Thread: Train your memory, who wants to join?

Don't you hate it when you plan to do an RC next time you see a dream sign, then you wake up from a nice dream and remember so many dream signs but none of them triggered you to do an RC?

Or in waking life: you're having breakfast, the milk is empty and you think 'next time I'm in the store, I need to buy milk. Later that day, you've been to the store, you come home and discover you forgot to bring the milk? Or you're going to see a friend and just at the moment you see him, you remember you should have brought the book you borrowed...

These problems occur when your prospective memory is not working adequately. (In this topic there is written more on prospective memory.)

This part of MY brain is quite under developed (yesterday I left the water pump running at the horses place when I left, while I was sooo intended to shut it down before leaving. In 2 hours the paddock was flooded :O (ah, now I see where my flooding dream came from )

Last week I started reading LaBerge's book (EWLD) and it describes an exercise that is very helpful both attaining lucidity and training to forget less in waking life. I thought it might be interesting and fun to post the explanation and the tasks for today here, for the people who don't have the book, or for those (including me) who feel more motivated if there is some place to report to when you are 'done'.

The exercise:
Each day there is a list of 4 targets. You read them and memorise them and the next time you notice a target during the day, you perform an RC.

You don't need to do an RC every time you notice the target, but ONLY the FIRST time you notice it. The GOAL is to train your memory on recognising future tasks, not to do an RC as often as possible.
It helps if you memorise yourself performing an RC while seeing or doing the target.

Keep track of the targets you hit during the day and report back at the end, or report earlier when you've hit them all.
If you realise during the day that you have missed your first chance to notice one of the targets, you failed to recognise it. It's really important that you train your brain to notice the target the first time it occurs. Sometimes a target doesn't occur at all during one day, then you can write that down too.

So, here is the target list for today (tuesday)

I will perform an RC...

• next time I see a traffic light
• next time I hear music
• next time I throw something in the garbage
• next time I hear laughter

Who's going to join?

Please ask for more info if I was too short on explaining the task (I assume most of you have the book from LaBerge, if not: it's really good and not expensive (only $7.50) so buy it! )

If people are interested, I can include some extra information by Stephanie Burns on how to help your brain on prospective memory tasks.

I'm definitely in! I did this exercise from EWLD yesterday and succeeded on three out of four targets. Things are going well this morning, as I've already heard music and remembered to do an RC.

I also think this will be very helpful. One of my dreams last night contained a ridiculous number of my dreamsigns and only vaguely did I suspect anything.

Count me in as well!

im in. this sounds cool

No targets posted for a few days... sorry for that (I see people are doing well in posting their own targets, very good!)
Maybe there's someone who can post for me tomorrow, since I won't be online then...

Targets for Saturday, 8th of December

I'll do a thorough reality check the next time:

• I brush my teeth
• I feel something warm (errr, like a cup of tea or when you take a shower, hehe)
• I hear the wind blow
• I see a dog

Good luck to all!
Please report back how well you did.
Would be nice to discover a pattern, are you better in recognising a sound, or an action you perform? And what have you done or could you do to increase your success rate?

Oh yeah, its Saturday.... Feels like a Sunday.

Sara, I'll post them for tomorrow

Targets for Sunday, 9th of December

I'll do a thorough reality check the next time:

• I see a television
  
• I drink/eat something
  
• I see that 'peanut butter jelly time' banana
  
• I hear someone laugh
  

EDIT: Oh, sorry Kyhaar, missed your post somehow, I'll just use these as my own then.

Hi, I'm new to these forums and all this lucid dreaming thing. I read through your topic and it seemed kinda cool, but I kinda don't know what a RC is : \
Could you explain what it means?

Ps: sorry to post such a newbie question, but I kinda don't know where else I can get an answere to it :p

Thanks

isnt the more simple way to train the memory, just to be aware of everything.. lol i think im wrong..

I'd like in on this. This seems like a very solid method. Now off to Amazon to (finally) buy LaBerge's book.

Oooh homework. I'll give it a shot.

A thought just occurred: it seems like, in addition to helping with reality checks, this would also help to remember that you're dreaming when performing the MILD method.

ill try. 8)

Nice to hear that more people are joining!!

Originally Posted by Asymptote

A thought just occurred: it seems like, in addition to helping with reality checks, this would also help to remember that you're dreaming when performing the MILD method.

Yeah, you are totally right on that one!

This is actually an exercise described to train for MILD :-)
Good that you're going to buy the book!

This MILD term is still vague for me, I can't find a good translation/synonym for Mnemonic, so the term is just and abstract word without a meaning.
*edit: just looked this word up in a good dictionary and it is a completely different word than what I guessed from the explanations on MILD* note to self: USE that *** dictionary instead of babelfish

Originally Posted by roguext22

isnt the more simple way to train the memory, just to be aware of everything.. lol i think im wrong..

Thanks for commenting here.
Being aware of everything is definitely a good way to train your brain, though it trains other parts of the brain than the prospective memory.

Besides, I don't think 'being aware of everything' is simple. I would see it as a most complex task for my brain to carry out all day and just 5 minutes of all-over-awareness makes me tired.

Originally Posted by Sara

Thanks for commenting here.
Being aware of everything is definitely a good way to train your brain, though it trains other parts of the brain than the prospective memory.

Besides, I don't think 'being aware of everything' is simple. I would see it as a most complex task for my brain to carry out all day and just 5 minutes of all-over-awareness makes me tired.

at least someone respond to my post...finally...

if you cant be aware of everything at day..how can you demand to be aware of everything in dreams?

got an idea?

Count me in. This is my biggest problem during daytime and also keeps me from lucidity.
I think I'll start tomorrow. I'll report back results.

Originally Posted by Zoink

Hi, I'm new to these forums and all this lucid dreaming thing. I read through your topic and it seemed kinda cool, but I kinda don't know what a RC is : \
Could you explain what it means?

Ps: sorry to post such a newbie question, but I kinda don't know where else I can get an answere to it :p

Thanks

Zoink, "RC" stands for "Reality Check"

A reality check is a test used to see if you are dreaming or in "reality", as we know it. An example test would be to pinch your nose and see if you can still breathe through it.

More info can be found in the two links below:

Tutorial | More Info

Originally Posted by Zoink

Hi, I'm new to these forums and all this lucid dreaming thing. I read through your topic and it seemed kinda cool, but I kinda don't know what a RC is : \
Could you explain what it means?

Ps: sorry to post such a newbie question, but I kinda don't know where else I can get an answere to it :p

Thanks

RC = reality check

4/4 today.

I changed the targets slightly though:
I see a friend
I ride in a car
I hear a loud noise
I eat something sweet

I turn on a light - Failed
I hear a commercial on radio or TV - Failed
I walk up or down stairs - Didn't happen
I use a pencil - Failed

OMG the horror!

Ok I'll do these ones now

I will do a thorough REALITY CHECK the next time:
I see a dog (I wont see friends today)
I see someone in a car
I hear a loud noise
I eat chocolate

Yesterday:

I see a friend- failed
I ride in a car- failed
I hear a loud noise-failed
I eat chocolate-failed

0/0 (I was stressed out that night)

Today:
I see a friend- Complete
I ride in a car- n/a (I won't be in a car today)
I hear a loud noise- failed
I eat chocolate- complete

2/3

me in too! my memory isnt the sharpest it could be lol

That sounds interesting. Count me in.

That makes a lot of sense. Count me in.

Im going to do a RC when:

I listen to music
See a car
Throw something to the garbage
I get an itch somewhere (this one is going to be difficult =) )

Na, count that last one out, its making me itch lol. When i turn on the tv, computer, radio etc.