Reality shifting is a practice, popular online since 2020, in which people use relaxation, visualisation and affirmations to try to move their awareness from their current reality (CR) to a detailed desired reality (DR), often a fictional world. Shifters usually prepare a written ‘script’ describing the reality they want to experience. Researchers describe it as an immersive mental experience related to hypnosis, lucid dreaming and absorbed daydreaming.
Last updated: 10 November 2026
Reading time: about 8 minutes
How we wrote this article: this article was written by Saj Ali. It explains shifting terms and methods as described by the shifting community and reported by the BBC and i-D, summarises the first peer-reviewed study of reality shifting, and links related research on lucid dreaming and visualisation.
Reality shifting in brief
- What it is. Using relaxation and visualisation to experience a detailed ‘desired reality’.
- Key terms. CR (current reality), DR (desired reality), script, shifting method.
- Scripting. Writing a detailed description of the reality you want to experience.
- Popular methods. Raven, Alice in Wonderland, Pillow and Heartbeat methods.
- Research. A 2021 study links it to hypnosis, lucid dreaming and immersive daydreaming.
Contents
- What Is Reality Shifting?
- Common Shifting Terms
- How Scripting Works
- Popular Shifting Methods
- What Research Says
- Why People Shift
- Tips for a Balanced Shifting Practice
- Shifting Compared With Related Practices
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
- Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
- Sources
What Is Reality Shifting?
Reality shifting, often just called shifting, became widely known on TikTok in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioners, known as shifters, describe it as moving their consciousness from the reality they live in to another reality they have chosen. Many choose fictional worlds, such as Hogwarts from Harry Potter, while others create entirely original worlds.
According to the first peer-reviewed study of the practice, one shifting forum had over 40,000 members and shifting clips on some social media platforms had been viewed over 1.7 billion times (Somer et al., 2021). The researchers found that shifting is “reportedly facilitated by specific induction methods involving relaxation, concentration of attention, and autosuggestion,” and that some practitioners report a strong sense of presence in their desired realities.
Shifters hold a range of beliefs. Some see shifting as visiting a real parallel universe, drawing on ideas such as the multiverse. Others treat it as a vivid, structured form of imagination or lucid dreaming.
Common Shifting Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CR | Current reality: the life you are living now |
| DR | Desired reality: the reality you want to shift to |
| Script | A written description of your DR: places, people, your appearance, abilities and rules |
| Safe word | A word written into the script to return to your CR at will |
| Clone | In shifting belief, a version of you that continues your life in your CR while you are away |
| Respawn | A permanent shift to a DR |
| Waiting room | A calm in-between space some shifters script before going to their DR |
| Symptoms | Sensations some people report before a shift, such as tingling, heaviness or hearing sounds |
These terms come from the shifting community rather than from research.
How Scripting Works
Scripting is the most common preparation step. The BBC describes how “hopeful shifters write down a thorough description of the world they want to travel to. They then mentally rehearse those details before trying to make the leap” (blank” rel=”noopener”>BBC Radio 4, _Sideways).
A typical script includes:
- Where you are: the world, your home, your room.
- Who you are: your name, age, appearance, personality and skills.
- Who is there: friends, family and other characters.
- How long you stay: many shifters script time to pass differently in the DR.
- Safety rules: a safe word to return, and that you stay healthy and safe.
Scripting is similar to detailed visualisation, where you picture a scene with all the senses. Scripting is also used in manifestation; our comparison of manifestation methods explains how.
Popular Shifting Methods
Shifting methods usually combine deep relaxation, a repeated affirmation and focused visualisation, often while falling asleep. The best-known methods, as described in the shifting community and reported by i-D, include:
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Raven method | Lie in a star shape, relax, and count slowly to 100 while repeating affirmations such as “I am shifting” between numbers, then picture your DR |
| Alice in Wonderland method | Picture yourself sitting under a tree in your DR, see a figure you know run past, follow them and fall down a rabbit hole into your DR |
| Pillow method | Write your DR on paper, put it under your pillow, and repeat an affirmation as you fall asleep |
| Heartbeat method | Listen to your heartbeat while relaxed, imagine it changing to the heartbeat of your DR self |
| Elevator method | Imagine riding a lift up, floor by floor, with your DR waiting when the doors open |
| Sunni method | Lie down and visualise yourself in your DR, holding the scene for as long as you can |
Many shifters also use subliminal audio or binaural beats. Shifters generally say that belief, relaxation and consistency matter more than which method you choose.
What Research Says
The main study of shifting so far is by clinical psychologist Eli Somer and colleagues, published in Current Psychology (Somer et al., 2021). The researchers analysed how shifting is described online and compared it with related experiences.
| Related experience | Similarity to shifting |
|---|---|
| Hypnosis and self-hypnosis | Relaxation, focused attention and suggestion |
| Lucid dreaming | Awareness and control within a vivid dream-like world |
| Immersive daydreaming | Rich, story-like inner worlds |
| Hypnagogia | Vivid images and sensations while falling asleep |
| Tulpamancy | Imagined companions experienced as having their own presence |
The study described shifting as “an important, uninvestigated emerging phenomenon” and proposed directions for future research.
Speaking to the BBC, Somer compared shifting to maladaptive daydreaming, in which vivid daydreams become excessive and interfere with daily life, while noting that shifting differs because people describe going somewhere rather than simply daydreaming (BBC Radio 4).
Research on related techniques is more developed. A systematic review of lucid dream induction found that several mental techniques, such as reality testing and setting intentions before sleep, can increase lucid dreaming (Stumbrys et al., 2012). Many shifting methods use similar steps.
Why People Shift
People describe many reasons for shifting:
- Creativity: building detailed worlds and stories.
- Connection: spending time with favourite characters, or with friends who share the same DR.
- Escape and rest: relief from stress, boredom or loneliness. Shifting first became popular during pandemic lockdowns.
- Self-exploration: trying out a different version of yourself, with new confidence or skills.
- Curiosity: exploring consciousness, dreams and the idea of the multiverse.
Some of these overlap with the reasons people use visualisation and manifestation techniques.
Tips for a Balanced Shifting Practice
Shifting is an imaginative practice. Like any immersive hobby, it works best alongside a full life in your current reality.
- Protect your sleep. Many methods are done at bedtime. Keep a regular sleep schedule and don’t stay up late trying repeatedly.
- Keep your CR rich too. Use what you enjoy in your DR as clues to what you might add to your current life, such as friendship, adventure or creativity.
- Notice how you feel. If shifting leaves you feeling better rested and more creative, that is a good sign. If you feel worse about your CR or spend more and more time on it, take a break.
- Use it creatively. Many shifters turn their scripts into stories, art or journals.
- Try related skills. Visualisation, lucid dreaming and self-hypnosis use similar mental skills.
If daydreaming or shifting starts to get in the way of daily life, a therapist can help.
Shifting Compared With Related Practices
| Practice | Main goal | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Reality shifting | Experience a chosen desired reality | Bedtime or deep relaxation |
| Lucid dreaming | Become aware within a dream | During sleep |
| Visualisation | Mentally rehearse a goal or scene | Any time |
| Manifestation | Attract a desired outcome in current life | Any time |
| Astral projection | An out-of-body experience | Relaxation or sleep |
For related guides, see astral projection and out-of-body experiences, Reality Transurfing and visualisation techniques used by high achievers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reality shifting?
Reality shifting is a practice in which people use relaxation, visualisation and affirmations to try to move their awareness to a detailed ‘desired reality’, often a fictional world.
What do CR and DR mean?
CR means current reality, the life you live now. DR means desired reality, the world you want to shift to.
What is a shifting script?
A script is a written description of your desired reality, including where you are, who you are, who is there, and safety rules such as a safe word to return.
What is the Raven method?
In the Raven method, you lie in a star shape, relax, and count slowly to 100 while repeating shifting affirmations, then picture your desired reality.
Is reality shifting real?
Shifters have different beliefs: some see it as visiting another reality, others as vivid imagination. The first research study describes it as an immersive mental experience related to hypnosis, lucid dreaming and daydreaming.
When did reality shifting start?
It became widely known on TikTok in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Takeaways
- Reality shifting uses relaxation, visualisation and affirmations to experience a detailed desired reality.
- Most shifters write a script describing their DR first.
- Popular methods include the Raven, Alice in Wonderland and Pillow methods.
- Research links shifting to hypnosis, lucid dreaming and immersive daydreaming.
- Shifting works best as a creative practice alongside a full life in your current reality.
Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
Use these pages alongside this one:
- Visualisation Techniques of High Achievers – how top performers use mental rehearsal
- Astral Exploration – out-of-body experiences explained
- Reality Transurfing – a guide to shaping your reality
- Self-Hypnosis Writing – write your own hypnosis scripts
- Manifestation – manifestation methods and mindset
- Conscious Reality Creation – shaping your experience with intention
- Browse all self-help techniques – compare every method on Self Help Supermarket.
Sources
- Somer, E., Cardeña, E., Catelan, R. F., and Soffer-Dudek, N. (2021). Reality shifting: Psychological features of an emergent online daydreaming culture. Current Psychology, 42, 11415–11427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02439-3
- BBC Radio 4, Sideways. Are some people travelling to parallel worlds? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1m0BTjSNpwTXJy8V76T2Ps0/are-some-people-travelling-to-parallel-worlds
- Smith, S. (2021, June 20). What is ‘reality shifting’ and why is it taking over TikTok? i-D. https://i-d.co/article/what-is-reality-shifting-and-why-is-it-taking-over-tiktok/
- Stumbrys, T., Erlacher, D., Schädlich, M., and Schredl, M. (2012). Induction of lucid dreams: A systematic review of evidence. Consciousness and Cognition, 21(3), 1456–1475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2012.07.003
Self Help Supermarket guides are for general information and are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.