The hand is one of the most common body parts to dream about. Depending on the context of the dream, hands can have a variety of meanings. It could indicate how effective you are in your relationships, career, and business dealings. Further it could indicate how you hold on to certain things – either physically or aspects of your personality and your life. Also, how well you are able to let go of things that no longer serve you – again physically or as an aspect of your personality. You may have a tendency to hold on to things that you no longer need or let go of things too quickly. If you are unable to hold on to something, or if you see something slipping through your fingers (as in sand or water), it could indicate feelings of not being able to keep what you have, even if you want to. Holding hands with someone indicates feelings of love, affection, and closeness. Hands could also indicate a desire to help others, as in lend a helping hand. Or they could indicate that you want someone else to help you – as in receive a hand out. In lucid dreaming, looking at your hands can be used as a reality check to test whether or not you are dreaming. If your hand is distorted in some way (extra fingers, nubby fingers, etc…), you know you are in a dream and can use this as a tool to induce lucidity.