There are different ways to accomplish this and the one that works best for one person may
fail for someone else. I suggest trying different methods and see which particular one gives
the best results for you. One of the more common is the "reality check"
In this method, you make sure to ask yourself several times during the day whether or not
you are in a dream. Say to yourself, "if this is reality, I could not ......" To finish that
thought, think of something you would like to do but cannot accomplish in real life such as
levitate an object...and try to do it. Be sure to do the test with meaning and not simply go
through the motions. Otherwise, if you perform the test in your dream, you'll probably simply
go through the motions there, too, and not accomplish anything.
I have seen examples of the "reality check" involving reading something. For example, look
at some text, look away, and then look back. If it stays the same, you are awake. If you
can read it, you are awake. Do not rely on this. I, and probably many others, can read
quite easily in dreams. The letters are real and form real words that remain the same even
if I may look away from it and then look back.
Another method that I use is one that I have not seen mentioned anywhere and, for me, works
better than the "reality check". The key here is to become familiar with your dreams.
Keep a dream journal where you write down the events of the night before immediately upon
awakening. Keep track of your dream life (lives) much as you would write down what happened
during the day when you are awake. When you become familiar with your dreams, you will probably
spot things that repeat. Certain concepts are universal, or at least widespread, in our
culture. (See here for recurring dreams)
Once you become familiar enough to start spotting recurring themes, use those to trigger
lucidity. The next time you find yourself standing (sitting, hovering, etc) peeing and you
never seem to finish, tell yourself that it is a dream. Do not ask yourself or perform a
check, simply tell yourself that it is. If you ask or do a check, you leave yourself open
to getting the wrong answer. If you tell yourself, you reinforce the fact. For me this
situation works better than the missing class dream (another situation that seems to be
very common among dreamers).
When you've realized that you are in a dream, you may get a strange feeling and one of
pride in telling yourself that it is not real. You may feel a bit of superiority to the
other participants of the dream. This is natural since you can truly think to yourself
that these people would not exist if it weren't for you.
After the realization comes, one of two things will happen. Unfortunately the first is
quite common. A lot of people will either lose the knowledge that it is only a dream
very soon after they realize it, or they may simply wake up. The other thing that will
happen is that you will start to wonder what to do with your newfound knowledge and power.
Here's where the fun begins. Try to change something, try to create something. If done
right, you have the ultimate virtual reality in front of you.
Lucid Dreams
Lucid dreams are those in which the dreamer is to some extent aware that he or she is taking part in a dream rather
than experiencing a real event. There are varying degrees or stages of lucidity ranging from a vague suspicion that
what is happneing around you is only a dream all the way to complete recognition of the fact.