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Sorry if this is being discussed somewhere else...I'm sure it's not a new subject. But when I do a reality check, I usually pinch my nose, look at the clock, or look at my hands and poke them with my fingers. Does anyone have a RC that when done in the waking world is very effective in the dream world (for helping you realize you are dreaming)? Conversely, is there an RC method which is very ineffective in the dream world?
Each dreamer is diffrent. RCs that work perfectly for some don't work for others, so you will have to experiment to find what works best for you.
However, you can get an idea of what will work by choosing the RC that makes the most sense to you. Personally I like the breathing RC -- to close my mouth, pinch my nose and to try to breath. For me I can never breath when I do that in waking life, but can always breath in the dream world. It just seems very logical and I like it.
I'm having great trouble deciding which RC's to do. My problem stems from the fact that in virtually all my dreams I've ever had, I don't remember ever seeing my hands or feet in any situation i'm in. I can include doors, stairs, sitting down or getting up as other things that I never encounter in my dreams so RC's are gonna be hard I think.
I like looking at my hands and counting my fingers. It gives me a calm minute to focus on myself, go over my recent memories and question the world around me. I like looking at my hands because it helps ground me in my body. It serves as a double reality check and dream stabilizer.
I try to make something move with my mind. No one can see my do it, and it wont work in the real world. If it works, i know I'm dreaming.
I've settled for the nose pinch RC. It has only once failed me in dreams, but even then I discovered that I was dreaming with other RC after that. :)
I've never trusted RC like watch your hands or such, they aren't so suited to me. Heck, I didn't even realize I was dreaming when I noticed in dream that my tattoo was missing when I decided to look for it as RC -.-
The most effective RC I've learned is the yoga nidra method:
Scan each room or area you enter for a few seconds, and mentally recreate them. Then look around and notice the details your recreation missed, and when you find one, do a reality check like counting and recounting the fingers on your hand to make sure you only have five. Once you're in the habit of this, you'll automatically realize you're dreaming due to the constant dream environment changes, and hopefully become lucid.
push a finger through the palm of one hand.
its freaky but it works.
As I said, I don't trust that one, among others. It doesn't work for me that much, my hand is usually solid :P I have quite realistic senses in my dreams, especially the sense of touch.Quote:
Originally Posted by moonshine
but I've heard it works with most of the people though :)
Fair enough. But if its not working it may be because you don't really expect it to work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Unelias
The breathing test is a good one though.
I just look at my hands. If I have the wrong amount of fingers, I know I'm dreaming, like last night, I looked at my hand, and I had about 15 fingers or something rediculaus.
Find and/or forumulate a RC that will never embarrass you if you do it anywhere.
The watch one is great if it works for you.
I find ones that involve holding your nose/holding breath etc. become easier to "skip" due to akwardness at times.
Try setting your watch to beep every hour, and use it as a reminder to RC. Then sleep with the watch on your bed-side, and see if it comes through to your dreams, and you might RC again, and realise.
I changed the RC I used to do in my waking life, which was watch my hands to see if they are different somehow, because of lately I just started to realize it is a dream, and I reach this point when I'm doing some task which will take too much time to be done or when I'm in a hurry, then I ask myself if it is not a dream. If I'm not conviced it's a dream I try to do things which can't be done in real life, such as levitating, flying, etc.
In other words I think I started to notice my dreamsigns for knowing I'm dreaming.
it's not that I wouldn't expect it to work, it's that I have very realistic dreams. My dreambody doesn't differ much from my waking body. Even the nose breath RC has failed me couple of times. I blame it to my touch sense :<Quote:
Originally Posted by moonshine
but I don't have problem with RCs so I don't mind :)
I'll have to go with what LordSturm said here, try finding a reality check that doesn't draw too much unwanted attention regardless of where you do it. Which reality checks work and which don't is completely up to the individual (though having an open mind always helps) and you will just have to find the technique that suits you the best. For me, the finger counting RC has never failed and I also prefer it over the other techniques because it's subtle and quick to do. As a backup, I have the nose pinching RC, but I only really use it if I'm unsure of my state even after having done the first RC.
And by saying that, you're essentially telling yourself the RC doesn't work. I'm not saying that the RC is suitable for you; only you can decide that, but whether it's because of bad experiences with that particular RC in the past or whatever else reason, you're still in the mindset that the RC doesn't work. I'm not trying to spark a debate here or anything, I'm just born as a nitpicker. =pQuote:
Originally Posted by Unelias
Pinching my nose closed hasn't failed me yet.
Whenever I try to plug my nose and see if I can breath, somehow I don't breathe properly and don't 'finish' the RC.
I'm gonna try for the looking at hands now...
Maybe :) I understand what you are meaning. I don't usually need RC since I become lucid by scanning the enviroment. But I use RC to increase my lucidity if I start to lose it. :) but of course that mindset might be affecting, yet I don't feel like re-programming my brains, since it has been going like this for years now. ^^Quote:
Originally Posted by Smarties
It seems childish but it is defientely fun. I always try to hover or levitate. I always seem to work in dream world but not in the real world unforntunetely LOL