Mar 16, 2009
Critical state testing
1. Plan when to test your state
Pick five to ten different occasions during the day to test your state. These should be circumstances that are similar in some ways to your dreams. Any time you come in contact with something that resembles a dreamsign, test your state. Whenever anything surprising or unlikely occurs or anytime you experience unusually powerful emotions, or anything dream like, test your state. If you have recurrent dreams, any situations related to the recurrent content are ideal. For example, if you have recurrent dreams featuring your fear of heights, you should do a state test when you cross a bridge or visit a room near the top of a tall building.
2. Test you state
Ask yourself the critical question as often as possible (at least the five to ten specific times you selected in step one): “Am I dreaming or awake?” Don’t just automatically ask the question and mindlessly reply, “Obviously, I’m awake,” or you will do the same thing when you actually are dreaming. Look around for any oddities or inconsistencies that might indicate you are dreaming. Think back to the events of the last several minutes. Do you have any trouble remembering what just happened? If so, you may be dreaming.
From: Exploring the world of Lucid Dreaming: Stephen Laberge