Thread: Question about reality checking

One of my dream signs is being in a particular room. So I’m trying to train myself to RC every time I go into that room. But is this the right way to go about it? I mean, in a dream, wouldn’t you feel as if you were ‘always’ in the room, and that you never actually walked into it, meaning you wouldn’t do the RC?

How exactly do you RC to a particular ‘location’ or room. And do you think it would work? Thanks!

Originally Posted by Eamo24

How exactly do you RC to a particular ‘location’ or room. And do you think it would work? Thanks!

Just the way you have described. Some dreams may "start" you off in that room, but many times you may enter the room--especially if it is a room in your house and you are having a false awakening. Also, there are times when we suddenly remember, "Oh crap! I need to do an RC!" because we are in the presence of a dream sign and have just become aware of its significance. This kind of awareness will be helpful in remembering your room.

You could also visualize, during the day, entering the room (or starting off in the room) and performing an RC upon realizing your location. Both are helpful and will transfer over into the dream state.

Originally Posted by ThreeCat

Just the way you have described. Some dreams may "start" you off in that room, but many times you may enter the room--especially if it is a room in your house and you are having a false awakening. Also, there are times when we suddenly remember, "Oh crap! I need to do an RC!" because we are in the presence of a dream sign and have just become aware of its significance. This kind of awareness will be helpful in remembering your room.

You could also visualize, during the day, entering the room (or starting off in the room) and performing an RC upon realizing your location. Both are helpful and will transfer over into the dream state.

Thanks, ThreeCat.

I suppose the thing I find most difficult about RC’ing to rooms or locations, is that they’re ‘always there’, there isn’t really any spark of realization, like noticing something ‘odd’ or some kind of unusual event.

My thought about this was that in a dream, a scene transition to the room would make your mind believe that you have entered the room, so it could well work provided you were aware enough throughout the day and built up a good practice of RC’ing to it.

You could choose an object in the room. Or a particular memory or emotion that you associate with the room.

Originally Posted by sisyphus

You could choose an object in the room. Or a particular memory or emotion that you associate with the room.

Beat me to it! I second this!

Originally Posted by Eamo24

One of my dream signs is being in a particular room. So I’m trying to train myself to RC every time I go into that room. But is this the right way to go about it? I mean, in a dream, wouldn’t you feel as if you were ‘always’ in the room, and that you never actually walked into it, meaning you wouldn’t do the RC?

How exactly do you RC to a particular ‘location’ or room. And do you think it would work? Thanks!

Why not just turn around?

Every time you enter that particular room in waking life, turn around and look where you've been (and, of course, ask if this is a dream). If everything is right where you left it, or where it should be, then you're probably still awake... but if things are wrong (or not there at all) then you could be dreaming. Don't forget to repeat the RC when you turn back, because everything can be just as different there as well.

This sounds more complicated than it is, but when you're dealing with RC'ing to an entire dream scene (that room), sometimes the best thing to do is examine the part you are not currently viewing, in case your unconscious doesn't have the proper files spooled up for the sudden complete change in perspective.

Originally Posted by Sageous

Why not just turn around?

Every time you enter that particular room in waking life, turn around and look where you've been (and, of course, ask if this is a dream). If everything is right where you left it, or where it should be, then you're probably still awake... but if things are wrong (or not there at all) then you could be dreaming. Don't forget to repeat the RC when you turn back, because everything can be just as different there as well.

This sounds more complicated than it is, but when you're dealing with RC'ing to an entire dream scene (that room), sometimes the best thing to do is examine the part you are not currently viewing, in case your unconscious doesn't have the proper files spooled up for the sudden complete change in perspective.

Great idea, Sageous.

It makes sense; usually in LD's or even NLD's, I would turn around, look behind me etc. to find that the room looks just the same as reality at first glance, but thinking back on it, there are usually lots of things out of place.

Just to clarify: is the point of this to look for things which are inconsistent with how you remember the room to be in waking life (possibly telling you this is a dream), each time you turn around? And would this negate the need for a regular RC? Thanks.

Originally Posted by Eamo24

It makes sense; usually in LD's or even NLD's, I would turn around, look behind me etc. to find that the room looks just the same as reality at first glance, but thinking back on it, there are usually lots of things out of place.

Yes, there may be things out of place, but the room will still be "right," if you are not dreaming. There may be objects in the wrong places because someone moved a bowl, or messed with a chair, but the windows, doors, paint scheme, hell, the walls themselves, will all be pretty much where you left them if you are looking back on a "real" room. If it is a dream, you may turn around to see a really bad, hurriedly-construed version of the room, or another room altogether, or perhaps a mountain range or the bottom of a lake... if you turned with the intention of seeing if your room was still there and you remember that these things are wrong, then the RC will have succeeded and you will have confirmed that you are dreaming.

Just to clarify: is the point of this to look for things which are inconsistent with how you remember the room to be in waking life (possibly telling you this is a dream), each time you turn around? And would this negate the need for a regular RC? Thanks.

Yes, and yes.