones work out best for you. Some people may have dreams that are more realistic than others, so different tests will work for different people. The best thing to do is to experiment with as many different reality tests as you can, and stick with the one that works best for you. I listed tests that you’ll be able to do, regardless of where you are, but you can also come up with your own tests, as those can be the most effective.

Sometimes you’ll have to do more than one test to be sure you’re dreaming. It’s always a good idea to be absolutely sure you’re dreaming before you go wild and act like there aren’t any consequences :). A good way to do this is to combine two or more tests. A common combination is to look at a mirror to test your appearance, and touch the mirror afterwards. Mirrors also don’t hold up well in the dream world, so if you’re dreaming your hand should go right through it.

If you have a bad experience with one of the tests, you should obviously stay away. Looking into a mirror can sometimes cause people to look so disfigured to the point that they wake up frightened. If this happens, just choose another test to perform as waking up will make it harder to become lucid.

When You Should Perform A Reality Check

Now that you know how to perform a reality check, the following sections will help you find out when you should perform one.

Perform a Reality Test Whenever You Encounter A Dream Sign

You should obviously question whether or not you are awake whenever you encounter a dream sign because it’s one of the easiest ways to induce a lucid dream. Most people accidentally become lucid in a dream when they realize something is too bizarre or unlikely to occur in real life. Instead of waiting for a dream sign to become strange to the point of you gaining lucidity, you can quickly question whether or not you are dreaming by using a reality check on a more subtle dream sign – maximizing your chances of becoming lucid.

Another way to think about this is instead of waiting for a dream sign that may or may not become more obvious, you can become more doubtful and test whether or not you are dreaming. This way you’ll take a more active role in becoming lucid, rather than depending on the chance that your dream will be odd enough to make you realize you’re dreaming.

If you read my example dream journal entry earlier, it makes much more sense. In the beginning of the dream, I was playing poker with my friends James and Isabella. There was a boulder in the room that I hadn’t questioned. If I had performed a reality test when I saw the boulder, I would’ve likely realized I was dreaming earlier. It was chance that had James pick up the boulder like a small rock and hurl it at the roaches. Though the dream ended with me waking up from the boulder’s impact, I could have become lucid if I were more active in questioning strange objects in my living room.

Perform Reality Tests Throughout the Normal Course of Your Day

Now why should you perform reality tests throughout the course of the day? The answer is that your daily habits will generally be reflected in your dreams. Most people don’t question whether or not they are awake throughout the day, and so this mindset is carried over to the dream world, where the same people will find reasons to rationalize and explain strange or impossible events – making it much harder to become lucid.

If you make it a habit of performing reality tests throughout the day, you’ll find your dream self doing the same thing. For example, I perform a reality test every time I leave or enter my apartment. In a dream if I happen to leave or enter my apartment, I’ll perform a reality test out of habit and realize I’m dreaming, becoming lucid in the process. This will increase your chances of having lucid dreams because you won’t need to depend only on encountering dream signs, but rather a combination of dream signs and the events you perform reality tests on.

Example Times to Perform a Reality Check Throughout the Day

When you check your e-mail

After you make a phone call

When you have a meal

When something stops working properly (aka device failure)

When you encounter one of your dream signs

When you leave or enter a building

When you see a house pet

When the clock reaches each hour

Other Tips for When to Perform Reality Tests

You don’t have to perform a reality check for all of those times, but aim for about 15-20 checks every day. A good tip is to choose a variety of times, not only when you’re at home or work. This way, you’ll have more chances of becoming lucid in a variety of dream scenarios. Ideally, the checks should be distributed throughout the day, and not clustered in one part of the day.

When I was beginning to perform reality checks, I found that I was only performing them whenever I was at home because I happened to choose events centered on being home. This meant that if I had a dream that took place outside of the house, then I would have less chance of becoming lucid because I was more used to performing reality checks indoors. This made the reality testing technique less effective because I was excluding performing a check whenever I was outside the house. After I started to perform checks in a variety of indoor and outdoor situations, I noticed having more lucid dreams by realizing I was dreaming.

Looking at it another way, you can also center when you perform reality checks during times you dream about frequently. This is basically like finding your dream signs. For example, I have many dreams about relaxing with my friends. I could then schedule most of my reality checks around socializing. I could perform a check whenever I saw my best friend or whenever I’m at our common meeting place. Go over your dream journal and find a common theme that you can schedule your reality tests on – it can certainly help you become lucid more often.