A Reality Check That Never Fails

[Elem3nt0]

Ok i just want to make this thread to emphasize the importance and effectiveness of this reality check. This is the only one that i ever do and its so simple and everyone knows about it but its highly underestimated. Counting your fingers. For those that don't know, every single time you dream, no matter what, you will always have one extra finger, on each hand. Throughout your day, remind yourself to count your fingers on one of your hands. Every time you notice something strange in waking life, count your fingers. The more you do this, the easier it will be to remember to do this when you are dreaming. It is such a dead give away that when you see this extra finger you will know immediately that you are dreaming and can proceed with dream control and stabilization tactics. Its usually always between the middle finger and the second finger from your pinky. There have been nights where i had no intentions at all of lucid dreaming, yet the often reality check will suddenly come into play due to the importance that my mind has given it during waking life. That's pretty much it. Im sure this has been covered before but i just wanted to go into more detail about it because it works like a charm for me and i see no reason why it wouldnt work for anyone else.

[Puffin]

I've had five fingers on my hand a few times, so it's not completely failproof.

[Elem3nt0]

Seriously? That has NEVER happened to me. Perhaps it's more of a "expect it to be there" kind of thing. I noticed that your female, and im wondering if it could be different for females, so i have to ask, have you EVER had mroe than 5 fingers in a dream? I understand it would take more than one females input to make this assesment.

[Puffin]

There's definitely an expectations aspect to it. And yes, I've had more than five fingers for almost 90% of my finger-count checks. Usually there's six or seven, but sometimes there's smaller ones branching off. Kind of freaky, actually!

[Elem3nt0]

Yeah last night i really freaked myself out when my extra finger was like a little itty bitty one lol

[Snowy Egypt]

I've never had more than 5. In fact, I was Lucid for a brief period this past Friday, and happened to look at my hands. Not a single abnormality. EDIT: Not trying to be defensive, Elem3nt0. Like Walms said, if it works for you, that's awesome. And it's good that you posted it, cause most likely it WILL help someone.

[Hukif]

Yeah, it is different for everonye, I always have 5 fingers too. Regardless, if the RC works that good for you, it is still an awesome one!

[timujin]

Once I counted 8 fingers on both hands. But only once - every other time, it failed.

[Brunor2]

I've had five fingers on my hand a few times, so it's not completely failproof. Same here. When it works, usually I have six on the left hand and five on the right. It's more like a backup for me, I always do the nose-pinch, finger counting and memory check (tough this last one I have never done in a dream, yet).

[BenTheDream1018]

Even if you don't have an extra finger 9 times out of 10 there will be something wierd about your hands.

[bluremi]

My hands always look perfectly normal in my dreams, but for some reason if I ever look at them it makes me realize I'm dreaming and I go lucid. Maybe because I only ever look at them if I suspect I might be dreaming. It's not a reality check but it NEVER FAILS.

[Elem3nt0]

Hmm, interesting. I read a long time ago about this reality check so i always count my fingers as often as i can remember to during the day and every so often while im dreaming ill be like omg and look at my hands and voila, lucid. lol.

[Hukif]

Even if you don't have an extra finger 9 times out of 10 there will be something wierd about your hands. Not true either, not even once has this happened to me, and I remember TONS of dreams. As I said earlier though, different things works for different people, so whatever works I guess.