Thread: Best Reality Checks

i usally wear a digtal wacth and i look at it twice and see if it changes antoher one i heard of is if in a dream u can put ur finger though ur hand or something

If I think I'm dreaming but I'm not really sure, I'll try to fly. Now that I think about it, that isn't that smart if I thought I was dreaming in real life....

It depends on your skill level, really
I used to find that holding my nose closed, and breathing is good
And counting your fingers (not just visually, count them with your other hand)
But with all reality checks, you have to be careful to do them PROPERLY. Assume you are dreaming until you can prove otherwise. Obviously don't jump off cliffs though

Lately, I find I'm confident with my dream control, so I can simply look at my hand and make another finger grow
If it works, I'm dreaming. If not, I'm not
To be honest ,I never really even get to this step anymore - I know that I'm dreaming without having to check nowadays

Originally posted by Placebo
I used to find that holding my nose closed, and breathing is good

I like that one too, and it seems to be really effective to me. Someone said that it works well because when you're holdin your nose closed in a dream, it's open in real life. So you can breath in real life and that comes to the dream too.

I also like to do the digital watch check as a secondary RC.

Originally posted by Placebo
I used to find that holding my nose closed, and breathing is good

This is by far the best method for me. It's the only one that has worked 100% of the time. I've never heard of it failing for anyone.. you just have to make sure you think about what you're doing. I've found that sometimes I'll pinch my nose in a dream and breathe through it, then say to myself "Naw.. I must not be pinching it all the way" and almost continue on what I'm doing. I'll then catch myself and realize that I was doing it right, and I am actually dreaming.

Digital clocks and reading letters on t-shirts always works best for me. I've made it a habit in waking life to always double check a clock when I want to know what time it is so I'll usually notice the fucked up numbers in the dream world. I've also looked at my hands and have become lucid, but only did that once, but for a friend of mine he uses the hand technique all the time to become lucid.

The two I use more are holding my nose and trying to breathe and since I don't have a digital watch (and if there's no digital clocks around me) I usually try and examine my clothes. I read somewhere that you never wear your actual clothes in dreams and from almost every single one of my dreams that I can remember, this seems to be true.

Oh, I also try jumping. If something seems strange, like I stay up too long or something, I start to think... naturally, I've never been lucid enough in a dream to do a reality check, but these are the ones I use anyway.

I'll have a lucid dream eventually! You'll see... you'll all see! Haha!

I was just thinking... it seems we all know some good reality checks, but when's the best time to use them? When something dream-like happens?

I was thinking that (since I'm no longer in school) that a good time would be whenever I see someone I know (mom, dad, friends, dog). You know, do a RC every time. I've found that my dreams are way more likely to have actual people than dream characters, so this sort of makes sense. I almost never have a dream where I'm by myself, so this method makes logical sense to me.

What do you guys think? When do you do RC's?

I do RCs when I go from inside to outside, and vice versa. This works all right for me, but I stopped because I could never remember to do it every time I entered or left the house

The best thing to do, for the non-yogi's is to associate a dreamsign and practice it
Whenever you do something, or whenever something happens, you do reality checks

Eg. Whenever you wake up, do checks. Eventually it becomes a habit, and when you have a false awakening, you habitually check if it's a dream (and find that it is)

All this is just so much easier said than done! I know, I know, practice!. But I simply cannot even get myself to think of the idea of a dream when I'm dreaming (let alone CHECK for one)! It's like the concept of dreaming doesn't exist in dreamland!

I would bet that if someone were to just say the word "dream" in one of my dreams, I would become lucid. Specially now that I'm trying so hard to have (only) my 3rd. It's like trying to solve a math problem without the concept of numbers.

the only reality check that works for me is about MEMORY. If i cant remember where I am, where I from, Where I'm going to... (like a lost person, i guess ) then I must be dreaming.
I got my 1st LD by accident with this RC

I think that the most reliable for me are... counting your fingers, holding your nose, and just looking down at your clothes.

Also, I think a good way is looking in a miror.. you tend to look differnt than in RL.

holding my nose seems to work better for me I tend to do it instinctively

For me, the finger in the palm is the one I usually remember to do, probably because it's so bizarre to see my skin protruding from the back of my hand like it was made of rubber!

I've also used the pinched nostrils test once...I could breathe through them but it felt like I was very congested...which I usually am in reality anyway.

I also use flying as a test. I usually say "If I'm dreaming, let's see if I can fly".

6

Looking at how many fingers I have has been pretty successful for me. Once, I was sure I was awake, but just wanted to get in the habit of doing that reality check so I looked down at my fingers. I had fleshy lobster claw fingers. Basically a lobster claw on each hand, two fingers per hand. It made me laugh, and I got a lucid dream out of the deal.

What about facing your worst fears? I fear being attacked by some being of vastly superior strength, weaponry, and skill, or in whatever way that I have no chance of survival. I've been purposely trying to summon such a beast as a reality check today. If such a beast appears, I must be dreaming, and therefore, I can defeat it with lucid dream abilities. Or just become invincible and ask it why I am afraid, then move on with lucid dream goals.

I like the levitation / flying reality check. That one is fun to do.

In my experience, whatever you really expect to happen in a dream is what happens. So if you can make yourself really expect something (maybe something amazing instead of scary) and it happens, that could be fun too.

Originally Posted by PartyPants

I would like to know everyones thoughts on the best reality checks. I have one that works very well for me.
I ask other dream characters if I am dreaming. No matter what their answer is it gets me thinking about whether I am dreaming or not. Once it get thinking about it I will try to do something to make sure. I just heard about this finger through the palm test. I think that will be my new second stage test. I think the best way to remove fear is to keep going further and further with the tests, removing more and more fear until there is none and you are totally lucid.

How can you arrive at thinking about dreaming by asking about it?
If you ask somebody - you have already been thinking about dreaming before - by necessity.
And then you need confirmation.
But like you describe it - you don't get that from the act of asking and taking in the answers.
So basically - you do not use a reality check at all yet - you notice, that you could be dreaming.
And if that is not sufficient to fully realize, that you are - yeah - adopt one.
It has to be something to do in real life too - there needs to be a clear negative/positive result respectively.
Nose pinch is my favourite, too.
And I have a little trick - when I do it irl - I start by breathing out fully and then try to inhale.
Like this you get a clear feeling how it is, when you really can't.
The finger-counting and looking for intricate details works too - but for some reason I have problems with the finger through palm thing - so that wouldn't be reliable in my case.

Lately I'm often sure that I am dreaming without any checks - but I usually take flight immediately, because I like it, indoors too. Usually I don't tell people, that I'm dreaming - but last night I did - after milking admiration for my flying about in the house hehehe.
It's been a while I've been in serious doubt.

C'mon guys. Please check the date of the last post? We have a bunch of fresh RC threads, or start your new tread. This is a 9 year necro.

Pinch my nose and try breathing, coupled with another RC, like fingers through palm for example


EDIT: Just scrolled up >.>

Sorry, I didn't look at the date on this one. I was going to start a new thread, but this one seemed to be right on. Next time I'll just start a new one.

Reality checks are suppose to work when your awake. I think it would be weird to go around asking random people if you're dreaming. Seriously don't do that, or totally do it but get it on camera. My favorite is to look at my hands, its the easiest and never fails, for some reason dream hands are always weird in various ways.