So we usually don't recognize we're dreaming.
Sharks fly by, teeth fall out, you're back in school (and probably late for the test), the room fills with water. Wait! you think. Is this a dream?...
A chimney dances a jig. A fireplug melts.
...Nah.
It seems that there are some tests you can run, mid dream, that give more reliable answers. I snagged them off Wikipedia's article on Lucid Dreaming.
- Read something, look away, and read it again. Letters change in dreams.
- Flip a light switch. In dreams, the light usually stays on or off.
- Try to stick your finger through the palm of your hand.
- Look in a mirror. Dream reflections are wonky
Maybe I'll try them.
Oh, I especially love that 2nd illustration. Namo, do you think you can remember to try one of those things in your dreams? I'll try to remember one tonight.
ReplyDeleteI feel lucky if I can remember I've had a dream and a little bit about it. I love the mirror illustration. Occasionally in the past I would be in a dream and conscious enough to wonder if it was a dream. And then there's the dream within a dream -- ever had that?
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to remember those tricks. The page suggested to make a habit of trying them in the daytime, so you're more likely to remember them when dreaming. Let me know if you have any luck with them.
Hi stray g,
I have dreams within a dream all the time- if you mean the ones where you dream you've waked up but you're still dreaming. Typically those dreams have me getting out of bed, yet I'm groggy and uncoordinated and I can't figure out why.
I actually dreamed this morning about trying one of the tests - I tried putting my finger through my palm. It was solid - I was so confused because I was convinced that the murder mystery dream I was having had to be a dream. Yet the test told me it was real! I was so confused!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this I thought you'd have to be in deep analysis to be that much in control of your dreams. Sounds like those old tool kit things people used to accumulate in cd rom games in order to move into the next room. (forget the name for them.)
ReplyDeleteAnd look what happened to billsey!
Ha ha, Billsey,
ReplyDeleteSo much for the dream tests.
p.s. did you ever find out whodunit?
Hi Sally,
Were you thinking of the Myst games?
One flaw with these tests is, as you pointed out, it's tough to be rational in dreams. The "how could that be true1!?" switch in our heads is off.
yes, that's it--dream within a dream. Haven't had one of those in a while.
ReplyDelete