RC reminders, are they helpful?

**rham** · 06-26-2013 08:47 PM

Today I found an image that says "am i dreaming?" And set it to the background of the lock screen on my phone. I see it there every time i grab my phone and i do a RC. I started thinking, is this even helpful? Could it infact be hurting my progress? I am not doing these RCs independently, im starting to rely on my phone to remind me to RC. So in a dream, how will i ever spontaniously do a RC unless i have my phone? my phone almost never appears in my dreams

**ParadoxOwl** · 06-26-2013 09:31 PM

Yes I believe It could in fact hurt your progress because if you start to rely on something that you can lose or misplace you will just assume you lost it when your in a dream, you need to train yourself over time to remember without hints to do reality checks.

**Zoth** · 06-26-2013 10:23 PM

I agree with Jackc45 to an extent. In the other hand, the plan is to make you perform reality checks as often as possible. So there is no harm at all in having these reminders around (in fact, I'd rather have a person doing 50 reality checks daily due their phone, than a person doing 5 spontaneously), as long as you're not focusing solely on the external cue. The purpose of these aids is to help you form the habit, so you eventually reality check out by yourself.

Personally, I have these reality check cues in my wallet, my keys, my iphone, my computer (when I turn it on), my room, and my office drawer. I don't rely on them to think about questioning reality/doing a reality check, but I do use them to increase my reality checks per day, which is nothing but beneficial.

**works** · 06-26-2013 11:02 PM

Using a wallpaper for your phone to remind you to do RC's is actually a smart idea. I don't think it would really harm you since even if you're not using your phone, it reminds you to check anyway. I might do this! Thanks

**gab** · 06-27-2013 12:00 AM

My take on this is, that if you have a reminder, you will start remembering to RC on your own too. Just because you have a reminder.

And even if from the beginning all you are using is a reminder, I'm pretty sure you will get so used to doing them, that you will be able to drop the reminder.

I remember this from when I had a wristwatch timer to remind me. After a while I started looking at my watch all the time, if it's time to RC yet. That way you have a few spontaneious reminders, and few prompted ones.

**Sivason** · 06-27-2013 01:33 AM

Zoth did a great job answering this, I will just add,,, maybe you will even dream that you look at your phone and see it, if it becomes engrained in your mind. Who knows?

**rham** · 06-27-2013 04:51 AM

Originally Posted by sivason

Zoth did a great job answering this, I will just add,,, maybe you will even dream that you look at your phone and see it, if it becomes engrained in your mind. Who knows?

I considered this, but I have not ever recalled seeing my cell phone in a dream.

Also, thank you all for the insightful answers. After considering what you all have said, I believe that it acts as a reminder to remind myself to perform RCs. Sometimes, during the day, I lose focus on my goal to lucid dream because I am busy at work or engaged in something. Checking my phone during these times reminds me of my goal. I performed far more RCs today than usual, thanks to the simple reminder.. I just have to remember that it is a reminder and not something to rely on