Thread: Dream abnormalities keep explaining themselves away

Yes, plenty of times.... Not really a good habit to have.
I think that it is a part of the dream logic. That is not necessarily a lucid thing and may be more of a non-lucid thing. Either way, you may want to double down the reality tests.
If you keep a dream journal, you may want to start recording what you did before going to bed. This way it may help you with reminding yourself of what you did before you went to bed.(IMO)
How well are you doing in the waking life reality test?

I could admittedly be a lot better with reality checks. And I do keep a dream journal, I could definitely start writing what I did before bed.

How are you performing your reality Checks? Form a hypothesis on whether or not you are dreaming. I think you may want to develop a more detective mindset. Of course, that takes practice.

Spoiler for REALITY TEST:

1) Using one's dream journal compile a list of "dream signs", a dream sign is any theme that regularly occurs in one's dreams.

2) During one's waking hours regularly perform your chosen reality check whenever something unusual, unexpected, or dreamlike occurs. Be especially vigilant to perform a reality check whenever a waking event closely resembles one of your dream signs. Regularity and consistency are absolutely key, you are attempting to develop a new default lifestyle behavior. When you think about lucid dreaming, Reality check as soon you think about it.

3) Be certain to perform each test seriously and with full critical awareness—do not simply assume that you are awake. Do not allow yourself to perform a test on "auto pilot", it is vital that you perform each reality check with a critical mind and full lucid awareness.


4) Perform a minimum of 10 reality checks each day, ideally many more. Reality testing should become a natural default behavior, performed daily, for the duration of your life as a lucid dreamer.

5) As dreams closely mimic our waking life events and thought patterns, the idea is that developing the habit of regularly reality checking during one's waking life will eventually transfer into the dream world, at which point it will instigate a Dream Initiated Lucid Dream (DILD).

Hints & Tips:
Reality checks are as much a state of mind as they are a test. There is no point in performing a test if one's mind is not fully engaged in the process and is open to the strong possibility that one is dreaming.


Ideally one should perform multiple different tests during each reality check. This allows for a fail-safe should one of the tests provide false results. Two reliable tests to combine are the Nose Pinch Test and the Text Test.


Rather than enter a reality check with the assumption that one is awake, reverse this concept, assume that the very act of performing a reality check implies that one is most likely dreaming. The burden of proof should be on proving that you are awake. This way, should a test give false results, you will assume that you are dreaming rather than awake.


Reality checks are not optional, without them you will miss potentially thousands of possible lucid dreams. They are an act that reflects the core philosophy of lucid dreaming.


Reality checks are primarily used to induce Dream Initiated Lucid Dreams (DILD) but can be used to stabilize, build confidence, or confirm one's state during a Wake Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD).

Reality Check or test RIGHT NOW!!!

Hope that helps?

Thanks! I don't think I perform the checks often enough, or use enough variety. I hope I can stop buying the answers I give myself in dreams.

Originally Posted by unknownkadath

I don't think I perform the checks often enough, or use enough variety. I hope I can stop buying the answers I give myself in dreams.

The reason your reality checks fail is you lack of confidence in the reality checks. It seems you lack confidence in the reality checks (you only hope they will work) because you believe you must be rational (which motivates you to rationalize during the dream) and you believe it isn't rational to have confidence in something that hasn't worked in the past. However, some confidence in your reality checks is required for them to work, so be confident your reality checks will work, even if this doesn't seem rational.

That makes sense to me, thank you. Confidence is something I should work on.

Recently I looked up in the sky and saw the sun had taken the form of a giant football. I thought “that’s strange” and then laughed and explained it away as a hilarious mod within a video game! In waking life we do this all the time but usually with less silly and illogical explanations. For example you may see a man dressed as a clown walking down the street and think “That‘s weird?” but conclude “He must be going to a fancy dress party?” We go about our lives believing there’s a perfectly good explanation for everything that happens and we do the same in dreams. The dream doesn’t help as it reacts and builds upon your explanations and will often change to fit your belief. One time I was doing a text change RC on a billboard, I looked away and back again and saw the text and imagery was changing, indicating I was dreaming but then I thought “wait, is this one of those digital billboards that change?” and sure enough the dream used this belief and turned it into what I mistook it to be and I didn’t become lucid. You have to be vigilant and look out for those moments and treat them as a dream sign, a reason to go “hang on, I just explained something away, I could be dreaming right now”. After noticing this in my football sun dream I realised how absurd it was and became lucid.

I’ve just started to tune into how I do this too, in my dreams and to give a few examples:

In one dream this week I was at a hospital and saw a person wearing hospital scrubs asleep on a gurney in the dream I thought that nurse must have to travel quite far to get to work, so that’s probably why he’s sleeping at work, because fuel prices are high too so probably is saving him some money.

When I woke I thought how do I know he’s not a dr instead of a nurse, how do I know he’s not well and passed out , or drunk or high or worse someone has put his corpse on the gurney or could he be pretending to be a sleep.

I’ve also begun to notice how the dream reacts to my thoughts in the same dream from above I was looking at the ceiling of the hospital and thought this is seriously dilapidated how’s is this aloud then the head doctor called everyone to gather round and explained that all the patients were being movEd from one side of the hospital to the other so restorative work can take place.

In another dream my uncle and I are looking for something to cut a bath with I was looking at a chain saw but hadn’t said anything my uncle then says that thing has no teeth in it - as if he was reading my thoughts. He wasn’t looking at me either in the dream.

I’m going to pay more attention to see how much and when I do it in waking life.

Originally Posted by Ant101

I’m going to pay more attention to see how much and when I do it in waking life.

Great examples. Thanks for sharing. They’re hard to catch in waking life but it happens all the time. It can be as simple as you can’t find the remote control. “I swear I left it here?” “Huh, I guess I left it elsewhere”. You just explained it away! Next time think “I could be dreaming!” :-)

Stuff like this is exactly what I'm talking about. In the dream I don't wonder about possible explanations, my mind just comes up an answer and commits. Like how the nurse was a nurse and definitely saving money, not injured or ill or anything else that might be going on. No other possibilities considered, just an answer on a silver platter and move along.

I had a moment last night when I question the first dream that I had and came to the conclusion that it was real life. Dream logic.. I felt unnecessary dread in the dream...

This happens to me all the time, too.

I wonder if it would be helpful to have a reality check trigger anytime you find yourself explaining things away in waking life, or whenever you catch yourself making inferences about things. Basically what Tiktaliik said.

Good luck. Lucid dreaming is hard.

In waking life I’m going to try to remember to ask myself “what do I know? and what am I guessing/assuming or I think I prefer

“What do I see and what do I know?”

Other alternatives could be
what’s the story I’m creating around this or
What are the facts? And what am i inferring?Could be quite a mindfulness practice in itself.

By the way, even the more advanced lucid dreamers struggle with this. In a way, you can never get comfortable with just assuming you are awake.

Originally Posted by Lang

By the way, even the more advanced lucid dreamers struggle with this. In a way, you can never get comfortable with just assuming you are awake.

🤦*♂️ Thanks to your last comment Lang It’s just occurred to me that this is “thee key point”when it comes to lucid training not just a particular sub plot to a dream.

We have already assumed we are awake or haven’t questioned/ proven why or how we know we are awake. - “what are the facts, what am I inferring”
“What do I see, what do I know” - the light bulb has just come on at last , it is covered in a thick layer of dust though 😆.

Apologies if I’m the only one catching up.

Originally Posted by Ant101

��*♂️ Thanks to your last comment Lang It’s just occurred to me that this is “thee key point”when it comes to lucid training not just a particular sub plot to a dream.

We have already assumed we are awake or haven’t questioned/ proven why or how we know we are awake. - “what are the facts, what am I inferring”
“What do I see, what do I know” - the light bulb has just come on at last , it is covered in a thick layer of dust though ��.

Apologies if I’m the only one catching up.

That alright.

Originally Posted by Lang

I had a nightmare about the member Sageous with some other member from this site, that held me up at gunpoint and stole a briefcase that had some important documents (Formula) from me, then they stuck a needle into me on some campus of some sorts.
(I know that they are not like this in real life. Sorry I think I had a fever-induced dream.)

Had another one of these dreams... This about the 3-4 dream l like this!!!! I asked myself why I'm in this situation, and how I got here, I knew that I wasn't special and I knew that none of this would be possible unless you were working for something to do with the government and dealing with some toxic relationships who would do this, or on brink of a delusional state. This couldn't be real. I decided to do a Reality check. Unfortunately, that was not good enough and I was yanked out of concentration by being shot in the dream. The story went on. The emotion was that strong. I still had a little awareness because there was no pain and I wondered why that was. But, I was not lucid fully. I came to the conclusion that I thought I was in shock

In some ways I’m almost in awe at how the dreaming mind can find ways to explain anything away and also how easily we believe in them.

Since starting LD training it Has made me appreciate how people with certain mental illnesses can and do totally believe in what they see here and think, because of certain conditions that are present in the mind and life of some people, I used to think surely you would know that’s not what’s happening but every night I go to sleep and I’m tricked.

And I’m usually surprised once realising I’m dreaming, that what I was experiencing is just a fabrication in the mind.

-last night in my dream I looked up at the stars they were out of focus as if someone had used an eraser and rubbed away the brightness but in a way that left a small circle of fog around each star, I can’t recall how I explained this away. But I know I didn’t become lucid.

(Looks like my reply got eaten somehow) I was going to say that it's reassuring that other people have dealt with this and I'll definitely try to do better with reality checks, maybe I should change my phone's lockscreen to a reminder or use a totem to remind myself. I know all day awareness is a thing but my retail job is really monotonous and I think I'd go crazy. Also, drawing and worldbuilding are both hobbies of mine and I'd like to actually try creating a persistent realm. It would be a limitless source of inspiration for art.

Originally Posted by Ant101

In some ways I’m almost in awe at how the dreaming mind can find ways to explain anything away and also how easily we believe in them.

Yeah, it’s fascinating. I suppose the brain is doing this all the time in waking life as well but we rarely find ourselves in the outlandish situations we do in dreams. The logical part of the brain is mostly shut off as well, allowing us to come up with the bizarre explanations to the bizarre situations we’re in without ever noticing how illogical it all is.

Originally Posted by unknownkadath

I'll definitely try to do better with reality checks, maybe I should change my phone's lockscreen to a reminder or use a totem to remind myself.

I think it’s much better to train yourself to remember without these aids. It’s difficult at first, but it pays off in the long run. The problem with relying on external reminders is they may not pop up in your dreams to remind you, making them redundant. You’d be better using a broad range of dreams signs as triggers instead. Oddities and strange occurrences for example pop up in most, if not all dreams and are a good thing to look out for in waking life to remind you to check. I’ve found it’s not always about how many times you check in a day that matters but making sure that when you do get that urge to do so you don’t ignore it and perform the check properly.

Phone lock screens can be a good reality check though. It’s quite reliable for me as my background image and the time often change or look strange within a dream, giving me a clear indication that I’m dreaming. Just watch out for the explanations you give yourself to explain this away like, “I must have changed it recently”, or “It must be broken”.

Originally Posted by unknownkadath

I know all day awareness is a thing but my retail job is really monotonous and I think I'd go crazy.

Yeah, I remember the feeling. I’m not in retail anymore but I wish I had been lucid dreaming back then as those long, boring hours would have been better spent thinking about dreams I wished to have and looking out for signs to RC to. As someone who experimented with all day awareness I wouldn’t recommend it as it’s usually taught but periods of attention/ awareness of your surroundings throughout the day with a key focus on the question “is this a dream?” I’ve found can be quite effective.

Thinking about dreams you'd like to have? Dream incubation is very interesting to me, I feel like it would help a lot with the persistent realm. Also I could be a Sith, or an AC Assassin or something cool like that. And I've got a new phone lock screen but knowing my brain I will have a vague 'memory' of having changed it recently or 'know' that it's broken.

I like what you said about all day awareness, too. It's much easier to be fully aware for a little while throughout the day than to try and be aware of everything all the time, especially at work.

Random addition: One early morning and I was off work but a family member wasn't, and I heard their alarm going off. It didn't wake me up, but in the dream I paused, looked up at the sky for some reason, and asked myself 'what the hell is that noise?'. But it stopped and I continued the dream without becoming lucid. They only hit snooze though, so it went off again and that time it woke me up. It was really weird to hear the 'dream noise' as I woke up and realize it was real.

Lucid dreams, Is when you are aware that you are dreaming, you probably also feel more yourself than anyone or anything else. You can do the things like the an AC Assassin or even an avenger can do but, you mostly feel like yourself, core-self.
I mean unlike a Non-lucid dream where a part of the dream logic you are going through in your dream where you think it is reality, you most likely feel like you are those characters in those dream.
Have any of you felt more yourself in a lucid?

Originally Posted by unknownkadath

Dream incubation is very interesting to me, I feel like it would help a lot with the persistent realm. Also I could be a Sith, or an AC Assassin or something cool like that.

I used to play Assassins Creed way back in my youth and though I haven’t played the games in over 10 years when I’m lucid themes from this game still regularly pop up. Why is that? Well it’s most likely because I see the dream world (when lucid) as a big virtual playground of the mind, very much like a video game and since AC was an open-world game I played regularly when I was younger I heavily associate it with this kind of experience. So quite often I use the game logic to help me be able to climb buildings and such things. There’s no reason that you couldn’t incubate a dream to allow you to be an Assassin in that world but bare in mind without lucidity it will likely be all over the place so you may be living it one minute and then watching it in 3rd person the next. Other associations will also work their way in, so you may find that your high school history teacher pops in to give you a lecture about the inaccuracies of the time period or something strange. This is the beauty of dreaming of course but it can be annoying if you want to experience something realistic and specific.

Originally Posted by unknownkadath

Random addition: One early morning and I was off work but a family member wasn't, and I heard their alarm going off. It didn't wake me up, but in the dream I paused, looked up at the sky for some reason, and asked myself 'what the hell is that noise?'. But it stopped and I continued the dream without becoming lucid. They only hit snooze though, so it went off again and that time it woke me up. It was really weird to hear the 'dream noise' as I woke up and realize it was real.

I once heard a large humming machine of some kind in a dream but didn’t know where the noise was coming from until I woke up and realised the humming was my bedside fan whirring in a distorted way. I’ve never tried listening to music whilst asleep but it could be an interesting experience.

Originally Posted by Lang

Have any of you felt more yourself in a lucid?

Do you mean more yourself than in a regular dream? If so than yes, mostly. I find some of my behaviour and dialogue within regular dreams surprisingly similar to how I feel I would react sometimes but when lucid I do feel like I’m completely myself though sometimes there is of course mental fog and a lack of clear thinking as well.

Originally Posted by Lang

Have any of you felt more yourself in a lucid?

Interesting. I guess I don't see a difference between my waking self and lucid self. They seem the same to me (although I imagine some people may see a big difference, I guess it just depends on your personality and experiences and such).

Where I see a big difference is non lucid self versus lucid or waking self. I KNOW I am doing good with a practice (like honesty, or facing fears, or whatever it is that I'm working on myself at the time), if I start to see my non-lucid self doing these things. It's like it drags behind. It takes a while for the habits to change on a subconscious level.

Just thoughts.

Just my 2 cents. If you are not getting traction with one LDing method and you've given it an honest shot, try another. Reality checks have never worked for me. Whether I just didn't try hard enough in waking reality, or my "dream logic" was too reasonable, or some combination of the too.

Everyone is different. For me dream signs work best. In fact I've gotten very good at inducing certain scenarios that help me realize I am dreaming.

Then of course you have WILDs. I suppose those are the 3 most popular in my experience.