History Main / DreamRealityCheck

See also YouCanSeeThatRight for seeking confirmation that something is real. Unrelated to ''Literature/AdamAndEve'' and PinchMe (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.

See also YouCanSeeThatRight for seeking confirmation that something is real. Unrelated to ''Literature/AdamAndEveAndPinchMe'' (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.

See also DidYouSeeThatToo for seeking confirmation that something is real. Unrelated to ''Literature/AdamAndEveAndPinchMe'' (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.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792883/chapters/34223034 Fox Rain]]'', 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 the Portal fanfic Fanfic/BlueSky, Wheatley asks Chell to touch him so she can prove she's really there, as [=GLaDOS=] messing around with his insides has been making him see things. She responds by painfully yanking him out of the wires connecting him to [=GlaDos=].

See also DidYouSeeThatToo for seeking confirmation that something is real. Unrelated to ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve_and_Pinch_Me Adam and Eve 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.

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' have one gadget called the Dream Checking Machine, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - a robotic hand on wheels that pinches you to make sure you aren't in a dream.
** Said gadget first appeared as a gag in ''Anime/DoraemonTheRecordsOfNobitaSpaceblazer'', when Nobita and Doraemon, on Planet Koya Koya, gains SuperStrength and superhuman abilities thanks to the planet's weak gravity. When Nobita wonders if he dreamt the whole thing, Doraemon takes out said gadget and drags Nobita around for a while.
** The same gadget re-appears in ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasGreatAdventureInTheSouthSeas'' when Nobita, against all odds, managed to track down the hidden 18th-Century pirate treasure with ''billions'' of yen on Doraemon's mapping machine... on his first try. Cue Doraemon taking out the Dream Checking Machine and using it on ''himself''.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePolarExpress'': The Hero Boy in does this to try and wake himself up on top of the titular train. It doesn't work, and he tries to wake up by throwing snow in his face, then burying his face in the snow. Both don't work.

See also DidYouSeeThatToo for seeking confirmation that something is real. Unrelated to ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve_and_Pinch_Me Adam and Eve 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.

''(Toad suddenly hits Mario in the arm with his hiking stick)''\\

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'': When Mario arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom and meets Toad, he doubts whether or not he's dreaming. (Un)fortunately for him, Toad is glad to help by whacking him in the arm with his walking stick.

* A deleted scene in ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' -- 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.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': In "Fear of a Krabby Patty", when [=SpongeBob=] hears that the Krusty Krab is now open 24 hours, he repeatedly pinches himself in the side and yells out in pain, realizing that he's not dreaming.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'': When Mario arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom and meets Toad, he doubts whether or not he's dreaming. (Un)fortunately for him, Toad is glad to help.
-->'''Mario:''' So, this is ''not'' a dream?
-->''(Toad hits him in the arm with his staff)''
-->'''Toad:''' That hurt, right?
-->'''Mario:''' ''YES!''
-->'''Toad:''' ''Definitely'' not a dream.

There is ''some'' real life support for this: most people have found themselves suddenly woken just as they realize that they're dreaming. This may be a defensive mechanism to prevent sleep disruptions (the state of being aware that one is dreaming, called "lucid dreaming", cannot cause a breakdown of the mechanisms that normally prevent behaviors such as sleepwalking, contrary to popular belief. Many people enjoy lucid dreams and try to have as many as possible, generally with only positive side effects). But anyone who has experienced sleep paralysis knows that it's not always as simple as that. (and if you've ever been able to control sleep paralysis, things get more complicated).

** Said gadget first appeared as a gag in ''Anime/DoraemonTheRecordsOfNobitaSpaceblazer'', when Nobita and Doraemon, on Planet Koya Koya, gains SuperStrength and superhuman abilities thanks to the planet's weak gravity. When Nobita wonders if he dreamt the whole thing, DOraemontakes out said gadget and drags Nobita around for a while.