Thread: I feel cheated out of a lucid dream....

It's a good sign, that your practice is trickling into your dreams. Unfortunately, you picked an RC that is not so reliable as you found out yourself.

Most reliable ones are:
looking at hands
thumb/palm
nose pinch
etc.

But, RCs by themselve don't get you lucid. Awareness does. Even if you do RC but you lack awareness, you fail to realize that you are dreaming.

Here is more about RCs in this thread post#7
And more about awareness+RCs Collection of techniques for DILD
self-awareness (sageous)
dream yoga (sivason)

I agree with gab on this one, it might be decent situational RC, but not so all around RC. I would personally suggest the 'looking at hands' for all around RD mostly because i personally had success with it.
Also when you do an RC IWL, you should actually believe that it can be dream, otherwise it might not work as well.

I started trying to become Lucid about a month ago (well, sure, I tried way before that, but now I'm for real and I try to keep it up), I'm doing tons of RCs all the time, but for some reason I'm not doing the "Look at your hands" one. My RCs now don't work at all.

BUT, about 3 years ago, I had a dream in which I was lying in my bed and even though I had no idea what a reality check is at the time, I looked at my hands. And they weren't there. I just saw "blurry something with the colour of skin". That was when I thought it had to be a dream. I tried to move in my bed, turn around, but I was always shifted to my original position by some invisible force in the blink of an eye. So I got up, walked around in my room... and then the dream scene changed into another one and that was it for my lucidity.

Anyway, I'd definitely agree that looking at your hands is the way to go, since it worked for me even when I wasn't doing any RCs and Lucidity wasn't my intention.

I'm glad I found your post. It made me remember what happened back then and realize my own mistake.

Originally Posted by BjStrife

... but for some reason I'm not doing the "Look at your hands" one. My RCs now don't work at all.

Well, the looking at your hands is a classic RC from Castanedas book. This one, the nose pinch and thumb/palm RCs are usually recommended, because your body is always there with you. You don't need to go and look for a book/text, for a light switch and other RC items. Plus, reading and technology is notoriously unstable in dreams. They work for some, but not for others, or not consistently.

But the most important thing when practicing RCs is your attitude. You absolutely have to believe, that they will work, because you are in a dream. (eventhough you know, you are awake). But, if you don't believe they will work while practicing them during day, then in your dream they will not work either.

Second thing is awareness. When you asking the awareness question "wow, is this a dream?", or better yet "wow, this is a dream", you have to believe, that yes, indeed, you are in a dream. I believe, that this question, that gives you a pause, that makes you stop what you doing and realize you are in a dream, even if just for a moment for your RCs, this will start happening in your dreams. It gives you a moment of "wow" awareness, makes you do RC and gets you lucid.

I have never just did RC in a non-lucid dream and got lucid that way. This RC was always preceded by a moment of awareness, just out of the blue, then I automatically did RC and confirmed lucidity. And I never had a choice of which RC I'll do. It was always picked for me by my mind. And it didn't matter, how often I practiced RC. Sometimes I RCd in a dream with the one I practiced the most, sometimes with RC, that I practiced just once or twice.

The thing is that I can't really become focused enough in my dream. It is always more like "recollecting" what happened during the night when I wake up, rather that actually "being" in the dream at some point. And even though I remember about 4-5 dreams per night, it is always this way.

As for the RCs, I always do more of them at once. Not sure if it is a good idea or not. And I could say that I am actually looking at my hands, but I'm not focused on them, because the closest thing to that which I do is checking a bracelet that I always wear and pushing my hands through a wall or something dense. But I guess that doesn't count as intentionally checking my hands, or at least it wouldn't work that way in a dream and would be overlooked by my dream self. (But it doesn't matter, because my dream self can't be bothered with reality checks... )

Other reality checks I do include trying to levitate and turning the light on and off. But so far, this has only been part of my waking life. My dream self doesn't care .

When you do hand RC IWL, really look at them. Notice them, examine them, as if you saw them first time. Notice the wrinkles, hair, color, everything.

I also count my fingers during this RC. It's so much fun when I count them in a dream and I count more than 5 fingers on one hand. Surprise, surprise! When counting them IWL, don't expect 5 fingers. Act as if you didn't know. Because in a dream, you don't really know, how much you will count, or how will they look like.

This is how I do it. You can of course find your own method. But this one has awareness, RCs hands, fingers, nose, thumb, levitation and mantra, all in one package.

This is from Collection of... for DILD
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AWARENESS +RC TECHNIQUE:

Ask yourself a question "Wow, am I dreaming?" that jolts your attention and makes you stop doing whatever you doing. For a moment, entertain the idea, that you are sure this is a dream or false awakening and feel the excitement in the pit of your stomach. Just pretend, that you have had a lucid dream before that was indistinguishable from waking reality, so this moment could also be a dream and you don't know for sure until you RC. Really consider the answer. Don't just automatically answer "Of course I'm not".

Look around and notice details. Look at your hands and count your fingers. Do you have the right amount? Do they look normal? Do a reality check. Try to gently push your thumb through your palm and expect it to go through. Is it going through? Pinch your nose and expect to be able to breathe. Can you? Can you levitate? If not, tell yourself "Next time I'm dreaming, I look at my hands and realize I'm dreaming". Repeat this mantra a few times while looking at your hands.
Pretty soon, this behavior will start manifesting itself in your dreams and you'll be asking yourself if you dreaming, while in regular dream. That will make you lucid. You will do a couple of RCs to make sure.
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I think you just need to put emotions into your RCs and add awareness, so your dream self starts to do the same.