Lucid Dreaming/Reality Checks/Reading

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[edit] Presentation

With the reading reality check, you read some text, look away, and see if you can remember the text. Then, you check if it has changed when you turn back. Do this twice. You can also actively try to change the text (note that changing text in a Wikibook is not necessarily evidence you are dreaming though!).

For example, consider this paragraph. Try to remember its text. Then reload the page. If you realise that the text is now missing, you know that you are dreaming.

This reality check works because the mind has no external input to base the text upon.

Note you will usually have no problems reading text in a dream. It is remembering the text which is hard.

[edit] Examples of this reality check working

• I looked at some text that I found, then looked away. I couldn't remember what it said.
• I looked at some text that I found, then looked away, then looked back. The text had completely changed or is scrambled up.
• I looked at some text that I found, and it just said "lucid lucid lucid...". I was surprised but understood the message.
• I dreamt I was reading a book. I closed my eyes to sneeze, and when I looked back, the text was the same, but it was in a completely different font.

[edit] Examples of this reality check failing

• I looked at some text that I found, then looked away. I could perfectly remember what it said.
• I looked at some text that I found, then looked away, then looked back. The text stayed exactly the same.