First steps ( Step # 6 ) - Reality Checks and Dream Signs

First steps ( Step # 6 ) - Reality Checks and Dream Signs
This is the 6th installment in my series " first steps"- a newbies guide to
obtain lucidity in your dreams..

this installment will be on "reality checks "and their relation to "dream signs",
in terms of gaining higher degrees of lucidity in your dreams.

So first a little review on "reality checks", as they are quite important in the
overall lucidity process.

Reality Checks - -
Are simply brief mental checks that are preformed
numerous times during the day, to determine whether a person is awake or
dreaming.. Or in the physical realm versus being in one of the higher
"astral planes", if one chooses to look at it this way.. Their are numerous " reality checks ", which one can preform during the day that are really only limited by one's imagine. Mike and myself (and a few others that are members of the site),
seem to favor 2 of them in particular-

The Watch reality test
The Hands reality test

For more on reality tests in general, and for a good post that describes
each of the above 2 excellent 'reality tests", please refer to this post here :

http://dreamsandbeyond.info.tm/showthread.php?tid=23

So now a quick review on dream signs , which were the main subject of the
prior posting of 'first steps" , found here .. :

http://dreamsandbeyond.info.tm/showthread.php?tid=122

... are the recurrent dream themes that appear more than 1 or 2 times in a persons dreams. they usually take the form of 'dream concepts" rather than a specific event. But it is possible also they can be a quite specific event for some.

So alright than as long as you have a good handle on what each of our 2 dream concepts are lets see how they tie in with each other and can be used together as a powerful team to obtain greater degrees of lucidity in your dreams.. Again, best to illustrate this , is to use an example from my own dream research how i do this..

Pretty much I've identified 2 main dream signs through years of dreaming and especially through the keeping of my "dream journal" . The main dream sign we can refer to here as the "primary sign".. the other dream sign i have which occurs a little less frequently in my dreams we can refer to as the "secondary sign".. So before we go on, lets list those -

Primary Dream Sign -
these are dreams where I'm "driving a motor vehicle".. "observing others driving motor vehicles" or a "passenger in a motor vehicle" .

Secondary Dream Sign -
these dream are related to my work or job ( Landscaping ) .

alright so those are the dream signs and now the choice of reality tests to use along with those..

Reality Test - -
The "hands " test..

So therefore the implementation is actually quite simple and easy to preform.. As many times as i can recall to do so during the day while 'I'm driving in my truck", i will look at my hands on the steering wheel ( preferably when stopped at stop lights where its safer !! ), and note their appearance..
if my hands appear as they normally do in the physical 'waking world" than i know i am awake and not dreaming. However if I look at my hands , and they appear not as they normally do..ie; ( blurry, hazy, distorted, an extra finger ect..), than i know i am dreaming.. If i want to be extra sure about this.. I can look away for a few moments and close my eyes..in my mind i can try the best i can to change the actual appearance of my physical hands. if im successful at changing their appearance , i can be sure I'm dreaming. If however i am not successful, than i can be reasonable sure I'm still in the waking state as a part of my normal waking day.
So here than is a powerful tool I'm using , which is-

primary dream sign + reality test = lucidity

However , should i chose to preform the "hands reality test' which driving to work or driving between jobs while at work, this would than become an even more powerful too for me to use. the reason being I'm now using both my "dream signs", the secondary sign being dreams related to my work..
Which we can state as -

primary + secondary dream signs + reality test = greater lucidity

So, although it may be obvious to some at this point. Let's look at the purpose than of what were trying to accomplish here in terms of dream lucidity-

First, just as to the 'reality tests" themselves-
In a general way your training your sub conscious to question whether or not and "when " you might be dreaming. But to use those same reality tests with your "dream signs", the dream signs are obvious powerful ques in your dreams to remind you to preform the reality tests in them and of course be consciously aware of this fact- and as you stay with this in the form of daily routine and "practice" than at some point you will recall to pop the question in your dreams-
"am I dreaming" ??
the starting point to lucidity in your dreams...
" The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams. "