My present theory is that dreaming is an active, tho unconscious, deed. So step 1 is to make the unconscious, conscious. And then step 2 is to stop dreaming.
More mundane examples : Turn off the movie. Quit the game. Close the book. Alarm clock goes off.
But that’s just me. I want to hear your opinions on this subject.
Sometimes a dream takes a dark turn and that’s usually when I realise that it is in fact a dream. I start to look for an exit and awareness shifts to my physical body eyelids opening as the way out.