Free A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming by Dylan Tuccillo, Jared Zeizel, Thomas Peisel Page A

you hold your nose, can you still breathe?
    Most lucid dreamers find this to be the most reliable evidence
    that they’re dreaming.
    b The Mirror. Does your reflection look normal?
    b Reading. Can you read the same sentence twice without it
    changing? Can you read the same sentence twice without it
    chulnging?
    = 86 <

    As you can see by Susan’s example, a second physical test might
    be necessary; sometimes your first test doesn’t work, fooling you
    into thinking that you are awake when really you’re in a dream.
    Twice within the last year I performed a test within a dream—
    once I tried to fly to test whether it was a dream. I could not
    fly  and  decided  it  was  real.  Whoops!  Next  time  I  tried  to 
    make my hand turn purple. I concentrated hard within the
    dream and it worked! I was excited to know it was a dream
    but thought, “Now what?” and the dream ended. —SUSAN D.
    When to Perform a Reality Check
    If you ask yourself throughout the day this golden question, it
    will eventually trickle into your dreams. This is why the real-
    ity check is one of the easiest and most rewarding techniques you
    can try. The question is easy to ask, but turning it into a habit can
    be a bit challenging for some. Try it out for the next three days,
    five to ten times a day. Take on this simple habit for even a short
    period of time—it can spark your first lucid dream. If you need
    help reminding yourself to do the check, here are some helpful
    habit-creating tips:
    1. Set an alarm on your cell phone every hour or two as a reminder to perform a reality check.
    = 87 <

    = 88 <

    = 89 <

    I was in my room standing near my bed. It was still dark out and
    I thought to myself, “How did I get to be standing up? Did I get 
    up to go to the bathroom?” Thinking that there’s no way I could 
    be dreaming, I tested just to make sure by jumping. My hands 
    passed right through the ceiling of my apartment! “Whoa, good 
    thing I checked!” I remember thinking. Now fully aware that I’m 
    dreaming, I passed the rest of my body through the ceiling and
    began walking around in the apartment above me. Seeing noth-
    ing of interest, I went outside and began exploring. —ThOMAS P.
    2. Perform a reality check (choose one or two):
    • Every time you answer your phone.
    • Every time you walk through a doorway.
    • Every time you see a dog.
    • After every meal.
    • Every time you change locations.
    • When something strange happens.
    • Every time you hear music.
    • Every time you smell something delicious.
    • When you’re in an emotionally engaging situation.
    3. Use dream signs. Remember those recurring symbols from your
    dreams, the dream signs that popped up in your journal? Here’s
    where they come in handy. Perform a reality check every time you
    see a dream sign in waking life. If, for example, a dog appears
    often in your dreams, when you see a dog at any point, stop for
    = 90 <

    a moment and do a reality check. Am I dreaming? If you dream
    about a friend or a sibling often, practice for the next three days
    by doing a reality check every time you see or think of them. Since
    these are the recurring symbols of your dreams, it’s very likely that
    you’ll spot a dream sign while in the dream world, perform a real-
    ity check, and become lucid.
    Becoming Present
    Like the “check engine” light on your car’s dashboard, reality
    checks will alert you when something is out of the ordinary.
    By asking the question during your waking hours, not only
    will the practice carry over into your dreams, but it will also have
    a powerful effect on your waking awareness. By taking a moment
    and observing the world around you, you will be brought into
    the moment, be more present, and increase your self-awareness.
    Much of our days are filled with a constant