History Main / DreamRealityCheck

* In the ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TwoIdiots,'' Keith asks Cherry to slap him to make sure he's not dreaming any of the events of the story.

* ''Fanfic/MaybeTheLastArchieStory'': Invoked when [[ComicBook/ArchieComics Reggie Mantle]] wonders whether he is really talking to a cat, and [[ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch Salem]] retorts "[He's] not about to claw [Reggie's] ankle to prove [he's] not dreaming."
* In ''Fanfic/FoxRain'', following the events of Volpina, Lila finds the actual Fox Miraculous in her bedroom (given to her by Master Fu after she [[GuileHero scare away some thugs that were harassing him by saying that Ladybug was nearby]]) with Trixx coming out to introduce himself. Lila initially thinks that Trixx is some sort of imaginary friend, which he disproves by giving her a smack to her head.
* In ''Fanfic/HeroChat'', an Akuma traps most of Paris and the majority of Team Miraculous in their sleep. Marc is given the Goat Miraculous to enter Marinette's dream and wake her up, and she realizes she's dreaming because she never gave them a Miraculous in real life... ignoring the fact that her classmates are currently puppets.
-->'''Marc''':That's what makes you think this is a dream?! Your classmates are puppets! Juleka is literally just Kermit in a wig!
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/46730197/ A Taste of Magic]]'': Upon seeing [[spoiler:Pansy Parkinson being nice]], Lavender pinches Parvati to help her know she's not dreaming. Parvati attempts to pinch her back, then later tries again and succeeds. As they leave the class, it escalates to a barrage of pinching and pushing on both sides.
--> '''Parvati:''' Okay, I'm just going to say it, that was weird right? Please tell me that I'm not the only one that thought that was weird.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14164712/1/Unexpected-Love-NaNoWriMo-2022 Unexpected Love NaNoWriMo 2022]]'' after Harry, Hermione and Teddy are sent back in time, Harry suggests that they might've been slipped one of George's daydream charms and Hermione gives herself a small cut to test it.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5312967/2/Through-the-Cupboard Through the Cupboard]]'' Harry pinches his cheek after waking up in a reality where his parents survived.
* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26698570/chapters/94208674#workskin Strange Potter]]'' Wanda pinches Remus' cheek when he thinks he's dreaming after Tony and Bruce cure his lycanthropy.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14161991/14/Harry-Potter-the-Metamorphpagus Harry Potter the Metamorphpagus]]'' Harry asks Hermione to pinch her after Snape takes twenty points from Slytherin and gives five points to Gryffindor.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2308041/5/Black-Letters Black Letters]]'' Harry pinches himself when he meets Sirius several weeks after the latter's apparent death.

-->'''Geppetto:''' ''Now'' we'll see who's dreaming! Go on! Say something!
-->'''Pinocchio:''' ''(beat)'' Gee, you're funny. Do it again!
-->'''Geppetto:''' You ''do'' talk!

* A deleted scene in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' -- after Marty has realized that he's in 1955 from a newspaper -- had him asking an passing-by old lady to pinch him. It comes out a bit brusque because he's panicking, resulting in him receiving a smack across the face.
* A similar gag is used in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', where Ted sees his love interest for the first time. He asks the man next to him to pinch him, earning a disgusted look.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In the spinoff novel ''The Stealers of Dreams'', the Doctor scoffs at someone who literally pinches himself to remind himself that it's ''not'' just a dream. The Doctor explains that though a dream can feel real, when something ''is'' real you generally just know - so the pinching is unnecessary.
* ''Literature/{{Thora}}'': In the first book, Thora pinches herself to make sure she's not just having a wonderful dream when she learns that [[spoiler:Dottie Greenberg is her grandmother]].

* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': When Sheldon [[spoiler: wins a Nobel prize]] he wonders if he's dreaming, so Leonard administers a slap he'd clearly been waiting twelve years to give.

* ''Series/TheNanny'': Fran has a DreamWithinADream about having huge feet and then waking up to Mr Sheffield making out with her after she tells him about it. When she wakes up for real, she pinches herself to make sure she isn't still dreaming.
* Subverted in ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOnDeck'': Bailey realizes she is dreaming when London calls her "the prettiest girl in the whole world" and tries to pinch herself to wake up, naturally finding that she can't feel anything in a dream.
* ''Series/{{Jonas}}'':
-->'''Joe''': Quick punch me in the arm so I know I'm not dreaming!!!...Ok I'm definitely not dreaming because that really hurt!!!
-->'''Kevin''': ''(ComicallyMissingThePoint)'' Unless you're dreaming that it hurt so that was a dream hurt.
-->'''Nick''': ''(sofly punches Kevin)'' Was that dream hurt or regular hurt?

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': "Specter Of The Gun". The realization that their situation is just a psychic projection renders Kirk and company ImmuneToBullets. In their defense, immunity required a certitude of belief that could only be achieved via mind-meld to a nigh-emotionless Vulcan.
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': In "Waking Moments", [[MagicalNativeAmerican Chakotay]] uses an embedded subconscious trigger to let him know if he's actually asleep (Earth's moon). He can then will himself awake by tapping the back of his hand three times.
* An early episode of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' involved hallucinogenic alien pollen, but most of those affected didn't figure it out.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'': In "The Gamekeeper," SG-1 becomes trapped in a virtual reality simulation. They are then forced to relive events from their pasts. They soon realize that what they are experiencing isn't real.

* ''Series/TheXFiles''. Subversion: Mulder and Scully realize that they are trapped in a chemically induced hallucination, and are promptly freed. Wackiness continues to ensue, at which point it occurs to Mulder that there is absolutely no scientific reason that their having worked it out should negate all the hallucinogenic chemicals in their systems. It's the supporting cast who end up rescuing them for real.

--> '''Vic Palmero:''' You are having a hallucinogenic reaction to ''me.'' I'm in your ''belly.'' Watch me dance.
* Mildly subverted in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'''s season 4 finale. Buffy realises she's dream-fighting the First Slayer and wakes up. As she's looking around the Slayer attacks again. Buffy ignores her and wakes up for real.
** In the first season episode, ''Nightmares'', where everyone's nightmares are coming true, Xander tries to get out of standing in front of his entire class while wearing only his underwear, by pinching himself.
* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' did it with a psychological tool.
* In an episode of the sitcom ''Series/{{Newhart}}'', after suffering through yet another day's worth of insanity from the locals, Dick pinches himself hoping he's dreaming. It doesn't work, but [[spoiler: at the end of the series it's revealed that he really ''was'' dreaming the whole thing.]]

* The episode of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' where he accidentally burns the [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup only copy]] of the dictionary. The writer of the dictionary bursts in on Blackadder and says something to the effect of "I'm tired of the damn thing, it's rubbish, burn it". Blackadder is overjoyed, but then "Baldrick, who gave you permission to become an Alsatian?". Which is enough of a clue for Blackadder to realise and wake up.
* In one episode of ''Series/FawltyTowers'', as yet another ZanyScheme begins to disintegrate before his eyes, Basil says "Yes! I must be having a nightmare!" and bangs his head on the front desk. "No, not a nightmare, we're stuck with it!"

* In one letters column in Nation Lampoon, a baseball player finally achieves his dream of getting signed to the majors, and says "pinch me!" Someone does...[[CruelTwistEnding and the pinch severs a nerve and cripples his pitching arm.]]

--> "Damn it, ''I knew'' that's a dream!"

[[folder:Video Games]]

-->'''Phoenix:''' Right now, I can't believe any of this! I'm not even sure if this day has been some kind of [[Creator/FranzKafka Kafkaesque]] dream... ''gets whipped by Franziska'' OWWW!!!
-->'''Franziska:''' Now do you think its still a dream!? Huh, Mr. Phoenix Wright!?

-->''Franziska whips the Judge''
-->'''Judge:''' Uwaaah! What was that for!?
-->'''Franziska:''' ...This is all a bad dream. I was hitting you on the cheek to test that theory.

[[folder:WebAnimation]]

* In ''Webcomic/ButImACatPerson'', Sparrow asks her friend Bianca to pinch her [[https://www.bicatperson.com/comic/chapter-one-13/ when she hears the stray dog that followed her home start talking to them]].
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', this is how [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0889.html Elan helped Roy and Haley escape the phantasm at Girard's Gate.]] He figured out that the resolution being provided for his own familial issues in this illusion was not realistic, and held on himself for long enough to communicate this to the other two.

''[BeatPanel]''\\

''[all three awaken from the illusion]''

-->'''Narrator:''' Of course. None of this is real. I am real. You are not.
-->'''Mario:''' ''(scene switches to Castle Grounds)'' I am Mario! Of course I am real.

** "Operation UTOPIA": Nigel realises that he's in a hallucination the moment he sees Wally swim (the real Wally can't swim). Cut to chamber with Nigel in it, struggling to break free.

-->'''Flash''': Huh? This isn't supposed to happen.
-->'''Dr. Destiny''': That's because this time, there isn't going to ''be'' a wake-up call.

* Subverted in the story "Where Oh Where is Flick?" of ''WesternAnimation/PBAndJOtter''. Flick enters into a dream in which Mallard Man asks him to help him and he immediately says "I must be dreaming!" Mallard Man agrees that he is and Flick is perfectly cool with this.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TwoStupidDogs'', believing a situation too good to be true, Little Dog orders Big Dog to pinch him. After he complies, he tells him "Harder!"
* In "First Responders to the Rescue" from ''WesternAnimation/DocMcStuffins'', when the boy Dev is accidentally transported to the Toy Hospital, Stuffy tells him that he's still in his bedroom and he's just having a dream. Stuffy sounds less than convincing, but Dev buys it. Then Stuffy decides to take it further by saying it won't hurt if he pinches ''himself'', then does so and shouts in pain. It's then ruined completely when he [[AgonyOfTheFeet accidentally steps on Dev's foot]], causing him to feel pain too and decide that what's happening must therefore be real.
* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': DM and Penfold are confronted with sentient appliances in "Mechanised Mayhem." Penfold pinches DM.
-->'''DM''': Ow! Penfold, what was the pinch for?\\
'''Penfold:''' I wanted to see if I was dreaming.\\
'''DM:''' Well, why didn't you pinch yourself?\\
'''Penfold:''' Ah, I might have been only dreaming I pinched myself.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch'' episode "Raffle Ruckus" has Hair Bear winning the zoo in a raffle only to take on the same keeper responsibilities Peevly usually does. He's about to call it a night when the phone rings.
-->'''Hair Bear:''' Oh no! Tell me I'm dreaming! (''after Bubi fields the call'') It's no dream... it's a nightmare!
* In "Franklin the Fearless" from ''Literature/{{Franklin}}'' Franklin experiences AnxietyDreams about riding down Thrill Hill with a DreamWithinADream scenario. In the morning, when he wakes up, he ''hopes'' he's still dreaming, but a pinch confirms he's awake.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS1E04MoistVessel Moist Vessel]]", when Mariner gets promoted, Boimler is seen slapping himself and pinching his cheeks in the background, hoping that it's all a dream.

See also YouCanSeeThatRight for seeking confirmation that something is real. Unrelated to ''Literature/AdamAndEve'' and "Pinch Me" (the novel or the childish prank). Not to be confused with the use of self-inflicted pain to free themselves from a dream or an illusion, which is DreamEmergencyExit and SlapYourselfAwake. Compare InTheDreamingStageOfGrief and BizarreDreamRationalization.