The ultimate, foolproof reality check/trigger

**Kaiserman** · 04-08-2011 01:22 PM

Hi everyone. First post.

The way I see it there are two types of reality checks; behavioral and object-based. Behavioral reality checks would be concious actions like trying to breathe with a blocked nose, trying to fly etc whereas 'object' reality checks are 'accidental' cues that you're dreaming, like trying to read the time or a page of text and are unable to do so. The problem with behavioral checks is that you actually have to remember to do them, making them very unreliable.

I wear my watch almost 24/7 with the hope that it will become so second nature that I'll be wearing it in dreams too. It's quite a complicated face with all the extra time measurements, mini dials etc. Such a watch will be difficult for a dream to 'render' correctly, making it a sure sign that something is wrong with the reality of the situation when I try to read it. It's already worked once. The problem is that even though I might be wearing the watch in my dreams, I'm unlikely to actually look at the face, making it largely useless as a reality check.

90% of the time you'll look mostly the same in dreams as you do in real life. I have 'unnatural' scars on my left arm which my brain has clearly accepted as part of my body, since they're always there in dreams. If one was to have a tattoo (something equally unnatural), your brain would also eventually come to accept it as part of your body and theoretically they would be present in your dreams too.

Unlike the watch face which you have to remember to look at, a tattoo on your arm or hand is something that you'll always be seeing. Why not use something like that as a reality check? Something as simple as 'am I dreaming?' or some random words etc that would easily trigger you to 'wake up' and become lucid. Obviously you'd have to be very dedicated to actually get a tattoo there like that but I'm considering it. It seems perfect to me.

At least that's the theory - would love to know what you guys/girls think.

**LikesToTrip** · 04-08-2011 09:46 PM

I've heard of people putting a dot or letter on their hand with sharpie to remind them to do a RC every time they see it. I suppose if you did this often enough it would start showing up in dreams. Why not try to write 'RC' your hand and see if it works? Getting a tattoo for a theory you have yet to try out seems a little silly.

**Dreamer373** · 04-10-2011 03:20 PM

I agree don't try a permanent alteration. To produce results create a habitual pattern such as reading-rereading (text never stays the same in dreams), or, as you said, a nose plug or something written on your hand that has to do with reality or an RC.

**Kaiserman** · 04-14-2011 09:46 PM

Bump

**melissajuice** · 08-20-2016 04:12 AM

If you check your phone a lot, and a lot of people do, that could end up working in your favor too. I've been noticing my dream self checking the phone and see the apps arranged differently or there are strange new apps / app icons I haven't seen before. Must be a dream!

**Clidu** · 09-09-2016 03:40 AM

Id say go for it....i have finger tattoos and hand tattoos.....due to bieng big on gaming i have 'game over' written on my fingers and iv been using this as a RC since i started lucid dreaming and its the only RC i check in my dreams.
Everytime i look at my finger tatts in my dreams they tend to either say something different or in one paticular case they were just symbols which both were an obvious case that i was dreaming.
Its good having tattoos as they are always there....cannot loose them and they dont ever change =)