RC's Just Don't Seem to Be Effective?

**Blaed** · 06-23-2015 08:14 AM

Hey all. I've recently gotten back into LD'ing but took another two week break of not RC'ing at all because none of it feels or seems effective?

I usually go finger through palm, plug nose and count fingers but when I did it it felt like it had zero impact and effectiveness. Even when I focus really hard on doing each motion and thought it still feels absolutely time wasting.

Some people are saying that RC'ing isn't a big deal if my over all awareness is high? How do I work on that? What are common exercises or times where I can improve that to carry on into my dream state?

**FryingMan** · 06-23-2015 12:59 PM

RCs are important tools for lucidity and practicing them while awake is very useful for LD practice, but even more important is the mindset that you have prior to doing the RC.

How familiar are you with your dreams, with the *feeling* of dreaming? If you're not then the place the start is to work on dream recall for a while, until you get to the point where you start to believe that any particular conscious moment could potentially be in the dream state. Realize that you do dream, a lot, every night, and that what you want to do is to build a connection to the dream state, to remember your dreams, to be a full participant in the dream with your "self" there present in the dream experience.

Once[*] you feel a connection to your dreams and know how your dreams feel to you, it becomes very profitable to practice critical reflection moments as much as you can throughout the day: really try to determine your state from examining your mind, thoughts, location, etc., do not just assume that a conscious moment necessarily means you're in the waking state. Ask yourself "How odd is this?" in various life situations, and particularly useful to you (who thinks RCs are time wasting) would be, "Why do I think I'm awake?"

Learn to question your state frequently throughout the day and this practice will work itself into your dreams.

If you want to be some particular way in the dream state (to remember dream experiences, pay attention to dreams, have high awareness [lucidity] in dreams), then you must begin by practicing and strengthening these same qualities in the waking state.

It takes the 3 D's: dedication, determination, and diligence.
[*] You don't have to wait, you can work on both simultaneously, but you seem to be in a place where you don't "believe" in the RC, and that to me is a signal that you're not very familiar with the dream state and how you can feel absolutely, entirely "awake" while in dreams.