Thread: "Totems" and Intent?

I've been wanting to make this thread for months. Frequently thinking about this, explained further down...

And firstly, let me say that I am not looking at "fast-tracking" anything. I would also ask that the term "totem" here be viewed as a very general term which you can define in your own way, but if you have a personal definition, please do tell us what it is.

I know some threads have been made about totems before too, here are some links some such threads that caught my attention and that you might like to have a look at:

I love SSILD and TILD
Anyone use a totem? Succesful?
TILD (Totem Induced Lucid Dream) works for me. Does it for you?
Totem reality checks? (NOT like Inception)

---

Now, to what's actually on my mind.

A few months back I bought a small electrical latching switch; it is not connected to any power or wired to anything and I keep it on my bedside table; it is white with an unmarked green switch. With a pen, I labelled on its side over some masking tape: "REALITY CHECKER" with a "HI" and "LO" state for what would otherwise be "ON/OFF". (Can add a picture tomorrow)

I have thought, and tried, using a totem such as that in the style of "Inception" in the past. My renewed interest in the idea and my reasoning for doing something different this time was that I know that something I carry in my pockets quickly becomes banal, too general. I can never remember to do any type of reality questioning around my phone and yet I find myself wanting to use a physical reference for intention.

The result of that, is that I considered that just the same way we can retain an intent or recall by for example twisting two fingers in a knot, I should likewise be able to retain and recall an intent (of checking/thinking about Reality) by the act of switching or interacting with something.

In my mind, the point behind what I'm doing with this switch is just that; setting an intent and having the physical memory of interaction help with recalling that intent. For me, physical memory is very important in my day-to-day, as it tends to hold a bit more information than my visual memory alone. For example, I can remember whether I've recently opened something or not by feeling it, rather than trying to remember seeing myself doing it. There's a certain value of "recentness" that physical memory holds for me that very little else does.

In any case, the intended usage I made for myself with this switch I've labelled, is basically as follows:

- When I'm getting into bed, I switch it from "LO" to "HI"; this can be read as me having the intent of being in a "High Reality Checker" state whilst I'm asleep or in bed.
- In the morning, once I have awakened and realise that I am indeed awake, I reset the switch to "LO", but if I suspect I am going to fall asleep again, set it back to "HI".

Whenever I use the switch I also use it in itself to test reality. I smell it, bite it (carefully), feel it with my hands, etc.

Over time however, the problem is that I ended up losing interest in my own idea, subconsciously. Usage did not seem to promote pre-lucid thoughts any more than not using it. I found that I was not paying attention to the last state I'd left the switch on anymore and if I did have the intent to make use of the switch prior to sleeping, in the morning I would often not remember that I had switched it anymore and would only find this out later in the day, as I forgot I'd even ever had this idea to begin with. I have attributed this in part to my past failures in using physical references for intent which must cause some kind of low confidence in these methods, below the threshold of my conscious perception of such issues.

But unlike other attempts, the switching of the switch has always been intentional and conscious, at least.

For some reason, I find myself practically craving that such an idea might work, it just appeals to some part of me; I just don't seem to get any results with it (but I hardly get results with anything except WBTB anyway). But I would still like to make this idea work, my main issue with it just seems to be loss of interest, really.

---

I would like to know if other dreamers have tried employing "totems" in other senses that are unlike that of the film referenced above. But if you have used a totem in that style anyway, what was your experience like?

And either way, did you stick to it?