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Is it possible you know you're dreaming even if you don't perform your reality checks? because one night I wake to go to C.R. then drink water, then go back to bed and perform WILD, suddenly I know that I'm dreaming, because I can fly and my surroundings just zoom in focus...:?
Yes, reality checks aren't the only way to become lucid. While I've never successfully done WILD myself, I'm pretty sure you're already lucid when you enter the dream, since you entered from a waking state.
Yes, actually is extremely common, over time you will know how is the felling of a dream and will realize that is a dream before the RC, but RC is used to make sure it's a dream before doing something dangerous for example
Wow! That's my 2nd time becoming lucid after 2months of practicing WBTB and WILD, my first is just a couple of seconds after I realized I was dreaming because I get too excited and woke. And the feeling is undeniably wonderful, I woke up with the lightest feeling ever.
Normally, I know it is a dream by the time I think to perform a reality check. Once you have the feeling down, it is pretty recognizable.
You don't have to, reality checks are just used to confirm you're in a dream, something especially useful for beginners if they're practising all day awareness. In fact I think realising something is odd about the dream and thus gaining lucidity acts as a reality check too.
I pretty much don't use reality checks, I think I'm dreaming without using them, I do often use them after I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming though, as confirmation, and I've never been wrong, I just know the feel of a dream now.
This feeling that something is not right comes first for me, (if necesary) I RC to catch those dreams about 'ordinary' situations and FA's. I think that's the main reason why I barely RC during my waking life. So, mostly I use RC's just to confirm or to remind me that I'm still dreaming. It usually keeps me RCing a few times a couple of days after having an LD.
That is how I do it, too. The reality check is more an exercise to stay aware. It helps me focus my thoughts and my intent. It is easy to get distracted by the dream, so I try to keep doing reality checks to remind me that it is all a dream.