A trick for enhancing Reality Checks.

[Finnegan]

Have you ever heard the rumor that if you study while chewing gum and then take the test while chewing the same flavour you will remember better? The trick apparently involves neurobiology, because if you preform a test in the same conditions in which you studied, then similar memory pathways will be activated as when you were learning. This could have potential as an supplement for inducing DILDs, of course we already have the fairly reliable reality check for them, so this technique could be used to practice the RC. My Idea is to simulate the environment of a dream, to a degree that makes me truly have to stop and consider whether I am dreaming, instead of repetitive menial tests when I'm already sure. For example I could acquire an alarm clock with a glitching screen, which I'm so used to seeing during false awakenings. Imagine me waking up in the morning still spacy from sleep, I look at the clock and see the jibberish numbers, causing me to question if I am in a dream. It would cause me to think twice and not take any minor dreamsign as fact that I am dreaming, but instead use them as a reminder for a more valid test (such as things that can only work in dreams, like flying or telekinesis, pushing me to practice dream control as well) Another option is found in a neat book I've been reading called "Finnegans Wake" (click here for online version). Before going to sleep I open up the book, and since it's writing style is very similar to how words act in a dream, I can use it like the study gum. What I do is read a few sentences and then attempt to use some super power that's never worked outside of a dream. Now every time I am reading something similar in a dream, I am in the habit of trying a super power as soon as I stop, and thus immediately realize that I am dreaming. Let me know what you think and please share any experiences if you try it! : D

[martakartus]

That's interesting, it's a good way to present it, never thought of it :O it's worth a go, since I'm looking for ways to reinvent my RCs. And maybe I'll try the chewing gum thing for studying as well, I didn't know it and it may help

[VagalTone]

Very creative ideas, didnt understand the book one very well though I would like to have a clock with a glitching screen it would be an effective reminder

[Finnegan]

martakartus : Thanks! Let me know how it goes if you start trying it! VagalTone : Haha me too, I'm going to pick up some cheap alarm clocks at the thrift store and fiddle with them to see if I can get one to glitch! I'll definitely post my results here if I can get it to unwork : P In regards to the book one; I am using the idea in a different way then the clock so it may have been a bit confusing. Basically I am using that book in particular because it is written in a very weird way that resembles writing in dreams. I get in the habit of preforming a reality check after reading it to remind me to RC every time I read that strange writing like that.

[Finnegan]

I would like to have a clock with a glitching screen it would be an effective reminder I am working on a design involving a plasma globe and VFD nixie tubes. these are plasma globes these are nixie tubes My idea would work like this: each panel making up the numbers on the nixie tubes corresponds to a lead; apply a certain current to a lead and it's corresponding panel will glow with an ion discharge. if you touch a nixie lead to a plasma globe glass it will light up (it is wirelessly transmitting the energy) attach an array of nixie leads to a plasma glass, and hopefully the streams will begin to meander over them similar to their regular random pattern click here to see one doing it's thing theoretically the parts of the would-be numbers will randomly turn off an on once the device is set up! Normally I would immediately order the parts to try this, but I'm on vacation at the moment, though I intend to the moment I get back. Cheers!

[VagalTone]

Good luck with your experiment Finn ! And good vacations btw !

[Finnegan]

The first completed design I've made for the alarm clock idea, I have a few more potential ways of making one but this was the easiest, and thus finished first. I took an old digital picture frame and added various images of a 7-segment digital clock with the lights jumbled up. It is meant to simulate what digital clocks look like while in a dream.

[GenericLDer]

Very interesting thread. I think this idea could be applied to many aspects of the process of attaining lucidity. You could potentially build a room, or even a whole house that simulates a dream (or attempts to) One thing I thought of is using this for simulating a recurring dream through writing or day dreaming, and while imagining that dream you could see what would convince you that you are dreaming and then preform a reality check. In doing so a recurring dream could instantly cause reality checking/LD.

[Finnegan]

GenericLDer : you should check out the winchester mystery house, I'm imaging something in a similar surreal style when you mentioned a house resembling a dream. Cool idea about using reoccurring dreams, I'll try that one out

[Finnegan]

I would like to have a clock with a glitching screen it would be an effective reminder Mark 2 of the dream clock project is finished, to accomplish this I got an old "Sony DREAM MACHINE" from the local thrift store and opened it up with a screwdriver, I then cut the wires leading to the display, and stripped off the plastic coating. After lining up the wires to a different configuration than normal I soldered them into place and closed it up, works exactly as expected. click here for an up close image of the clock this is a video of the clock in action: Mark 3 is on it's way, a friend of mine who is into computers is connecting a clock display to a raspberry pi and programming it to fade in and out randomly. Also I will soon release more detailed tutorials on how to make these clocks I've shown here.

[Highlander]

^ Wow, there's a half-full bottle of Absinthe in the background. Lol! P.S. I like the clock tech BTW.