why do RC sometimes fail

[lagunagirl]

I was dreaming that I was at school, but it was a saturday, and everyone was confused about why we were there. But no one was making an effort to go home and the teachers were still teaching us, so we didn't think we could leave. Then I looked at my friend and said "Hey... I must be dreaming" He looked at me and said "well do a RC and see." So I did, but it didn't work. I said "no, it's not working. I must be awake" I forgot about it for a minute, then said "what the heck? This HAS to be a dream!" There were a lot of things such as people acting weird and the situation itself, so I tried the nose RC about ten times, each time it failed but I kept going because I just knew it was a dream. I even said "maybe I should just go fly out the window and see, it's not like I have to be able to breathe through my nose with it plugged first" but then I thought that if I really wasn't asleep, that would look quite strange. I didn't even think about doing some other kind of RC I kept saying over and over to my friend that it was a dream and after a while he got fed up and said "give it a rest, you must be awake" So I said "fine" and forgot about it. I was so close! I HAD it! I've never had the nose RC fail before. does anyone know why it would have failed that time? Even though I knew I was dreaming? Feel free to share your experiences so I dont feel so stupid. haha

[Barns]

It is because your subconciousness expected it to fail. If that RC isn't working for you you should try a different one.

[StephenT]

The only real dream sign is that you truly question whether you're dreaming or not. All the physical attributes of a dream are only ways to secure yourself to the fact that you are dreaming. You were lucid, but lacked enough logic to doubt something as fallible as an RC. Next time, whenever you feel like you're dreaming, tell yourself that you are dreaming, and that your RC will work. Not asking whether you're dreaming and using the RC as the test. I've had a battle with my subconscious before where the nose RC didn't work, and I was saying, "WTF? I know this is a dream, but why is this failing?" I kept RCing, and the dream got fuzzy and I fell against the wall, but I ended up completing the nose RC and having an awesome lucid. That was a pretty fun one.

[Reborn]

My last lucid dream a RC failed...I had a dream after my LD and I usually wake up after my Ld so my subconcious was made me think I was awake because I usually am after a LD. If the made sense at all...xD

[LibLord]

Also it's good to be able to get in the habit of just 'feeling' that it's a dream.. recognising that 'light' feeling... earlier on today I was convinced I was dreaming, but an RC failed (had 5 fingers!).. but I was so convinced, I just thought.. screw this, and went ahead with my LD!

[Moonbeam]

I've had three RC's in a row fail. Just don't do anything irreversible, like jumping off of a balcony, but if you think that you're probably dreaming--you're dreaming! It's annoying how the mind can convince you otherwise, I know.

[StephenT]

Just don't do anything irreversible, like jumping off of a balcony

[drmrgrl]

Just don't do anything irreversible, like jumping off of a balcony lol, i did something like that once! my friend Jenn knew i did LDing and i told her about RC's, and one day she was messing around and acting so strange, i was sure I was in a dream. so positive, I did something really stupid. in one of my earlier dreams i remembered i had been able to run through a bus, so since we were about to get on ours, and i was super convinced it was a dream, i sprinted as fast as i could into the side of my bus.

[Träumer]

lol, i did something like that once! my friend Jenn knew i did LDing and i told her about RC's, and one day she was messing around and acting so strange, i was sure I was in a dream. so positive, I did something really stupid. in one of my earlier dreams i remembered i had been able to run through a bus, so since we were about to get on ours, and i was super convinced it was a dream, i sprinted as fast as i could into the side of my bus. That`s exactly what i fear to happen!!! Imagine you jump out of a window believing you`r dreaming

[shotbirds]

I think I had an RC fail last night. Maybe I was lucid for a little while and lsot it but i had a very vivid dream after that 'vague' RC.

[lagunagirl]

I told one of my friends about the RC not working and she said that maybe it was because, like sleepwalking or something, I was actually plugging my nose in real life as well as in the dream. Of course that theory could only work with the nose RC. any thoughts?

[Oros]

I think I had an RC fail last night. Maybe I was lucid for a little while and lsot it but i had a very vivid dream after that 'vague' RC. Yeah, i have a weak memory of make a Hand RC and haveing 5 finger to. What RC did you use?

[hootman]

Theres always that possible chance that you have a stuffy nose!

[DreamingGod]

Do you do Rcs often when you're awake? If you don't than do it. It'll make it eaiser to work in your dreams.

[analyst]

most of the time i am WILDing and using RCs to only reaffirm i am dreaming. usually, the hand-RC (5 fingers) works best for me. but my most recent DILD scares the crap out of me in retrospect because of how real it was. i came out of a previous DILD where i ended up back in bed and I was lucid already (an RC worked in that one). i reawoke and my wife called me in the dream, i got up out of bed and she was ironing. i checked my fingers to confirm i was in a dream and sure enough, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! hmmmm... i tell you, it was way too real... she told me my sister was upstairs and i called her name. no one answered. only then did i say "ahha! it is a dream". but there was no way i was going to jump through the wall this time! this was the first time i was lucid already and an RC didn't work to reaffirm, and it kinda freaked me out. it made me question reality in ways i cannot really explain.