Tallulah's Dream Palace | Boyfriend Dreams (Vol. 1)

I am going to discuss and analyse every single dream I have ever had which directly features my boyfriend, AJR. I will not be covering dreams which may contain day residue relating to the real life AJR which influences the content of my dreams - this would probably be every single dream I have had since starting our relationship. AJR has to be a dream character, or at least mentioned in the dream narrative/content. I will be recording my discussion/analysis of my AJR dreams in a sub-series in the Tallulah's Dream Palace Series.

To give a summary of the timescale we are talking about - I first met AJR in a professional context in 2006/7 when he was 19 years old and an IPP prisoner serving in my local prison. There was no special relationship at that time, despite the fact he fancied me (I was unaware). To understand the context of our relationship further, please see the Love on Lockdown Series. AJR got in touch with me (from prison) on Facebook in around March 2018, but I was not really interested in a relationship with him, and I would often be very cold towards him, leading him to delete me off Facebook in frustration. AJR then contacted me again, via Facebook, in June/July 2018 and we began talking more often (I was more receptive to him). We officially started dating on 10 August 2018. I went to visit him for the first time a short time after that, although I cannot recall the exact date (if anyone is interested I can ask AJR as he has a list of every single prison visit he has, but I don't think this is particular important!)

I uncovered a phenomenon when I was delving into my past dream records to see if I had ever dreamed of AJR randomly at any point prior to him first getting in touch with me in March 2018. I did recall representing him in prison law back in 2006/2007 (mainly due to the fact I first met him when he was wearing an E-list (anti-escape) suit, which was a lasting image, imprinted on my memory. I had absolutely no contact, nor reason to think about him at any point between 2007/2008 (when I stopped working in the criminal law firm I had been employed in when I became AJR's prison lawyer) and 2018 when he got in contact completely out of the blue!

I found I had in fact randomly dreamed about him in 2012! Here are the relevant Blog posts:

• STORYTIME: I DREAMED OF THE FUTURE LOVE OF MY LIFE, MANY YEARS AGO (EVIDENCE PROVIDED!)
• Dream 70 (2 August 2012)

Here is the relevant Youtube video for this incident:

As I have had so many dreams about AJR since our relationship began, I will have to break the videos down into segments or chunks, so that it is a more manageable task to discuss and analyse the dreams. I will make an update post every time I manage to make a new video in this sub-series of Tallulah's Dream Palace | Boyfriend Dreams. 

Dream 944

'Baby Daddy'

Date: September 2018

Scene 1: A Hospital - Time Unknown

I was in a hospital, which also resembled a post office, with a counter and glass screen, behind which a female worker was standing. There was a sofa which stretched along the opposite wall and the room appeared to be very narrow. 

I was with my Mum and other members of my family and we had just arrived. I was aware that I was pregnant and about to give birth, although I did not feel like I was in labour. I was wearing a white baggy T-shirt. I was wondering where the father of my baby was - and at this stage in the dream, I did not have any idea who it might be. I looked down at the sofa (which I now saw was pale blue fabric). LD1 was there, laying on his side sleeping. He woke up as I looked at him. I saw a 'thought bubble' appear over his head (like in The Sims, when it shows you the sim's motive). I could tell from what was in his 'thought bubble' that he assumed he was the father of my unborn baby and that was why he was in the hospital waiting room. I was not happy with this, so I hoped he was not the father. I then became aware that he was not the father and I was pleased. I realised that AJR was the father. This made me happy. I sat down with my Mum on the end of the sofa furthest away from LD1. 

The next thing I knew, I had already given birth, although neither the baby nor AJR were present. I was standing in front of an unknown male dream character, who was in his 20s and white. I cannot recall any other detail about him and I do not know what his role was. We were in a darkish room. He pointed at my body and I lifted my top (now a pale blue one) and discovered I was really skinny, which made me feel good as I had lost all the weight from being pregnant. I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

* Note that I have a feeling I know what LD1 appeared in this dream as the 'potential father'. I know I have written about his elsewhere on this Blog, although I cannot find any of those dreams to link here in order to offer some explanation as to who he is. Basically a few years ago, LD1 (perhaps anonymised as LD in a previous dream) contacted me (or maybe I contacted him first, I cannot recall) on social media. I had not spoken to him properly since high school. He had married and separated from a girl we had gone to school with, who is also subject of many of my dreams. We began talking, but never got round to meeting up. He seemed overly keen and attached very quickly. We eventually 'ended' our chatting/flirting when he slut-shamed me over the fact I have sent thousands of nude photos of myself to previous boyfriends/lovers and he was overly jealous, despite us not being in a relationship or even physical company and him having been happy to receive some photos himself. During our earlier flirting conversations, he made some references to the fact that he thought we would end up in a relationship. This was a huge leap. He said he'd like another child (he has a son from a previous relationship). I said I did not want children and he said he wanted to change my mind about that. This actually made me feel really negatively towards him, in addition to other things. We have not spoken to one another nor interacted in any way since then. I have never wanted children. However, now I am with AJR, we have discussed our future plans and my mind has changed as I now realise I have never been in love properly before now. 

Dream 945

'Family Feud'

Date: October 2018

Scene 1: A Domestic Interior - Time Unknown

I was in a domestic interior, which was my family home in the dream. A large number of my family were present, as was AJR. Someone - an unrecalled male relative - began to make fun of me, or say things which made me annoyed, although I cannot recall what. AJR began defending me aggressively and I was pleased. I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Dream 946

'Recalled'

Date: October 2018

Scene 1: Outside the Prison Visits Centre - Day

I was standing outside the visits centre of the prison AJR is in. I was aware that he had been released from prison, but I am not sure why I was there. An unknown female dream character (white, youngish, with brown hair) approached me in a panic, and told me that AJR had been recalled to prison and was about to be arrested. I frantically went to find AJR before he was arrested and taken back into custody. I am not sure why he was being recalled.

Scene 2: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown

This scene seemed to repeat itself twice, without the narrative of the dream developing or the scene changing. I found AJR and told him I knew he was about to be recalled to prison. In the dream (as in real life) we had never been in a situation where we were unsupervised and able to have sex. We took off our clothes and I was encouraging AJR to quickly have sex with me before he was found and arrested. I laid down - it appeared we were in an interior location where there was a bed. AJR got on top of me and was about to have sex with me when the door of the room opened and I was aware he was about to be arrested before we could have sex. This then repeated, making the dream doubly frustrating. I woke up feeling sexually aroused.

Dream 947

'The PA'

Date: October 2018

Scene 1: My Nan's House, Sheringham - Time Unknown

I was aware that AJR had hired a female Personal Assistant. She was small and white, in her 20s and had a black bob hairstyle. There was some action in the dream which I cannot recall. Something led me to go upstairs in my Nan's house and enter my bedroom. AJR was sitting on the bed, sideways, leaning against the wall. His PA was in bed with him. They had the duvet over their legs. I assumed AJR was cheating on me. I walked over and grabbed the PA by her arm and dragged her out of the bed. I then began to aggressively attack her with my fists, beating her into submission on the floor in front of the bed. AJR was very angry at me and was shouting, questioning why I was attacking his PA for no reason. I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Scene 2: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown

I was in an unknown interior, sitting on or beside a bed. My mobile phone was smashed beyond repair, which made me unhappy. I cannot recall anything else about this dream.

Dream 949

'Freedom' 

Date: October 2018 

Scene 1: An Unknown Exterior - Day 

I cannot recall anything about this dream other than AJR and I were outside, walking together in the sunshine which made me feel extremely happy.

Dream 950

'Cauliflowers & Custard Creams'

Date: December 2018

Scene 1: An Unknown Interior - Day

I was with AJR. There was something to do with babydolls, but I cannot recall. AJR was holding some packets of custard creams. I had two cauliflowers and wanted to hand them to AJR, but I thought he already had his hands full with the biscuits. 

* AJR has told me he eats custard creams (he calls them 'custody creams'), but I am not sure if I knew he ate them before this dream. Cauliflower is one of my favourite foods. 

Dream 951

'Bottled Water'

Date: January 2019

Scene 1: A Supermarket Aisle - Time Unknown

I was in a typical supermarket aisle with AJR. AJR was holding a number of 2 litre bottles of still water. I approached him with two 2 litre bottles of sparkling water, which I wanted him to carry, but his arms were already full. I asked him how we were supposed to buy the sparkling water. The idea I could carry the water did not occur to me in the dream.

* This dream is quite similar to Dream 950, above. This dream led to a discussion between AJR and I, during which we discovered we both hate the idea of buying bottled water. However, I love sparkling water, so I am forced to buy it. I do not drink still water often, but if I do, it's from a tap.

Dream 954

'No Contact Possible'

Date: February 2019

Scene 1: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown

I wanted to contact AJR on a mobile phone, but it was impossible. I could not contact him. At one point I think I saw a chain of text communications (yellow background) on my mobile phone and assumed it was a conversation between me and him, but realised it was a conversation between him and someone else. I felt upset and frustrated and knew there was no way I could get in touch with him.

* This dream happened during a time AJR decided to break up with me. During the break up there had been some reference to text messages between him and another person. During our break up, I was unable to contact him as prison phones can only call out (i.e. I cannot call the prison, AJR has to call me and he was choosing not to). At this point he did not have access to a mobile phone either, so I was unable to text him and decided not to write/email him. 

Dream 956

'Bitch Texts'

Date: February 2019

Scene 1: My Nan's House, Sheringham - Time Unknown

AJR and I were in my bedroom in my Nan's house in Sheringham. I do not recall much about this dream, other than there was something to do with contact on a mobile phone, and AJR showed me the screen which indicated text messages either to or from LPB (a woman known to AJR who believes she will be in a relationship with him one day, and is currently unaware of our relationship). I felt annoyed she was still in contact with AJR, but did not blame him for this situation in the dream.

Dream 957

'Demon Attack'

Date: February 2019

Scene 1: An Unknown Exterior - Day

I do not recall much about this dream. I was in an exterior and I could see it was day. I was standing behind a wall, which was about the height of my hips. Walking along the other side of this wall was a demonic looking goat/deer creature. It was pure white and had no other colouring. It gave the impression of being 'blank' or 'ghostly', although it was solid. It was about the size of a horse and had massive horns which curled backwards. I was scared of this creature, but it did not appear to pay any attention to me.

Scene 2: My Bedroom, Norwich - Time Unknown

I was then in my bedroom, which looked pretty similar to how it appears in real-life, but there was a small desk and two office chairs set up in the space between my actual desk/drawers and wardrobe. I was sat here with a young white male dream character, who I perceived to be between the ages of 18 - 20 years of age and reminded me of EW, a boy I have recently met in real-life as he is 'dating' AK, a friend of mine from university. My Mum and another (unrecalled) dream character were sitting on the end of my bed, watching me talk to the male, who I will refer to as EW. I was questioning EW and the meeting felt like I was interviewing him as a client (from the perspective of a lawyer). My Mum was trying to tell me that the questioning was pointless, and I indicated that the meeting with EW was confidential and she should not be listening in the first place. I cannot recall what I was asking EW, but remember there was some discussion about his welfare and how I could help him. In the end I decided the conversation was indeed pointless and I ended it. 

There was then some change, but I think I remained in my bedroom, as I was laying down on a bed. I think AJR was present, or at least I spoke to him at some point. I cannot quite recall. As I was laying down on the bed (perhaps with AJR), the creature from before appeared, but this time it was humanoid. It was the same colour, but had the body of a 7 foot male being, naked (no genitals seen). The humanoid now had a single horn (very similar to the horns seen when it was animalistic), which curved back from the top of it's head. It bore down on me, appearing to bend in the middle. I was terrified. I woke up. With hindsight, this creature is most reminiscent of Baphomet, although I did not make this connection within the dream.

Dream 960

'I Nearly Had Sex with AJR'

Date: 3 March 2019

Scene 1: An Unknown Interior - Time Unknown

AJR was out of prison and we were together for the first time (note: he has been in prison for nearly 15 years, so we have only dated while he is in prison). We were in an interior which I do not recall from real-life, but the bedroom was for our use, so it may have been a house or a hotel, I am not sure. I was aware we were going to have sex for the first time and I was very excited. I cannot recall much about what happened in the dream, other than I was about to have sex with AJR. I told him I wanted to go to the bathroom to freshen up. The bathroom resembled that of my Nan's house in Sheringham. I was disgusted to see that the entire bathroom, and in particular the toilet and bath, were covered in a green and brown gelatinous substance, which looked like a slimy form of playdoh or soft, wet clay. I was worried that AJR would see this and think it was dirty, so I began to quickly clean the bathroom, using a flannel I found. 

After I finished cleaning up the weird substance in the bathroom, I returned to the bedroom and AJR and I began to undress. At this moment, in real-life (06:25 hours), my landline rang, waking me up. It was a work call (I was on duty that night). I was extremely frustrated as I cannot wait to have a sex dream involving AJR, and furthermore, the phone ringing confused me, as AJR is really the only person who calls me on that phone (from the prison) and therefore I would never expect it to ring at this time (and I have a separate work mobile phone which could have been used instead). 

Here is the accompanying Youtube video for this post:

Dream 1024

'AJR Ruins my Life with HMP Drama & an Affair with Instagram Model, Rose West'

Date: 4 August 2019
Scene 1: An Unknown Interior - Day
I was in an interior, I am not sure what kind of interior it was, because throughout this dream, my focus was on action and dream characters, not dream locations, although I know that this part of the dream was an interior for sure - possibly a domestic interior. I was with AJR, his mum and a number of other dream characters, many of who I know are known to me in real life. The feeling was I was surrounded by people who know me and know the circumstances of my relationship with AJR. Something was happening in my relationship with AJR to make me feel anxious and insecure, and the dream started off with me feeling really tense and stressed. My emotions were very clear in the dream throughout. 

I then became aware - by directly witnessing it as if it was a scene in a movie that I was passively watching - that AJR had got together with a gang of men, who were all criminals. These men all wore blue - for some reason I was looking 'up' at this scene, rather than from eyeline level. This was their uniform or gang dress-code. All the men were white and in their 20s - 40s approximately - there was about 5 - 7 of them. AJR was wearing white 1960s-style 'Jackie O' sunglasses, although I did not become aware/realise that this was a successful dream incubation as per my Quickshot Dream Incubation Experiment #7 (see below). This symbolised him as being the leader of the gang, and I thought he looked very handsome in the glasses - they made him look cool. The gang, led by AJR, were planning a series of armed robberies and murders, which made me feel fearful, because in the dream AJR was out of prison on licence, and would not only be recalled to prison immediately if suspected of any criminal activity, but also on the basis of 'poor conduct' alone, even if not found guilty in legal proceedings. I wanted to tell him not to get involved with the gang (even though he was the leader, I felt like he was being influenced and taken advantage of by the other male dream characters). However, I felt hopeless and helpless and did not try to intervene - it was as if I knew that I couldn't, or that it wouldn't make a difference if I tried. I was very passive during this scene. It was very frustrating. All the men - AJR included - were excited about the prospect of the crimes they were going to commit. The were crouched down slightly - as if symbolising 'stealth' or 'creeping' (this is how I perceived it in the dream), and shouting for joy, loudly. 

I then realised that AJR had been arrested for the armed robberies and murders that had been committed (I did not see the crimes get committed, or the aftermath - just the scene described above). He was going to be sentenced to life in prison and would never ever come out. I was highly emotional and distressed and was crying and feeling like my world was ending. I was really angry at AJR for throwing away our future together, wasting his opportunity of freedom and ruining his and my life. AJR didn't seem to care at all. I could see him in the room I (and the other dream characters present) was in, although I knew he was also 'in prison' at this time, having already been convicted and sentenced. He was laughing and not taking anything seriously at all. I could not communicate with him in a reasonable manner, and I was becoming very frustrated because I wanted a proper conversation with him about what was happening, yet he was joking and ignoring me. 

I then realised that AJR was cheating on me with another woman, and had been for some time. I cannot recall who this woman represents in real waking life (because I had the distinct impression she was someone known to me and maybe also AJR, or someone representative of someone we are both aware exists). In the dream, she was a 20 or 30-something white woman, with shoulder length blonde hair and slim build, who was an 'Instagram model' and a police woman. Her name was Rose West and she had an 'Instagram filter' installed on her face, which could make her eyes look like 1990s smiley faces - at some points her eyes looked normal, and at other times, they looked like smiley faces, which in the dream was a desirable thing - it was a trend and symbolised her being superior to me. I was so jealous and resentful of her - not only because AJR had been having an affair with her, but because I felt inferior to her. She kept running in front of me, as if taunting and mocking me. I knew it was hopeless to try and convince AJR not to be with Rose West. I was in a state of inconsolable distress and upset. I was begging with AJR's mum to come into a bathroom with me so that I could show her something on a mobile phone. AJR's mum came with me into the next room, which was a bathroom. We did not put the light on, so the room was quite dark, but we were standing beside the open door, so it was possible to see. 

I had a white mobile phone in the dream. I showed AJR's mum a direct message which I had received on Instagram (I cannot recall who sent me the message). It informed me that the 'Instagram filter' installed on people's faces (i.e. the one seen on Rose West) caused death from eye cancer. AJR's mum and I thought this was the solution to our problems - as it would 'get rid' of Rose West from AJR's life, and he could go back to being with me. AJR's mum was trying to calm me down and reassure me. We came out of the bathroom, back into the main room, where the other dream characters and AJR/Rose West were. AJR was saying something about his Probation Officer being very annoyed that he had been recalled - he was still treating all of this like a joke. I noticed that he had shackles and chains around his ankles (he was still wearing the blue gang outfit from before, but not the sunglasses anymore). 

I was enraged by Rose West and decided that I did not wan to wait until she died of eye cancer from the Instagram filter smiley eyes. I was screaming at AJR that I 'wanted to fuck him up' (since he was the one who was getting life sentences and cheating on me), but since he was serving life in prison, there was not much I could do against him and I was aware of this. I then decided spontaneously that my only option was to murder Rose West in front of AJR to pay him back. I did the murder by punching her twice, once in each eye. She immediately fell down dead on the floor, with her eyes pushed into her skull and blood pouring out of her eye sockets. I felt pleased with myself but also really angry that I had been pushed to commit a murder like this. My anger was directed a AJR. 

AJR then told me that he was really happy to be in prison for life, because the prison was really a theatre company, which were constantly and continuously putting on stage productions and musical dramas. I knew these productions were very low quality and no-one wanted to watch them because no-one could act, sing or dance in the prison. AJR seemed to think that the prison theatre company would make everyone famous so he was looking forward to becoming a prison actor, using the name 'HMP Drama' which was going to be put on all his official paperwork, meaning a lot of hassle for the prison system and authorities. He said everyone had to wear white to perform on stage and was going to be ordering a number of white T-shirts for his new acting roles. 

I cannot recall anything else about this dream - I think I woke up at this point. 

Additional Notes:

• This dream took place after my launch of the Quickshot Dream Incubation Experiments (see video below for QDI#7, and my introductory article - Quickshot Dream Incubations | QDI#1) - this was a highly successful Quickshot Dream Incubation! I was very surprised to see just how successful this dream incubation really was - my dream trigger ('white 1960s-style 'Jackie O' sunglasses') was so very clear in the dream!
• This dream took place during the period in which I am testing the Awoken Lucid Dreaming App - please click HERE to read my introductory post which provides all relevant information about this app which is designed to help you train your mind for lucid dream induction!
• This was a very vivid dream, and one which caused me a great deal of anxiety - so it might be correct to refer to this as an anxiety dream. It had a lot of dream residue - the events of the dream have been in my conscious waking mind all day, and the emotions I experienced in the dream are also being experienced in my waking reality, which seems odd, because I should be able to dissociate my dream self from my waking self, and realise that this dream is not necessarily a reflection of my life, but rather a distorted version, which might not be as simple as it appears on the surface. I genuinely want to address the dream with AJR via telephone call, but I know this is totally inappropriate, because it's my subconscious which has caused me to feel anxious and insecure, not him!
• On the night of this dream I had recorded a Love on Lockdown video, detailing recent events with AJR's parole
• I had mentioned my all-time favourite movie A Clockwork Orange (1971) in a conversation with AJR a few days before this dream - he had said he hates the themes of rape in the movie, so disapproves of it, although I am not sure if he has actually watched it, because I think he would genuinely love the plot if he did - he could relate to the prison system and idea of rehabilitation from violent crime and how the media, government and society view such issues etc. I had also mentioned to DL (last week) that the only 2 vinyl records I own are a Nirvana picture record and an original edition of the A Clockwork Orange soundtrack - this would have linked the ideas of A Clockwork Orange and the white Jackie-O sunglasses I was using in my Quickshot Dream Incubation Experiments - as these glasses are associated with Kurt Cobain, who was my inspiration for buying my first pair back in the 1990s. I also saw a still image of Alex (Malcolm McDowell) on the internet the night before this dream. You may also note that I have been using the 'Synthemesc Regular' font on my social media branding - this is the font used in A Clockwork Orange - in the Korova Milkbar (where synthemesc is an available drug, hence the name of the font)
• On the day before this dream, AJR had mentioned that I should wear the fake square-framed glasses I used to sometimes wear on visits to see him (this is a turn-on for him, and he requested this) - not only because they make me look 'sexy', but because they also make me look 'more professional' in his view. I have previously got him to the glasses on and thought they made him look really sexy - like a 1950s/60s man - I specifically referred to his likeness to Kurt Cobain in the video for 'In Bloom' (1992) from Nevermind (1991) 
• On the day of this dream I had a conversation with a friend GB about armed robbery and during the same conversation I mentioned that I am more submissive in relationships than in other areas of my life
• On the day of this dream I had been discussing notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West with DL after he had asked about a book on my table - Gordon Burn, Happy Like Murderers (1998) which has a front cover design by Damien Hirst which is a smiley face (associated with 1990s rave culture) laying on some dirt. Note that Nirvana used a variation of the smiley face on a lot of their merchandise and branding
• On the day of this dream AJR and I had been joking about a very immoral former 'friend' of his who had become dangerously obsessed with him (we have since removed her from his life) - we had been laughing about her selfies, which always have a Snapchat filter on them (she is a large, overweight 37 year old with blonde hair, who we refer to as 'Parsnips' or 'the naughty nurse')
• A few days before I had this dream, I had been to prison for a legal case (independent adjudication) and my client had left the segregation unit (block) so that he could attend a social club instead of having his case heard. This meant that my travel to the prison and the waiting around was pointless. I was allowed to go with an officer to the social club to speak to my client briefly, and get my legal aid papers signed. In the social club, all of the prisoners wanted to come and talk to me. There was a prisoner playing an Oasis song on guitar and singing (both done really badly). When I told AJR about the social club, he referred to it as 'Fraggle Club' and said it was for socially outcast people to get together - obviously he was mocking it
• While in the middle of writing up this dream report, AJR phoned me. I mentioned the dream to him and how it made me feel - he thought it was really funny and was laughing at the dream. He also referred back to my previous dream - Dream 989 - 'AJR Rockstar' (31 May 2019) - which I was going to be noting in this section, due to the fact it featured AJR playing guitar and singing in a prison environment - and had been something which made me laugh when I experienced the prisoner playing Oasis songs in Fraggle Club
• On the day of this dream AJR had told me about a 'Lifer Day' held at the prison, where close family (and Probation Officers) could attend for an all-day event. He had applied for me to attend (I've never spent more than 2 hours at a time with AJR), but I had been wrongly listed as a 'friend' not his girlfriend. This is odd, because on every other list I have been correctly listed as his girlfriend. I felt like this might have been intentional, as I am aware the prison dislike the fact I work there as a prison lawyer and represent clients who are prisoners serving alongside my boyfriend and have to challenge staff in hearings etc. By the time AJR had managed to get the prison staff to amend the list to confirm I am his partner. it was too late to book us onto the event
• AJR ended his phone call by saying: 'I was going to say 'sweet dreams' but I want you to have more bad dreams about me' (as a joke!)

Dream 1023

'Marriage & Multiple Ladder Journeys'

Date: 03 August 2019 
Scene 1: An Unknown Domestic Interior
This was a very vivid dream, which would have been strongly recalled, but I was woken from sleep by AJR phoning me, so by the time I came to record this dream, I had forgotten a lot of detail.

I was in an unknown domestic interior, and it felt unfamiliar and odd to me in the dream - I felt anxious and apprehensive throughout this dream, as if I was waiting for something bad to happen, but I did not know what it was. I was walking around the interior, which was very brightly lit and decorated like a modern home - I could see that the kitchen and living space were open-plan and there were a lot of plants in this room. I could see a pile of books stacked beside a metal staircase, which was actually a ladder. This indicated that I was on the upper floor, as the ladder was going down.

I cannot recall how I came to be in another room with dream characters, but this is the next part of the dream that I remember. I was with a group of young adult male dream characters - at least 5 of them. One of them was very short and white. He had curly dark brown hair and a 'cute' face, and was dressed in a yellow T-shirt and blue jeans. I think I knew who this was when I was dreaming it - I seem to recall him being based on someone I know from Sheringham, but I have since forgotten who I associated this dream character with. In the dream, I was going to marry this male dream character, but it did not feel like a romantic relationship - more like one of convenience which was being arranged. We were friends, but not in love with one another. I saw the fact that I was set to marry this dream character as being a way of protecting myself from the unknown threat in the house. 

At some point I communicated the threat or my fear to the dream character boyfriend - but I cannot recall how I did this. He was supposed to go somewhere with the group of male dream characters, but instead, he cancelled his plans with them so that he could stay with me in the house I was afraid of. 

I have forgotten all other aspects of this vivid dream, but I do remember there was a lot of walking up and down the metal ladder with my boyfriend, and both of us were in fear of what was happening in the house. The walking up and down the ladder felt like the dream repeating itself.

Additional Notes:

• This dream took place during the period in which I am testing the Awoken Lucid Dreaming App - please click HERE to read my introductory post which provides all relevant information about this app which is designed to help you train your mind for lucid dream induction!
• A few hours before I had this dream I was searching for images on Google (related to dreaming) and saw an image of a boy climbing a ladder into the sky

Lucid Dreaming Myths

The world of lucid dreaming is beset with myths and untruths - perhaps due to the fact that lucid dreaming is not only a difficult and ambiguous concept for many non-lucid dreamers to grasp without experiencing it, and due to the fact it is often a deeply personal and subjective experience which is impossible to objectively quantify. I have noted many anecdotal accounts of lucid dreaming which simply do not match my own experiences. This is not to say that they are dishonest accounts, but it is worth bearing in mind that many people exaggerate their own abilities or skills in this area because, without empirical testing in a laboratory setting, lucid dreaming cannot be independently verified.

Many fictional depictions also exaggerate or skew the concept and experience of lucid dreaming for dramatic purposes. I often read or watch fictionalised depictions of lucid dreaming which do not accord with my own research-derived or experiential knowledge of lucid dreaming. This can lead to misconceptions about lucid dreaming by those who have not yet experienced the phenomenon first hand. 

If you die in a lucid dream, you die in real life

While I have never personally 'died' in a lucid dream, I know plenty of lucid dreamers who have experienced this - and woken up to share their account. To put it bluntly - if you die in a lucid dream, you will wake up perfectly fine. Dying in a lucid dream does not mean you die in real life. In fact, dying in a lucid dream can typically result in the dreamer having a surge of adrenaline which arouses them to the point of waking (especially if they suffer a sudden or violent death, such as an accident or murder scenario). 

Dying in a normal, non-lucid dream can act as a trigger to be 'reborn' into a lucid dream. This experience will be shaped by your own personal or cultural beliefs or understanding about death and the afterlife, so can be a very subjective experience. Many lucid dreamers recount the transition from death to rebirth as involving passage through a portal or moving from darkness into light. 

This myth is apparent in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, in which a group of teenagers are pursued in their dreams by a dead paedophile child-murderer, Freddy Krueger. When Krueger kills his victims in a lucid dream state, they die in real life. 

Lucid dreaming is a purely spiritual experience

The world of lucid dreaming is inhabited by a great number of dreamers who focus on the New Age or spiritual aspects of the phenomenon. I am not a spiritual person; I do not believe in a mind/brain duality or the existence of a separate consciousness or afterlife. My worldview is shaped by a humanist, atheist perspective and reliance on empiricism, evidence and the scientific method. I am not saying my view is the correct one - I respect the fact that everyone has their own beliefs, which are just as strongly held and valid as my own. However, anyone and everyone can achieve lucid dreaming, no matter what their personal beliefs are. 

The idea that lucid dreaming is the preserve of New Age hippies is nothing more than a stereotype. There is no template for the lifestyle, interests, beliefs or philosophies of a lucid dreamer. Lucid dreaming is a scientifically proven phenomenon which can be observed in experimental conditions, such as using an EEG machine to measure brainwave frequencies associated with lucid dreaming. 

This myth is reinforced by the movie The Good Night (2007).

Lucid dreaming equates to the the ability to control your dream
Dream control is one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of lucid dream practice, but the ability to control your dream is not necessary for a dream to be lucid. Lucid dreaming is simply the phenomenon of being consciously aware you are dreaming. Many of my lucid dreams lack dream control, which can be extremely frustrating, but does not diminish the fact I was still consciously aware I was dreaming. In fact, my inability to use dream control to perform basic tasks I would otherwise be able to do in my waking reality is often a very good dreamsign or reality check.

Learning the ability to control your dreams often requires experience and practice - but it is possible, so don't give up!

You can get stuck in a 'lucid dream limbo'

You will not get permanently stuck in a lucid dream limbo. Remember, that the experience of time in a lucid dream is pretty analogous to the passage of time in waking reality - Stephen LaBerge's research has found that lucid dreams typically have a 1-to-1 time correspondence with real time, although in normal, non-lucid dreams you may experience time dilation and distortion. 

No matter what happens in your lucid dream, you will eventually wake up. Also, it is worth noting that lucidity is a state which is very close to wakefulness, and you are much more likely to wake up prematurely than experience a prolonged lucid dream - most lucid dreamers report lucid dreams which only last a few minutes. As lucid dreaming occurs during the REM stage of the sleep cycle, at the very most, a lucid dream will last for the duration of a period of REM sleep, which is typically 45 minutes to an hour in length. Anything which arouses you during a lucid dream - such as a strong emotional reaction - will wake you up. 

Performing a physical action, such as opening your eyes or increasing your rate of breathing in a lucid dream can cause you to perform the same actions in real life, waking you up from the lucid dream. You can also shout 'wake up!' which often does the trick. 

My closest experience to being stuck in any kind of dream limbo involves having a series of false awakenings which I find difficult to escape from. This is a terrifying experience for me at the time, but I have to remind myself (using my conscious awareness) that I am dreaming and will soon wake up naturally, even if I cannot force myself to wake up immediately. 

It is also possible to experience being stuck in non-lucid nightmares - where you aren't able to intentionally wake up, because you are not consciously aware you are in a dream. In this scenario (or the concept of a dream limbo generally), becoming lucid and exercising dream visualisation or control would be the best method of escaping the limbo!

This myth has been validated by the movie Inception (2010), which appears credible due to the mixing of elements of actual dream science with fictionalised or overly-dramatised/exaggerated aspects. 

You are always able to think rationally in a lucid dream
It is true that you are often able to think rationally in a lucid dream, but this is not an inevitability. I often find myself thinking and doing incredibly irrational things in my lucid dreams - just as I sometimes do in my waking reality! If our lucid dream presents us with a completely bizarre, unprecedented or terrifying dream experience or event, there is no guarantee you will always respond or behave rationally - just as you might not if confronted with something equally unpredictable in real life. Logic is often absence in dream thought - even when we are lucid and therefore, consciously aware. Lucidity is a form of meta-knowledge - being conscious of our consciousness. However, our cognitive and logical thinking may be fractured and distorted by the dream experience.

You can experience lucidity for hours at a time

This is simply impossible. For starters, everyone requires deep (slow-wave) sleep, which is the stage in the sleep cycle which is characterised by low brain activity and restful/restorative benefits. Dreams - and by proxy - lucid dreams occur during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of the sleep cycle - and REM sleep accounts for approximately 100 minutes of the typical 8 hour sleep cycle. Therefore, eve if you were able to achieve lucidity for the full duration of each stage of REM sleep you experience, at most this would be just over an hour of lucid dreaming out of 8 hours of sleep. There is no way a dreamer can experience lucidity for the entire sleep cycle, every single time they go to sleep. The sleep cycle has a way of calibrating and adjusting itself, so if you are skipping any stages of the sleep cycle, you will eventually need to catch up. If you go too long without deep sleep, you will experience any lost deep sleep the next time you fall asleep, and therefore it is impossible to be in REM sleep for hours and hours at a time, as your physical and mental health would suffer and you would be forever exhausted. 

This myth has been popularised by Inception (2010).

There are absolutely no consequences of what occurs in a lucid dream
While it is true to say that lucid dreaming is just a mental experience which cannot physically harm us, and presents us with almost limitless ability to escape into the dream world and do things which might be impossible in real waking life, there can be consequences of what we do in lucid dreams. 

For example, our experiences form neural networks in the brain - and this is just as true for lucid dreaming as waking experiences. Performing acts in a lucid dream which are taboo or cause mental trauma or distress can be problematic for a number of reasons - by intentionally pursuing things you have moral objections to (in waking reality) you could end up normalising or desensitizing yourself to particular stimuli or feeling guilt, shame or remorse about things you consciously choose to manifest and experience in the dream world. Examples might be choosing to commits criminal acts of violence or acts of infidelity; or behaving in ways which are socially or morally unacceptable. The solution is to set your own boundaries here and only choose to lucid dream about things you are comfortable with.

You can physically heal yourself in a lucid dream

If this was true, this would be amazing! Unfortunately, lucid dreaming does not lead to the magical ability to heal ourselves from physical conditions or diseases by dreaming of 'healing thoughts or powers'. Any improvement of a physical condition after a lucid dream is likely to be nothing more than the power of positive thinking and the placebo effect. However, dreaming can have therapeutic benefits which can help heal psychological trauma or issues - such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or phobias - and there is good evidence in support of this assertion. Dreams are essential for psychological wellbeing, and therefore, lucid dreaming can be advantageous in this respect.

Only advanced Yogis are able to lucid dream

This is not true. While meditation and other practices which raise conscious awareness can significantly boost your potential for lucid dreaming, it is not a requirement. Everyone and anyone can lucid dream. Children often lucid dream spontaneously and naturally - due to their vivid imaginations and tendency to visualise dreams as they fall asleep. 

It is true to say that some lucid dream induction techniques are more difficult to master than others, and require more groundwork, experience, practice and focus. Many beginner lucid dreamers want to begin their lucid dreaming journey by attempting the WILD technique (Wake-Induced Lucid Dreaming, which is the transition from wakefulness into a lucid dream with no lapse in consciousness). The WILD technique is referred to as the 'holy grail of lucid dreaming' and as such is not the best method for beginners, who would be best advised to attempt mnemonic induction methods (i.e. the MILD - Mnemonic-Induced Lucid Dreaming) to train and programme their brain for lucid dreaming before moving onto the more complex WILD technique.

Sleep paralysis is dangerous, abnormal and linked to demonic or paranormal experiences
I have witnessed many people ask whether sleep paralysis is dangerous and if the hallucinatory experiences which often accompany this experience are related to demonic or paranormal events. I have also witnessed many people perpetrate the myth that yes, indeed sleep paralysis is inherently negative. This is simply not true. Almost every  species of mammalian animal that has the ability to dream experiences some form of muscle atonia when asleep - this is a biological necessity to prevent the acting out of dreams, which could put the dreamer at risk of hurting themselves or putting themselves at danger. When we are in REM sleep, our muscles become 'paralysed'. If we are in a paradoxical sleep (so somewhere between wakefulness and sleep), we might have conscious awareness because our brain is 'awake', but due to our body being in sleep mode, we notice the muscle atonia, which can be very scary. Think about how many times you have tried to run away from something in a dream or nightmare and found you are unable to move properly. Or when you've wanted to shout or scream, but you cannot make any sound, or your voice cannot be raised above a whisper. This is the effect of muscle atonia being experienced through the dream, although you might not be aware at the time.

Sleep paralysis is often experienced during false awakenings - and false awakenings are often accompanied by hypnagogic imagery or hallucinatory sensory experiences, because we are in a dream state. It is not unusual to hear people talk about these experiences as having a paranormal/supernatural or religious connotation - this might be prevalent in particular cultures or faiths, and indeed research shows that there are many belief-based interpretations for sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations ('Old Hag Syndrome'). However, it is important to note that these are universal experiences, it's just that some people becomes consciously aware of what is happening to their body (and mind) in this state, whereas for others it can be deeply disturbing and traumatic.

The mind awake/body asleep paradox we experience in these states is like a light switch being stuck midway between on and off, and this is why experience of sleep paralysis and hypnagogia can be used as a gateway to lucid dreaming. In fact this is a key aspect of learning how to induce lucidity via Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming, where the lucid dreamer intentionally creates the mind awake/body asleep paradox and attempts to remain conscious during the onset of sleep paralysis and hypnagogia. 

Recreational drugs/narcotics enhance the lucid dream experience
This is not a blanket myth - it very much depends on the drug/substance and how/when it is ingested. Many myths surrounding ingestion of narcotic substances to enhance lucidity come from misinformation about cultural/ritualistic practices, or claims by those who use drugs and self report experiencing intense lucid dreams, which in fact might simply be the side effects of hallucinogenic drugs, rather than being a true lucid dream. There are many supplements on the market which are known to increase the likelihood of experiencing a lucid dream. However, there is absolutely no requirement to consume any supplement, vitamin, drug or substance to become lucid. 

I have heard numerous accounts of people who state that cannabis helps them lucid dream. This is not strictly accurate - cannabis actually inhibits REM sleep and dreaming, which is why regular users of cannabis will often state that they do not ever dream. However, cannabis is known to cause the REM Rebound Effect - where an individual will experience intense, bizarre and vivid dreams (and perhaps false awakenings), with a higher potential for lucid dreaming after the THC in the cannabis has been metabolised or the cannabis user stops smoking/consuming cannabis. REM Rebound Effect is when you experience enhanced or increased REM sleep (above the normal baseline level) after a period of restriction or deprivation. Because cannabis inhibits/deprives you of REM sleep while the THC is still present in your system, once it is metabolised, you experience a 'rebound' - and longer, increased periods of REM sleep mean more opportunity for dreaming and lucidity.

Frequent lucid dreaming risks the dreamer being unable to distinguish between dreams and waking reality
This is untrue. Lucid dreaming is based on increased conscious awareness and the majority of lucid dream induction techniques and methods require the dreamer to actively increase their self-awareness (via reality checks, for example). This would mean they are better at distinguishing between dreams and reality, because unlike normal non-lucid dreamers who are consciously aware of their waking reality, but experience dreams as a form of reality without conscious awareness they are asleep and dreaming, lucid dreamers programme themselves to distinguish waking reality from dreams in both states. I have never met nor heard of any anecdotal accounts of long-term or frequent lucid dreamers becoming unable to distinguish between their dreams and waking reality in their real life. 

The closest thing to confusing dreams and reality would be the experience of a normal non-lucid, vivid dream - but this is perfectly usual and the default position; we are psychologically preset to believe in the reality of our dreams!

That being said, some mental disorders or conditions may result in sufferers being unable to distinguish their dreams from reality.

Lucid dreams are always hyper-realistic
I've witnessed many anecdotal accounts which suggest that dreamers who are new to the concept of lucid dreaming misinterpret recall of a particularly vivid, realistic dream as being a true lucid dream experience. To put it simply, if you fully believe in the reality of your dream because it feels like real life, it is most likely a vivid dream without lucidity - to be a lucid dream, the dreamer must be consciously aware they are experiencing a dream, not their real life.

Many lucid dreams are hyper-realistic, but this is not always true. Many of my lucid dreams have been extremely vague and distorted and I often experience them as being disconnected from reality.

Lucid dreaming effects the quality of sleep
It may be true that sometimes a lucid dream leaves the dreamer feeling unrefreshed or exhausted upon waking, but on the converse, many people report feeling more refreshed and invigorated than usual following a lucid dream. I have experienced both scenarios. If lucid dreaming means you feel tried and unrefreshed the next day, simply limit your lucid dream induction to nights when it is convenient for you or enjoy it during daytime naps, rather than during your normal sleep cycle.

You can learn new information in a lucid dream

Lucid dreaming can be extremely fruitful for enhancing creativity and innovation and practicing existing skills. However, as all dreams are based on and created from our expectations memories, knowledge and experiences (real or imagined), the material on which our dreams are based already exists somewhere in our brain (although it may be distorted or symbolised and thus appear to be 'new' or different). Our subconscious mind can be incredibly creative with how it invents and presents the content of our dreams, but it cannot acquire information we do not already possess somewhere in our mind while in the dream state. 

Shared dreaming is possible

This is a myth held by very many lucid dreamers who recount their personal experiences of sharing dreams with others. In fact, many lucid dreamers pre-plan shared dreams with fellow lucid dreamers - and this may account for them both experiencing the 'same' dream. However, this is the product of shared waking experiences, desires and expectations, rather than proof they actually experienced a shared dream. There is no credible scientific evidence for the existence of shared dreaming. Many lucid dreamers have encouraged me to try and share a dream with them (or meet them in the dream world), but I have never come anywhere close to even remembering them appearing in my dream as a dream character, despite my best efforts to prove myself wrong! While in theory, future technological progression may enable us to come closer to experiencing shared dreams, at present this is just a myth. 

This myth is depicted in Inception (2010) and in the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies.

The Dreamhacker Series | Reality Checks (3)

Hi, and welcome to the all-new, relaunched Dreamhacker Series, a beginner-level, back-to-basics, foundational course of tutorials, teaching you everything you need to know about dreamwork - from dream recall and dream incubation to lucid dreaming induction techniques and methods. 

This Dreamhacker Series tutorial concentrates on Reality Checks. A Reality Check is a technique used to check if you are asleep and dreaming, or awake. Reality Checks operate by increasing self awareness. 

Remember, every time you go to sleep, perform steps 2, 3 & 4 from the first tutorial - The Dreamhacker Series | Remembering Your Dreams (1). 

Reality Checks involve using an observation - typically one which relies on sensory input and conscious awareness. This is because lucid dreaming usually involves some form of observation which triggers conscious awareness in the dream state. One form of Reality Check which can lead to conscious awareness (i.e. lucidity) is recognition of a Dreamsign - a Dreamsign is something  which might be highly subjective to the dreamer, or universal to everyone, which make the dreamer aware they must be dreaming. A Dreamsign is a bizarre, odd, extraordinary or simply impossible aspect of, or occurrence in a dream which alerts you to the fact you must be dreaming, because the Dreamsign could not possibly occur in waking reality. There will be a separate, detailed video and Blog post focusing specifically on Dreamsigns.

Using Reality Checks is fundamental to learning how to induce lucid dreams, and they are really simple, requiring little effort or time expenditure. The most difficult thing about Reality Checks is remembering to incorporate them into your daily waking life. Many beginner lucid dreamers skip Reality Checking or perform very cursory Reality Checks, because they are already aware they are awake and not in a dream and therefore do not appreciate the importance of performing the Reality Check properly to make sure. 

This misses the point of Reality Checks. The idea is to persistently and frequently perform waking Reality Checks so as to develop a strong habit which will hopefully penetrate your dreams. The aim is for the habit of Reality Checking to penetrate your dreams, so you are programming (or hacking) your brain into performing Reality Checks while in the dream state. This requires performance of waking Reality Checks even if you are 100% certain you are really awake. Remember, in a normal, non-lucid dream, it always feels like waking reality, even though it is not. Your dreaming self does not question whether you are awake or dreaming unless you are fortunate enough to spontaneously become lucid, and this is a reminder that performing Integrating Reality Checks into your daily waking life is vital, because even if you are sure you are awake, you want to train yourself to always be sceptical and take steps to ascertain (or 'reality check') to confirm this. It is also important to perform a Reality Check every time you wake up - remember that false awakenings (when you think you have woken up, but you are actually still asleep and dreaming) can be very deceptive, but also provide an excellent opportunity for entering into a lucid dream state.

Reality Checks are vital to lucid dreaming because they enable you to differentiate between wakefulness and dreaming - in a dream, a Reality Check will lead to a 'Eureka moment' which serves to trigger lucidity. 

Choose a suitable Reality Check as your first step. A Reality Check must be something which will lead to different results when performed in waking reality and in a dream. You should choose a Reality Check which always has the same predetermined outcome/result in waking reality. If you know a Reality Check can lead to only one outcome if performed awake, then if something different or unexpected occurs - this is your cue to trigger lucidity. 

Here are some common examples of Reality Checks with a brief explanation for how they work:

The Fingers-Through-Palm Method

This is possibly the most popular form of Reality Check, as it can be performed easily at any time, with no need for anything other than your own hands! This is my preferred form of Reality Check.

Simply try to push the fingers of one hand through the palm of the other. In waking reality, the predetermined singular outcome is that your palm is a solid object which provides resistance, preventing your fingers from sliding through it when you push them. There is no other outcome possible in waking reality. Therefore, if you perform this Reality Check and your fingers do push/slide through your palm, then you must be asleep and dreaming!

Be mindful of the fact, that while there is only one outcome possible in waking reality, your dreaming mind might play tricks on you when performing this method in a dream. I have performed this Reality Check in a dream (while already lucid, trying to prove this to a resistant dream character), and found that my fingers did not push through my palm, therefore behaving exactly as I would expect them to in waking reality. A Reality Check may fail in the dream world, because you have some form of mental barrier. It might also be that in a vivid dream, your Reality Check produces a bizarre or impossible result which should alert you to the fact you are in a dream, yet your dreaming mind just accepts events without the logical fact-checking part of your brain being activated. Therefore, it is advisable to perform 2 Reality Checks to provide you with a fail-safe - some dreamers combine 2 different forms of Reality Check for this purpose. 

The Hand-Gaze Method

Look at your hands - do they look normal as you expect them to? I have seen my hands appear to be long spoons in a dream. This is a sign you are dreaming. 

The Nose Pinch Method

This involves pinching the nose (or closing your mouth if you are a mouth-breather) and attempting to breathe. If you can breathe with this restriction, this is a sign you are dreaming.

The Reading Method

It is usually very difficult to read normally in a dream - even if you can decipher the meaning of text in a dream (i.e. you know what the text says), looking closely at the words/letters you see in a dream often yields bizarre results. The text might be gibberish/nonsensical, or move around on the page. Try to read the same text twice - you might find that it completely changes, which is a sign you are dreaming. 

The Numeracy Method

Try to perform a simple mathematical sum (2 + 2 is sufficient for a Reality Check, it doesn't need to be anything complicated - the easier the sum, the better!) If you try to add up or count something but find your answer is bizarre or impossible - this is a sign that you are dreaming.

The Mirror Method

Look in a mirror. In waking reality, you obviously expect to see your normal appearance. However, in a dream you often get bizarre or impossible results. Often when I happen to look in a mirror (in lucid dreams, as well as normal, non-lucid dreams), my appearance is often dramatically altered. I have had different hair, skin and eye colour; facial features; and body size/shape as well as changing age and gender. If you see something other than your normal, expected appearance in a reflection - this is a sign you are dreaming. 

The Light Switch Method

Try turning a light switch on/off - does it function as you would expect it to in waking reality? Often objects or devices operate very differently in a dream, providing you with a sign you are dreaming. 

The Jumping Method

When you jump in reality, you know gravitational force will pull you back down to earth. In a dream, jumping may result in you floating, levitating or being able to fly - a clear and indisputable sign you are dreaming.

The Clock Method

Looking at a clock or watch can be a decent Reality Check. Try and read the time - if you can't do this, or the numbers appear distorted or behave in bizarre ways, this can be a sign you are dreaming.

Programme yourself to perform regular, frequent Reality Checks throughout your waking day - it is advisable to perform as many Reality Checks as possible - at least 10 per day is a good starting point. The danger is that you might be tempted to only perform perfunctory Reality Checks - make sure each of your Reality Checks is done with the requisite care and attention. Don't make assumptions - reach a solid, logical, well-evidenced conclusion on each Reality Check. 

Some people use reminders for Reality Checks. You might use a specifically-designed app to guide you through regular Reality Checks, or set yourself your own reminders on your mobile phone, such as using an alarm or a screensaver (some people use a prompt such as 'are you dreaming?' to remind them to perform a Reality Check every time they see this message). You might prefer to combine Reality Checks with routine and regular every day activities, such as entering a different room, using a flight of stairs, going to the toilet or having a drink etc). You could draw a Reality Check symbol on the back of your hand as a trigger. There are no hard and fast rules here - the key is finding what works for you and motivates you to perform regular and frequent Reality Checks.

Increase your conscious awareness and mindfulness through questioning reality - this should be done at the same time as the Reality Check, and is equally important to the physical Reality Check itself. 

The brain creates neural constructs based on cognitive and experiential learning - i.e. patterns of thought which are shaped by your reality. In many waking situations, we do not question the nature of our reality or conscious awareness, because we are accustomed to it, and therefore take it for granted. This is also the case in normal, non-lucid dreams - we accept the reality we are in without critically thinking about it. Regularly questioning the nature of reality raises your conscious awareness - the very skill we are attempting to learn for successful lucid dream induction. Therefore, programming (or hacking) your brain into doing this while awake will enable this practice to transfer into the dream state and Reality Checks will become second nature. 

When you perform your Reality Check, engage with your immediate reality and actively question it. Use your senses here - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Pay careful attention to your surrounding environment and what you are experiencing. Focus on your thoughts and feelings in the moment. Is everything normal and as expected? Are you experiencing anything bizarre and unexpected? Specifically ask yourself 'am I dreaming?' (or 'am I awake?' - either works!) and come to a definite conclusion based on your observations and reasoning. You might verbalise your answer to really consolidate it in your mind. Reality Checks in dreams sometimes fail because we have not adopted sufficient mindfulness to increase our conscious awareness. 

Combine Reality Checks with other lucid dream induction techniques/methods - Reality Checks might work in isolation, but in practice, it is best to combine them with other methods so as to optimise your chances of successfully inducing a lucid dream. The Dreamhacker Series will be providing you with a number of techniques and methods for lucid dream induction in due course, but at this stage, it is important to incorporate daily Reality Checking into your routine so that you begin the process of programming (or hacking) your brain and creating the right mental environment for lucidity. 

It can take a while for Reality Checks to work effectively, but don't give up hope if you do not have immediate success! Make sure you have good dream recall (see below), as if you don't remember your dreams well, it could be that you perform a Reality Check in a dream, but wake up not remembering this happened!

Here is the accompanying Dreamhacker Series | Reality Checks (3) video which provides this tutorial in audio-visual form:

Here are the previous videos/posts in the Dreamhacker Series:

The Dreamhacker Series | Remembering Your Dreams (1)

Here is the accompanying Blog post - The Dreamhacker Series | Remembering Your Dreams (1)

The Dreamhacker Series | Hacking the Sleep Cycle (2)

Here is the accompanying Blog post - The Dreamhacker Series | Hacking the Sleep Cycle (2)

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