My biggest fear has happened. Please help.

[DreamQueen]

I'm screwed. I now have no RCs that work for me. Last night for the first time ever the nose pinch test completely and utterly failed me in a dream. I couldn't breathe at all. I would have and should have become lucid. I paid such careful attention to the check but my breathing was absolutely blocked off just like RL. My f****** brain has finally learned to simulate this too. It's 6am and I feel completely ripped off and cheated. I did a WBTB at 4am, went into a dream, did my nose pinch and it failed. There's no point in me going back to bed again now because I have no way of establishing whether I'm dreaming. I'm so depressed right now. The NP check was not only the only RC left that worked for me it was also quick, subtle, and didn't require me to interrupt conversations with people or stop what I'm doing at work. Hence I've been able to do a huge number of them. As a result I've had enormous success with DILD. I have done approx 30 NP checks every day for two months. That's about 1,800 nose pinches. Now it's over. There's no point in me ever doing another one. I don't see how I'm going to achieve lucidity now. Stopping to really think about "whether I'm dreaming" isn't going to be anywhere near as easy, convenient and effective. It's going to be rude and disruptive and probably unreliable too. I am really quite upset right now. I dedicate so much time and energy to my lucid dreaming. The very last post I made on here before I went to bed last night was saying how LD is the best hobby I've discovered in my life. I should be sitting here right now completely elated and writing in my lucid Dream Journal. I would have had a hugely long LD if the RC hadn't failed because the dream went on for ages afterwards and I should have been lucid. This is frustrating beyond words What RC can I use now? The following RCs do not work as my brain has learned to simulate all of them perfectly: nose pinch hand through wall scene change jumping looking at my hands looking at my clothing Experienced lucid dreamers, I really really need your help with this one. This is going to be a challenge. I've actually been testing out other potential RCs during my LDs in case the nose pinch ever started failing. I've found nothing reliable. I might have to carry some text around with me and use that. It's going to be nowhere near as convenient but it's all I can think of. Maybe I'll use my digital watch. The problem is, it's really intrusive to look at your watch when talking to someone. They notice it and think you're in a hurry to go somewhere. So has anyone else faced this problem? Please can you share exactly what RCs you do during the day. I'm feeling quite down and out right now

[topten35]

I'm screwed. I now have no RCs that work for me. Last night for the first time ever the nose pinch test completely and utterly failed me in a dream. I couldn't breathe at all. I would have and should have become lucid. I paid such careful attention to the check but my breathing was absolutely blocked off just like RL. My f****** brain has finally learned to simulate this too. It's 6am and I feel completely ripped off and cheated. I did a WBTB at 4am, went into a dream, did my nose pinch and it failed. There's no point in me going back to bed again now because I have no way of establishing whether I'm dreaming. I'm so depressed right now. The NP check was not only the only RC left that worked for me it was also quick, subtle, and didn't require me to interrupt conversations with people or stop what I'm doing at work. Hence I've been able to do a huge number of them. As a result I've had enormous success with DILD. I have done approx 30 NP checks every day for two months. That's about 1,800 nose pinches. Now it's over. There's no point in me ever doing another one. I don't see how I'm going to achieve lucidity now. Stopping to really think about "whether I'm dreaming" isn't going to be anywhere near as easy and convenient. It's going to be rude and disruptive. I am really quite upset right now. I dedicate so much time and energy to my lucid dreaming. The very last post I made on here before I went to bed last night was saying how LD is the best hobby I've discovered in my life. I should be sitting here right now completely elated and writing in my lucid Dream Journal. I would have had a hugely long LD if the RC hadn't failed because the dream went on for ages afterwards and I should have been lucid. This is frustrating beyond words What RC can I use now? The following RCs do not work as my brain has learned to simulate all of them perfectly: nose pinch hand through wall scene change jumping looking at my hands looking at my clothing Experienced lucid dreamers, I really really need your help with this one. This is going to be a challenge. I've actually been testing out other potential RCs during my LDs in case the nose pinch ever started failing. I've found nothing reliable. I might have to carry some text around with me and use that. It's going to be nowhere near as convenient but it's all I can think of. Maybe I'll use my digital watch. The problem is, it's really intrusive to look at your watch when talking to someone. They notice it and think you're in a hurry to go somewhere. So has anyone else faced this problem? Please can you share exactly what RCs you do during the day. I'm feeling quite down and out right now Here's some things that you can do. First you can try bitting your arm in your dreams. You really shouldn't feel pain in your dreams, then you can do a gravity rc. maybe try jumping off of something like a table or if you have good dream control try flying as a gravity rc. I'm going to do some more searches online for more reality checks to help you. Here are some more rcs that i found out about. Pick up a book, often the pages inside the book will be blank. Also try flipping a light switch, the light may not come on. You could find a mirror, and look at your reflection, you may look different.

[DreamQueen]

Thanks so much for your quick response. It's much appreciated because I am feeling pretty discouraged here. I think I'm going to have to use text. It's the only thing my brain can't currently simulate. Looking in a mirror is no good - not only can my brain simulate this in dreams perfectly but it's not convenient to run off in search of a mirror 30x a day and there will be times when I simply cannot (eg imagine popping off to do this doing this during a job interview). It's also not practical if I'm say in a shop or a movie theatre or at work to go playing with the light switches. The driving force behind my enormous success with DILD has been that I have been doing RCs heaps and heaps with no limitation on when and where I can do them. Besides, playing with lights wakes me up in dreams anyway. Biting my arm - my brain will learn to simulate the feeling, trust me. Jumping off a table won't work. It's completely impractical to do this in public 30x a day and my brain will easily learn to simulate it in a dream. Finding a book might work, but again, it's not practical to go looking for a book 30x a day. The brilliance of the nose pinch was I could do it anytime anywhere without anybody knowing. I did say it is not going to be easy to fix this problem! I'm thinking I will have to use my digital watch or my cell phone screen and explain to people why I'm looking at it so they don't think I'm in a hurry to get away.

[hellohihello]

You can't really suffocate in a dream.... can you? *gulps* If I think of any RC that you haven't named, I'll tell you. All mine I do is the ones you name.

[DreamQueen]

You can't really suffocate in a dream.... can you? *gulps* I totally couldn't breathe. I always do my NP check really carefully in RL and I did it carefully in the dream paying close attention. My airway was completely blocked. It felt identical to RL. I'm really thinking I'm going to go with the digital watch check. I am feeling quite positive again and my spirits have lifted a bit. I actually do more than 30 RCs each day, that was an average estimate. It's more like 40 or 50, which means I have pinched my nose and tried to breathe about 3,000 times in 2 months. That's how bloody dedicated I am! And it has been working a treat. I'm having so many DILDs! Last night would have been awesome. I was so conscious and in such a vivid dream. I was even thinking about this forum and telling you all about the amazing thing that happened. If only my check hadn't failed!

[hellohihello]

I bet once you stop doing the other RC's all together, your brain will forget about it. The digital watch should be your best bet because no matter what you do, it will never look the same. Edit: I wonder what would happen if you kept your nose pinched in your dream

[DreamQueen]

Yeah good idea hellohihello... I'm declaring war on my brain. I'm going to get a digital watch with all sorts of complicated features including having a space invader-type game built into it if I can find one and I'm going to wear it 24/7. Let's see my smart-arse brain try and simulate that in a dream!!!!!!!! Hey, I've got to go to work now, but will be back later. Any further support or suggestions appreciated! DQ

[Tarsier]

try thinking more positively about it. don't always think that the RCs will not work in dreams, because if you think like that they most likely won't. the hand RC always works for me in dreams. when i try to put my fingers through my hand they don't go all the way through but you can feel that it's kind of like play-do or something.

[WolfeDreamer531]

Hmm... That is quite a serious problem there DQ. You already know that I don't rely on RCs to become lucid so I can't help you there, but I can try to get you to do it my way. Now, remember that "feeling" of being in a dream, that is the only thing I really rely on to know that I'm dreaming. So the advice I can give to you is to "double check" your reality when you do your RCs. When you get to the point of doing an RC, try to ask yourself what you were doing a few moments ago and how you got to where you're at now. I've noticed that when I find myself in a place having no recollection of how I got there usually gives me the idea that I'm dreaming. Because when I try to trace back what I was doing to get to where I'm at now, I usually remember that the last thing I was doing was falling asleep! But I know that there's always a lot going on in dreams, but if you slow down enough to do a RC, then I think you might be able to slow down enough to ask yourself what exactly is going on. I guess this isn't very helpful because I dont have much experience with RCs at all. On another note, you can try getting back into WILDs. I mean remaining conscious all the way until you're dreaming so that there wont be any doubt whatsoever as to whether or not you're dreaming. That one always works for me!

[hellohihello]

I remember one! It's about memory. Can you remember what you were doing earlier? Stop and think about it. Ask yourself is all this real. It's a little more work but it is one way.

[Hukif]

Yeah, both clock and text can fail, as they are stable on my dreams... Then again, I suppose part of your problem comes from thinking your brain will eventually find its way to mimic the new RC, if not, it would have been like that in every single dream (logic dreams, I mean) <.< So just be positive and the brain will stop with the mimic game, I agree with Hellohihello, the memory check should work, unless its a FA. Or if not, you can always try my gravity RC lol

[Mercen_505]

I guess I would try to ask myself "How did I get here?" and follow that up with "What did I do this morning when I got up?" I've never tried that in a dream, but I imagine I would have some trouble with it! Specifically for me, I feel terrible most of the time, as I'm in poor health these days, but in my dreams I always feel 100% awesome. That's an easy RC for me. One LD doesn't make me an expert, so take that as you will.

[PaleRider]

Hi DreamQueen, sorry to hear you've hit a stumbling block. I agree with the previous posts, suggesting going over previous events and looking for continuity. You might also try exerting dream control activities as a RC, like flying. In this way, even if it "fails" as a RC, you will still enjoy the benefit of getting your goal in the dream anyway. This has actually happened to me, where I willfully flew, for example, and it seemed "normal" in a dream, but at least I got to enjoy it nonetheless. Anything you can't do in waking life should serve as a good RC, just don't choose something dangerous if it fails, like jumping off a cliff!

[xypowerpop]

Finding a book might work, but again, it's not practical to go looking for a book 30x a day. carry one.. with you? lol

[DreamQueen]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far. I'm at work at the mo so this has to be quick or I'll get in trouble! You've all given me food for thought. I'm just going to have to get a more stringent RC routine going. I guess I was just so bummed because I really had gotten the whole LD thing sussed and was on the very brink of being able to have them pretty much at will. I had become so adept at my RCs and was in a comfortable little zone and now I have to change them. Just to reply to Walms... I honestly didn't ever think my brain would be able to replicate the blocked feeling. I don't really think my brain is "out to get me", I was just kidding coz it sort of feels like I'm at war with my brain which is trying to trip me up all the time lol! Anyway, I'm sure I'll get it sorted. The good news is that I'm doing RCs in my dream nearly every night now and that's the difficult part so I guess I can be happy that I'm achieving that much. With a perfectly reliable RC I should start being able to get lucid every night with a bit of luck! Gotta get back to work now... back later!

[PaleRider]

Reading your post again more closely, it looks like you're saying your logical mind has adapted to expecting RCs to fail, just as they do in waking life. So, you believe that you won't be able to breathe if you pinch your nose, or you believe that if you try to put your hand through a wall you won't be able to, and so on, and your mind confirms this while dreaming. Perhaps looking at it from a different angle might help: Expect to be able to do these fantastic things both in waking life and while dreaming. During the day, expect to be able to stretch your fingers. Then, you'll be disappointed when it fails in waking life, but keep expecting it to work. Then you will be (pleasantly) surprised when dreaming. This will require a conscious shift on your part to really believe in these things happening, but it sounds like you have the capability to do it! Keep believing in your ability to do fantastic things, and have a positive expectation for them to work.

[Odd_Nonposter]

I've never been lucid, but I've read about a few other RCs that are really subtle that WILDers use. Sticking your tongue through the roof of your mouth, the front teeth, or biting the inside of your cheek are all ones I've seen.

[slash112]

hmmm, well i dont know about other people, but i do infact feel pain in my dreams, so from my experience, i know i can throw the whole pain RC out the window. i never thought the nose pinch RC would ever fail for anyone, because i have always been able to breath when air was somehow taken away, e.g. breathing underwater, nose pinch RC, and other stuff aswell probably. but that memory one, that does actually sound quite good, infact, i think im going to try that one. but im just assuming that everyone forgets stuff in dreams, because i dont actually know anything about that. if i can think of anything, ill post it right away.

[MrFantasy]

I feel your pain man. Learning to lucid dream can be extremely frustrating, but if you persevere, you will be rewarded beyond all expectations. I have definitely experienced what you're describing, where you perform a reality check in a dream and completely fail to realize it's a dream. One suggestion that I will make that can probably help you is to change the way you perform your reality checks. Make sure you do at least 21 reality checks a day, and don't rush through them. More than any of the techniques (looking at your hand, turning on and off a light, etc.) you have to pay attention to your state of consciousness, and really ask yourself, like REALLY just stop and consider, is this a dream? If you continuously acknowledge the possibility that you might be dreaming throughout the day you will inevitably do so in a dream, and usually just posing this question and honestly trying to figure it out is enough to immediately become lucid even without any of the techniques. It's much easier than you think. Don't view it as a chore, each time you do a reality check be grateful that you've been blessed with this opportunity to wonder and determine whether or not you're dreaming. Instead of WANTING to become lucid, just be honestly WILLING to become lucid. Your subconscious mind then becomes your friend and will gladly share with you the wonders of the conscious dreamscape.

[konj]

why not try hmmm,NP then try to dunno shoot lasers out of ur eyes or something,i mean,try to make it a reflect that when u do a NP u try to do something u can only do in a dream,hows that sound?

[Specialis Sapientia]

Maybe "Feel your body" can be a RC? When I am lucid and try to sense or feel my real body I do so, I can feel my waking body's numbness or paralysis. Just stop up try to feel your body, either it will feel like now, or you feel some kind of numbness and then you know it's a dream To see if it's work, next time you are lucid, stop what you are during and feel/sense your body. If the difference from waking to dreaming is great enough, it could be used as a RC.

[SleepyCookieDough]

I've read thwe beggening but haven't read through all so I'm sorry if anyone have already said this or if the problem has been resolved but this is what I suggest: First, maybe when you do the NP RC, maybe you should EXPECT it to be a dream and that you EXPECT that you will be able to breathe. You might already be doing this but this is a good RC I've discovered that you can do 30x a day: I've discovered that I could take off my body parts in dreams so you can try taking your finger off. I admit, it is not pleasent because sometimes it feels like its actually gonna fall off in real life, which I think your brain couldn't get use too. If in the dream you do it and you have the sensation you have pulled it too hard and its gonna fall, chances are its gonna fall Anyways, I was just suggesting. I hope it helped.

[Mini Man56]

Next time you go lucid, hire your trusty secret service agent Steve, and tell him to make sure you are informed whenever you are dreaming. Then, next time something weird/amazing happens, be like "I bet Agent Steve's coming right now." You can even say it out loud around your friends, which both creates a little inside joke when weird stuff happens, and reinforces his chances of coming in a dream. But you have to beleive it's going to happen. When he actually does inform you, you want to be like, "Yup. I knew it." instead of "I am?! Sweet!" Beleiving that he'll come will make him appear more often. It's pretty convenient, considering all you have to do is turn around, or look around a corner. I don't think your brain will be able to "stimulate" it, either.

[MasterZodiac]

ok this is simple just do a finger through the hand RC. but if that does not work then i am sorry for your loss.

[16Candles]

here's something i learned recently. when doing the nose pinch rc, first take a deep breathe in and then a deep breathe out. feel the sensation of breathing. expect to feel the same sensation when you pinch your nose. if it's a dream, you should breathe no problem. i've had 3 lucid dreams since joining this site, and two of them involved that method!