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I've been wondering - What makes RCs work?
Why, for example, if we look at a clock and see the time as 9:15, has the time changed to say 4:30 when we look back at it?
And why does this work every time, even though we know that the time should be the same when we look back, just like in reality?
I'm rather curious :P
Actually Im not sure RCs DO work everytime, there could be many times we fail and just not realize it because the dream fades from our mind. I do recall at least once the "finger count" RC failing in a dream. I actually remember upon waking that I looked at my hand and had 5 perfectly clear fingers.
Yep, RCs arent fool proof.
As for the digital clock RC, you ask "why does this work every time, even though we know that the time should be the same when we look back, just like in reality?"
Well, I think a lot of time the reason it changes is because a part of us knows that it can change (if you know that this is supposed to be an RC). And if it does, well, you know you're dreaming. HOWEVER, having said that, I should also say that digital clocks have been doing this (changing times/hexed character) in my dreams WAY before I knew anything about lucid dreaming or RCs, so Im not sure how to explain that ....
The digital clock RC has failed me several times in my dreams. So has the staring at myself in the mirror RC. The funniest thing about that last one however was that I was staring at myself in a mirror that was not even in my bathroom ... it was more like some weird palace bathroom fancy and all ... I didnt turn lucid ... lol.
id say the reason digital clock RCs usually work; is because in real life...you don't know WHY its a certain time. you just look at the clock...and see its there. Its a simple observation.
in dreams...you look at a digital clock...your brain says...a clock has numbers...puts them there. if you look back...same thing happens... chances are low that its the same number.
sometimes i only have to look once...when its like 179:84pm hahah
I agree with Kane: It only works because you expect it to work.
That reminds me of that LD when I learned to phase through walls. After flying full speed above the city, I entered some kind of abandoned museum. I could phase through it endlessly and no one else was there, so I decided to use it as a testing ground for my lucidity.
The walls were made of marble, with veins and all. There was a huge fireplace with some vases. I decided to memorize the scene, with the marble veins and cracks included. Then I flew very fast until I reached the other side of the museum, and then came back. The place was exactly the same as before.
I think people rarely get lucid by experiencing something unrealistic in a dream; we dream of unrealistic things all the time. I think the key is to convince ourselves that some events can trigger lucidity, like looking at your hands, clocks, mirrors, pinching your nose, etc. I bet most of us would rarely look at clocks in our dreams, if that wasn't an RC.