Thread: Addendum to the RC Tutorial... could you help critique?

Reading through a lot of the threads, I see the same question showing up again and again so I wrote this to add to the RC tutorial. I'm aware it's long, but I think those who are looking for answers would be reading to skim it, and it's fairly easy to find your technique of choice. So, if you've got a minute and are willing, please skim through and point out anything you think ought to be changed, removed, or emphasized Thanks guys

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LD Techniques and Reality Checking

DILD As a Dream-Induced-Lucid-Dream, a DILD simply means that the moment that you realized you were dreaming occurred once the dream had already been in progress- usually described as 'waking up within the dream'. Now, reality checks can help you do this, but it is possible to realize you're dreaming without reality checking. Reality checking for many, though, is a tool to make that waking-up process easier.

Awareness Raising your awareness is one way to DILD. By becoming incredibly aware in waking life, you allow yourself to be more in tune with the world around you. This awareness will bleed into your dreams, allowing you to notice things that are strange and dreamlike. Reality checking in the waking world, when you notice strange things or coincidences or other weirdness, will get you into the habit of having that increased attention and then reality checking in the dream world, allowing you to become lucid.

Dream Signs By meticulously cataloging your dreams, you will be able to find things that show up in them frequently- your dream signs. Dream signs are indicators that you might be dreaming, and vary by person. Keeping a steady DJ, with a few entries for each day, will let you see what your dreams typically contain and what you should be on the lookout for. Once you have identified your dreamsigns you can begin reality checking whenever you see or think of them during the day. This association should carry on into your dreams, allowing you to become lucid.

MILD The MILD technique relies on prospective memory, meaning your ability to remember to remember to do something. Using reality checks to MILD, you should work on building up prospective memory. Whenever you remember to remember something, you should reality check. This will allow you to form a habit of thinking about reality checking as soon as you remember your target. Practice during the day, and this should pay off at night. Whether you tell yourself to remember to reality check to a dreamsign, to the next person you see, to the next time you hear someone speaking, you will catch on to your target and do your reality checks, becoming lucid in the dream. The MILD technique also has the dreamer lay in bed and visualize their last dream, imagining themselves recognizing a dream sign and reality checking.

EILD The EILD technique uses an artificial dreamsign to cue the dreamer into reality checking while they are asleep. Devices like the NovaDreamer, REM-Dreamer, music playing in your room, or even someone just whispering into your ear can all serve as the External stimulus that cues you to reality check. To EILD, first establish what your stimulus is going to be. Flashing lights, a beep, a song, a whisper? Once you have your stimulus, begin to use it as a dreamsign, reality checking whenever you see/hear/feel or think about it in waking life so that when it faithfully appears in your dreams, you're ready for it.

Habitual Reality Checking Habitually reality checking is a piece of advice often offered to those new to lucid dreaming. One reason is because, if you're uninitiated in the world of lucid dreaming, reality checks may seem like a strange concept. Often, new oneironauts have trouble remembering to reality check, and so doing them at a high frequency helps build this basic DILD foundation. In addition, however, reality checking habitually can lead you to do reality checks in your dreams, likely because it is the focus of so much attention that it causes you to dream about your cues. Habitually RCing when you do things like pass through doorways, every hour by setting your phone/watch to beep, whenever you are greeted or finish a task, etc., may cause you to RC when one of these occurs, or also when, on a whim, you realize you haven't RCed in a while.

Randomly Reality Checking Randomly reality checking is kind of like a side-effect of reality checking during waking life. In the same vein as habitually reality checking, randomly reality checking happens when, out of the blue, you decide to reality check. You may not suspect the world around you, you may assume that it is waking life, but something will prompt you to RC anyway. Things like seeing a digital clock or a watch may remind you that you ought to RC when you see these, and so you will. Other times, a dream character may even approach you and tell you to reality check, even though nothing in particular has prompted the urge to RC.

False Awakenings False awakenings are those dreams in which you dream that you have woken up, but you are actually still asleep. Oftentimes, people will get up, get out of bed, and begin to prepare for the day before waking up for real. Reality checks serve as a useful tool in this situation. FAs can often resemble waking life down to the smallest details, and my be indiscernible from real life. Because of this, make sure to reality check whenever you wake up! Doing so will allow you make sure that you are in fact awake before getting dressed. This way, you can avoid going through your morning routine multiple times while becoming lucid.

WILD The WILD type of lucid dream means that you ended up falling asleep but not losing your rational, normal consciousness. You maintained your awareness and rational thinking long enough, while your body fell asleep, that you were able to enter the dream mentally awake and aware. Reality checking doesn't really serve as a tool for attaining lucidity, but is still important when it comes to the WILD technique. The reality check can serve as a way to help you maintain your understanding that you are in a dream by using it as a tool to verify that you have entered a dream. Just to help yourself understand that you have crossed that lucid dreaming finish line is one use. However, in cases where you believe you have failed to lucid dream, you should always reality check!!! You may have entered a dream that so closely resembles the reality of your sleeping place that you don't even realize you're in a dream. ALWAYS remember to reality check when you give up on a WILD attempt!

VILD The VILD technique is a WILD method that requires the dreamer to use their imagination to enter a lucid dream. Not limited to actual sight, the dreamer can imagine any or all of the five senses and use this visualized scenario to enter a dream. It can be helpful, while VILDing, to imagine yourself in a situation ripe with opportunities to reality check- especially those with dreamsigns built in to them. This can keep your mind focused on lucidity while you visualize, making sure that you don't drift off into regular sleep and dreams. At the same time, visualizing a scene full of RC opportunities can also serve as a backup dream incubation, ideally causing you to have a non-lucid dream with your dreamsigns, cuing you to reality check.

WBTB The WBTB is a time, in between sleep periods, during which you focus on the concept of lucid dreaming. After waking up, you focus your mind on the concept of lucid dreaming so that when you go back to sleep within a couple of hours you are more inclined to become lucid. During a WBTB, reality checking can help you get into the mindframe that the things around you might be a dream. Reading your dreamjournal and reality checking when you come across dreamsigns may help, and the WBTB is also a time in which you should perform that visualization for the MILD technique.

Stabilization Unfortunately, it is far too easy to become caught in a dream to the point where you end up losing lucidity and returning to non-lucid dreaming. When you become lucid, you should always take a moment to stabilize your dream- both to remain in it and to remain lucid in it. To make sure that your dreams are stable, mentally, you should really emphasize the fact that you are in a dream, and that this means that you are in a limitless realm with no rules or limitations. Performing reality checks can really help solidify this idea in your mind, ensuring that you are very positive that you are dreaming and that you do not doubt your lucidity in the slightest.

Dream Control As with dream stabilization, I find dream control to mainly be a matter of confidence and understanding. Sure, it's great to know that you're dreaming, but the experience is greatly enhanced when you are able to understand that you're dreaming and what this means. Understanding that dreams are just hallucinations, that the things around you are just figments of your imagination, can help you understand that this means there is no reason for things like gravity or the solidness of objects to keep you from accomplishing your goals in your dreams. In order to really feel confident, though, it can help to do some reality checks. Being able to push your finger through your palm helps you understand that the objects around you are only solid if you want them to be. Jumping up and floating down helps you understand that flying is easy because there is no gravity. In addition to serving as examples like this, the RCs will also help focus your mind and make sure you understand and remind you that you are dreaming and that you are in control of your dreams.

Looks good at a cursory glance, I'll look more closely when I'm off tomorrow

Moved to GLD for better exposure to critique.

Thanks MoS

...anybody?? Newbies...????

Just read through the whole thing. I think it does it's job well. All of the most common questions you see, regarding reality checks, are answered in very accessible ways, just like you said.

I couldn't really find anything truly wrong with it. The only issue I had was with your explanation of MILD. While obviously correct, I found it to be a bit confusing. Mostly in the way things were worded.

Overall though, I think the Reality Check Tutorial definitely needs a little love, and this would fit the bill nicely.

I believe the only thing I'd add would be an expansion of the acronyms in the descriptions, if only for convenience. And example would be (the italics):

"WBTB (Wake Back to Bed) The WBTB is a time, in between sleep periods, during which you focus on the concept of lucid dreaming."

I know it explains it further in the individual articles for each method, but for the newbie glancing over each one, I think it'd help.

How To Use Reality Checking: LD Techniques and Reality Checking

DILD (Dream Initiated Lucid Dream) DILD simply means that the moment that you realized you were dreaming occurred once the dream had already been in progress- usually described as 'waking up within the dream'. Now, reality checks can help you do this, but it is possible to realize you're dreaming without reality checking. Reality checking for many, though, is a tool to make that waking-up process easier.

Awareness Raising your awareness is one way to DILD. By becoming incredibly aware in waking life, you allow yourself to be more in tune with the world around you. This awareness will bleed into your dreams, allowing you to notice things that are strange and dreamlike. Reality checking in the waking world, when you notice strange things or coincidences or other weirdness, will get you into the habit of having that increased attention and then reality checking in the dream world, allowing you to become lucid.

Dream Signs By meticulously cataloging your dreams, you will be able to find things that show up in them frequently- your dream signs. Dream signs are indicators that you might be dreaming, and vary by person. Keeping a steady DJ, with a few entries for each day, will let you see what your dreams typically contain and what you should be on the lookout for. Once you have identified your dreamsigns you can begin reality checking whenever you see or think of them during the day. This association should carry on into your dreams, allowing you to become lucid.

MILD (Mnemonically Induced Lucid Dream) To use this DILD technique, you must first read the MILD tutorial so that you understand the importance of prospective memory. Once you understand it, begin exercising your prospective memory. Do this by setting targets for yourself that you will recognize throughout the day and reality check to, or by following the Daily Dreamsign. Once your prospective memory is getting itself exercised, begin using the MILD method throughout the day and at night during awakenings. First, decide what your cues will be. Dreamsigns? The next time you see a person? The next time you're out of bed? Reality check to them throughout the day. Before bed, remind yourself of your intention to remember to reality check, possibly stating a mantra about your cue. Remind yourself to both recognize your cue, and to remember to reality check to it. Then, go to sleep. Aim for awakenings in the night, or set an alarm for a WBTB. When you wake up, record your dream. Then, return to bed but visualize your last dream. Think of any dreamsigns or cues that you missed, focus on them, and imagine yourself recognizing them in a dream and becoming lucid by reality checking. Eventually you will VILD or will drift off back to sleep, hopefully recognizing those dreamsigns next time you're asleep and reality checking to them.

EILD (Externally Induced Lucid Dream) The EILD technique uses an artificial dreamsign to cue the dreamer into reality checking while they are asleep. Devices like the NovaDreamer, REM-Dreamer, music playing in your room, or even someone just whispering into your ear can all serve as the External stimulus that cues you to reality check. To EILD, first establish what your stimulus is going to be. Flashing lights, a beep, a song, a whisper? Once you have your stimulus, begin to use it as a dreamsign, reality checking whenever you see/hear/feel or think about it in waking life so that when it faithfully appears in your dreams, you're ready for it.

Habitual Reality Checking Habitually reality checking is a piece of advice often offered to those new to lucid dreaming. One reason is because, if you're uninitiated in the world of lucid dreaming, reality checks may seem like a strange concept. Often, new oneironauts have trouble remembering to reality check, and so doing them at a high frequency helps build this basic DILD foundation. In addition, however, reality checking habitually can lead you to do reality checks in your dreams, likely because it is the focus of so much attention that it causes you to dream about your cues. Habitually RCing when you do things like pass through doorways, every hour by setting your phone/watch to beep, whenever you are greeted or finish a task, etc., may cause you to RC when one of these occurs, or also when, on a whim, you realize you haven't RCed in a while.

Randomly Reality Checking Randomly reality checking is kind of like a side-effect of reality checking during waking life. In the same vein as habitually reality checking, randomly reality checking happens when, out of the blue, you decide to reality check. You may not suspect the world around you, you may assume that it is waking life, but something will prompt you to RC anyway. Things like seeing a digital clock or a watch may remind you that you ought to RC when you see these, and so you will. Other times, a dream character may even approach you and tell you to reality check, even though nothing in particular has prompted the urge to RC.

False Awakenings False awakenings are those dreams in which you dream that you have woken up, but you are actually still asleep. Oftentimes, people will get up, get out of bed, and begin to prepare for the day before waking up for real. Reality checks serve as a useful tool in this situation. FAs can often resemble waking life down to the smallest details, and my be indiscernible from real life. Because of this, make sure to reality check whenever you wake up! Doing so will allow you make sure that you are in fact awake before getting dressed. This way, you'll become lucid while avoiding going through your morning routine multiple times.

WILD (Wake Initiated Lucid Dream) The WILD type of lucid dream means that you ended up falling asleep but not losing your rational, normal consciousness. You maintained your awareness and rational thinking long enough, while your body fell asleep, that you were able to enter the dream mentally awake and aware. Reality checking doesn't really serve as a tool for attaining lucidity, but is still important when it comes to the WILD technique. The reality check can serve as a way to help you maintain your understanding that you are in a dream by using it as a tool to verify that you have entered a dream. Just to help yourself understand that you have crossed that lucid dreaming finish line is one use. However, in cases where you believe you have failed to lucid dream, you should always reality check!!! You may have entered a dream that so closely resembles the reality of your sleeping place that you don't even realize you're in a dream. ALWAYS remember to reality check when you give up on a WILD attempt!

VILD (Visualization Induced Lucid Dream) The VILD technique is a WILD method that requires the dreamer to use their imagination to enter a lucid dream. Not limited to actual sight, the dreamer can imagine any or all of the five senses and use this visualized scenario to enter a dream. It can be helpful, while VILDing, to imagine yourself in a situation ripe with opportunities to reality check- especially those with dreamsigns built in to them. This can keep your mind focused on lucidity while you visualize, making sure that you don't drift off into regular sleep and dreams. At the same time, visualizing a scene full of RC opportunities can also serve as a backup dream incubation, ideally causing you to have a non-lucid dream with your dreamsigns, cuing you to reality check.

WBTB (Wake Back To Bed) The WBTB is a time, in between sleep periods, during which you focus on the concept of lucid dreaming. After waking up, you focus your mind on the concept of lucid dreaming so that when you go back to sleep within a couple of hours you are more inclined to become lucid. During a WBTB, reality checking can help you get into the mindframe that the things around you might be a dream. Reading your dreamjournal and reality checking when you come across dreamsigns may help, and the WBTB is also a time in which you should perform that visualization for the MILD technique.

Stabilization Unfortunately, it is far too easy to become caught in a dream to the point where you end up losing lucidity and returning to non-lucid dreaming. When you become lucid, you should always take a moment to stabilize your dream- both to remain in it and to remain lucid in it. To make sure that your dreams are stable, mentally, you should really emphasize the fact that you are in a dream, and that this means that you are in a limitless realm with no rules or limitations. Performing reality checks can really help solidify this idea in your mind, ensuring that you are very positive that you are dreaming and that you do not doubt your lucidity in the slightest.

Dream Control As with dream stabilization, I find dream control to mainly be a matter of confidence and understanding. Sure, it's great to know that you're dreaming, but the experience is greatly enhanced when you are able to understand that you're dreaming and what this means. Understanding that dreams are just hallucinations, that the things around you are just figments of your imagination, can help you understand that this means there is no reason for things like gravity or the solidness of objects to keep you from accomplishing your goals in your dreams. In order to really feel confident, though, it can help to do some reality checks. Being able to push your finger through your palm helps you understand that the objects around you are only solid if you want them to be. Jumping up and floating down helps you understand that flying is easy because there is no gravity. In addition to serving as examples like this, the RCs will also help focus your mind and make sure you understand and remind you that you are dreaming and that you are in control of your dreams.

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imj I have no idea what you mean about latent reality checking
In regards to 'Latent as in I know how to reality check but I don't do it because I know I'm not dreaming atm....' my feeling is that, no good lucid dreamer, who uses DILD, would simply dismiss the urge to reality check because they 'knew' they were awake- this is an incredibly bad habit. Any time RCing occurs to you you ought to do it, and you ought to realize that in dreams it's very easy to be tricked by thinking this way. Avoid this at all costs. Always reality check. Never assume for a fact that you're awake.

'instead I use an item I used for reality checking in the past to induce a dream about reality checking.' I have no idea what you mean by that Do you mean always associating an object with reality checking, and then using dream incubation to dream about the object? Essentially, making the object a dream sign?

I think it is formatted well. I'm sure it would further help those people that this RC style works for.

I see no reason not to put in...

Well, the dream signs header should certainly be a link to the dream sign tutorial, but other than that it looks good. Would you like to do the addendum yourself (I'll PM you an unparsed copy of your current tutorial) or should I just paste what you've got here in to it?

Another thing I notice is that since EILD relies on external triggers, we don't really consider it a sub-technique of DILD. We consider it it's own separate technique

Thanks guys!!

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Well, the dream signs header should certainly be a link to the dream sign tutorial, but other than that it looks good. Would you like to do the addendum yourself (I'll PM you an unparsed copy of your current tutorial) or should I just paste what you've got here in to it?

Another thing I notice is that since EILD relies on external triggers, we don't really consider it a sub-technique of DILD. We consider it it's own separate technique

EILD is a DILD technique, because DILD means that you become lucid while a dream is already in progress. The EILD uses an external trigger that you can turn into a dreamsign, so really it's just like becoming lucid to any other dreamsign except that this dreamsign is far more reliable since you schedule it to go off, and it happens to come from the outside world instead of being an internally generated cue.

I've added the DS link, so this should be good to go:


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Written by Shift

How to Reality Check

The reality check ('RC' for short, and aka state test) is a fundamental part of lucid dreaming when it comes to Dream Induced Lucid Dreams (DILDs), or dreams in which you become lucid while a dream is in progress.
The ability to become lucid during a dream hinges on a certain awareness- of both yourself and of your environment. In order to recognize that dancing pigs can only happen in your dreams, you must be able to recognize that you are watching pigs, who are dancing.

A reality check serves two purposes:

1) That deep down question of "Am I Dreaming, Right Now?" That awareness of yourself, your behavior, your location, and the fact that things around you are not adding up. In this view, a reality check is a mental pause of, "What is REALLY going on here?!"

By properly training yourself to very critically analyze the world around you, you'll learn to pick up on small traits that signify that you are actually in a dream.

2) The second part of a reality check is the more focused check/test, which compliments your increased awareness. This part involves asking direct questions about the world around you when you suspect that you are dreaming. It is a tool by which to verify or falsify your suspicions of the dream state, often by attempting or observing something impossible (like pushing your finger through your hand) or by a gap of knowledge or memory.

With this increased awareness and these tools to test your suspicions, you can learn to become aware, and then to use that awareness to determine that you are dreaming.

Awareness Is *Critical*

Many things in our dreams are strange, so you should foster overall increased awareness. Whenever something seems strange or dream-like, test it out!
Sometimes these distinguishing, odd dream elements will be repetitive, showing up in many of your dreams. Such a consistent element is called a dreamsign, and is very useful. By reality checking when you think of or see these dreamsigns in real life, you train yourself to notice them and reality check when they show up in your dreams.

Another important time to reality check is whenever you first wake up or if you have attempted a WILD but think you have failed. In both of these circumstances, a false awakening or the WILD attempt, you may end up in a dream very similar to the reality of your bedroom, and a reality check can help you recognize that it's actually just a dream.

Some people advise doing reality checks habitually, at a very high frequency during the day in the hopes that they will randomly end up in your dreams. Unless attempting to improve your prospective memory for a MILD, you have to be careful with reality checking like this. Doing a reality check as a quick habit means you're doing it absentmindedly, not paying as much attention as you should be. That means that in a dream, you'll push your finger into your hand without paying any attention to it or asking yourself what evidence there is for the fact that you are dreaming. REMEMBER: Quality over quantity!!!

When to RC:

There are a few different times that an aspiring lucid dreamer should reality check:

• The most important is WHENEVER YOU THINK YOU SHOULD. If you think about reality checking, or say "Hmm this is the sort of thing I should reality check to", or recognize that something is a dreamsign or reminds you of a dreamsign, DO IT!
• Remember to reality check whenever you think of or see one of your dreamsigns. If your dreamsign is your dog, and as you are walking down the street you see someone else's dog which reminds you of your own, reality check. If you are thinking about dreamsigns and remember that yours is your dog, reality check!
• Reality check whenever something very strange or unusual occurs, or when you have trouble understanding what is going on around you
• Reality check whenever you wake up. This way you will catch False Awakenings.
• Reality check whenever you give up on a WILD. This way you will catch the fact that you may have entered a dream without realizing it.
• Reality check whenever you have just finished RCing. Sometimes in dreams, a reality check will fail, meaning the impossible thing WON'T occur. Instead of being tricked, always do more than one reality check to REALLY ensure that you're not dreaming. Try to use different kinds, expecting each time that it will work and visualizing it working.
• Reality check right now

When you are beginning, it is helpful to do a lot of reality checks, at a high frequency. The only thing to remember is that you have to really put in the conscious effort during a reality check, not turn it into a mindless motion. Try to set goals for yourself like "I will reality check every time I walk through a door" or "I will reality check whenever I hear the word 'dream'". Doing them at a high frequency will help you remember to reality check in general. Initially, you may find that it is easier to put less effort in but do them at higher frequencies. Just remember that, eventually, it's vital that you learn to put in the conscious effort and awareness.

Spoiler for How to Reality Check for Specific ILD Techniques:

How To Use Reality Checking: LD Techniques and Reality Checking

DILD (Dream Initiated Lucid Dream) DILD simply means that the moment that you realized you were dreaming occurred once the dream had already been in progress- usually described as 'waking up within the dream'. Now, reality checks can help you do this, but it is possible to realize you're dreaming without reality checking. Reality checking for many, though, is a tool to make that waking-up process easier.

Awareness Raising your awareness is one way to DILD. By becoming incredibly aware in waking life, you allow yourself to be more in tune with the world around you. This awareness will bleed into your dreams, allowing you to notice things that are strange and dreamlike. Reality checking in the waking world, when you notice strange things or coincidences or other weirdness, will get you into the habit of having that increased attention and then reality checking in the dream world, allowing you to become lucid.

Dream Signs By meticulously cataloging your dreams, you will be able to find things that show up in them frequently- your dream signs. Dream signs are indicators that you might be dreaming, and vary by person. Keeping a steady dream journal, with a few entries for each day, will let you see what your dreams typically contain and what you should be on the lookout for. Once you have identified your dreamsigns you can begin reality checking whenever you see or think of them during the day. This association should carry on into your dreams, allowing you to become lucid.

MILD (Mnemonically Induced Lucid Dream) To use this DILD technique, you must first read the MILD tutorial so that you understand the importance of prospective memory. Once you understand it, begin exercising your prospective memory. Do this by setting targets for yourself that you will recognize throughout the day and reality check to, or by following the Daily Dreamsign. Once your prospective memory is getting itself exercised, begin using the MILD method throughout the day and at night during awakenings. First, decide what your cues will be. Dreamsigns? The next time you see a person? The next time you're out of bed? Reality check to them throughout the day. Before bed, remind yourself of your intention to remember to reality check, possibly stating a mantra about your cue. Remind yourself to both recognize your cue, and to remember to reality check to it. Then, go to sleep. Aim for awakenings in the night, or set an alarm for a WBTB. When you wake up, record your dream. Then, return to bed but visualize your last dream. Think of any dreamsigns or cues that you missed, focus on them, and imagine yourself recognizing them in a dream and becoming lucid by reality checking. Eventually you will VILD or will drift off back to sleep, hopefully recognizing those dreamsigns next time you're asleep and reality checking to them.

EILD (Externally Induced Lucid Dream) The EILD technique uses an artificial dreamsign to cue the dreamer into reality checking while they are asleep. Devices like the NovaDreamer, REM-Dreamer, music playing in your room, or even someone just whispering into your ear can all serve as the External stimulus that cues you to reality check. To EILD, first establish what your stimulus is going to be. Flashing lights, a beep, a song, a whisper? Once you have your stimulus, begin to use it as a dreamsign, reality checking whenever you see/hear/feel or think about it in waking life so that when it faithfully appears in your dreams, you're ready for it.

Habitual Reality Checking Habitually reality checking is a piece of advice often offered to those new to lucid dreaming. One reason is because, if you're uninitiated in the world of lucid dreaming, reality checks may seem like a strange concept. Often, new oneironauts have trouble remembering to reality check, and so doing them at a high frequency helps build this basic DILD foundation. Because you spend so much time thinking about RCing and acutally reality checking, there is a good chance that this focus will cause you to dream about your cues, leading you to reality check within the dream. Habitually RCing when you do things like pass through doorways, every hour by setting your phone/watch to beep, whenever you are greeted or finish a task, etc., may cause you to RC when one of these occurs, or also when, on a whim, you realize you haven't RCed in a while.

Randomly Reality Checking Randomly reality checking is kind of like a side-effect of reality checking during waking life. In the same vein as habitually reality checking, randomly reality checking happens when, out of the blue, you decide to reality check. You may not suspect the world around you, you may assume that it is waking life, but something will prompt you to RC anyway. Things like seeing a digital clock or a watch may remind you that you ought to RC when you see these, and so you will. Other times, a dream character may even approach you and tell you to reality check, even though nothing in particular has prompted the urge to RC.

False Awakenings False awakenings are those dreams in which you dream that you have woken up, but you are actually still asleep. Oftentimes, people will get up, get out of bed, and begin to prepare for the day before waking up for real. Reality checks serve as a useful tool in this situation. FAs can often resemble waking life down to the smallest details, and my be indiscernible from real life. Because of this, make sure to reality check whenever you wake up! Doing so will allow you make sure that you are in fact awake before getting dressed. This way, you'll become lucid while avoiding going through your morning routine multiple times.

WILD (Wake Initiated Lucid Dream) The WILD type of lucid dream means that you ended up falling asleep but not losing your rational, normal consciousness. You maintained your awareness and rational thinking long enough, while your body fell asleep, that you were able to enter the dream mentally awake and aware. Reality checking doesn't really serve as a tool for attaining lucidity, but is still important when it comes to the WILD technique. The reality check can serve as a way to help you maintain your understanding that you are in a dream by using it as a tool to verify that you have entered a dream. Just to help yourself understand that you have crossed that lucid dreaming finish line is one use. However, in cases where you believe you have failed to lucid dream, you should always reality check!!! You may have entered a dream that so closely resembles the reality of your sleeping place that you don't even realize you're in a dream. ALWAYS remember to reality check when you give up on a WILD attempt!

VILD (Visualization Induced Lucid Dream) The VILD technique is a WILD method that requires the dreamer to use their imagination to enter a lucid dream. Not limited to actual sight, the dreamer can imagine any or all of the five senses and use this visualized scenario to enter a dream. It can be helpful, while VILDing, to imagine yourself in a situation ripe with opportunities to reality check- especially those with dreamsigns built in to them. This can keep your mind focused on lucidity while you visualize, making sure that you don't drift off into regular sleep and dreams. At the same time, visualizing a scene full of RC opportunities can also serve as a backup dream incubation, ideally causing you to have a non-lucid dream with your dreamsigns, cuing you to reality check.

WBTB (Wake Back To Bed) The WBTB is a time, in between sleep periods, during which you focus on the concept of lucid dreaming. After waking up, you focus your mind on the concept of lucid dreaming so that when you go back to sleep within a couple of hours you are more inclined to become lucid. During a WBTB, reality checking can help you get into the mindframe that the things around you might be a dream. Reading your dreamjournal and reality checking when you come across dreamsigns may help, and the WBTB is also a time in which you should perform that visualization for the MILD technique.

Stabilization Unfortunately, it is far too easy to become caught in a dream to the point where you end up losing lucidity and returning to non-lucid dreaming. When you become lucid, you should always take a moment to stabilize your dream- both to remain in it and to remain lucid in it. To make sure that your dreams are stable, mentally, you should really emphasize the fact that you are in a dream, and that this means that you are in a limitless realm with no rules or limitations. Performing reality checks can really help solidify this idea in your mind, ensuring that you are very positive that you are dreaming and that you do not doubt your lucidity in the slightest.

Dream Control As with dream stabilization, I find dream control to mainly be a matter of confidence and understanding. Sure, it's great to know that you're dreaming, but the experience is greatly enhanced when you are able to understand that you're dreaming and what this means. Understanding that dreams are just hallucinations, that the things around you are just figments of your imagination, can help you understand that this means there is no reason for things like gravity or the solidness of objects to keep you from accomplishing your goals in your dreams. In order to really feel confident, though, it can help to do some reality checks. Being able to push your finger through your palm helps you understand that the objects around you are only solid if you want them to be. Jumping up and floating down helps you understand that flying is easy because there is no gravity. In addition to serving as examples like this, the RCs will also help focus your mind and make sure you understand and remind you that you are dreaming and that you are in control of your dreams.

Keep it up!!

• Remember- you are doing a reality check because you think there is a very good possibility that you are in a dream. Because of this, a reality check cannot be a chore to somebody who wants to become lucid, it should be the second most exciting part of your day, second only to actually realizing that you're dreaming!!! Because you are doing them at times when you honestly believe that you might be dreaming, when you do your reality checks it should be with the full expectation that they are going to be successful. That the finger you are pressing into your palm is a DREAM finger being pressed into a DREAM palm, neither of which exists, and so they should be able to go through one another. Always expect the reality check to show you are dreaming, even visualize a finger tip coming out the back of your palm, or the feeling of the air traveling through your nostrils.
  
  
• Remember- always do multiple reality checks in case one fails! Try to have at least three to do for every time you suspect you might be dreaming!

Spoiler for Common Reality Checks::

Common Reality Checks:

Written by Shift

Memory Check

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT RC, that should really reflect your suspicious state of mind when you suspect you are dreaming. The memory check is a review of your recent memory. Where are you? How did you get there. Do you remember getting there? Do you remember the trip? Who are you with, and should you be with them? Does it make sense that you are with them in this situation? Do you remember meeting them, or planning to meet them? How did you end up in the situation?

This can be a tricky reality check, but for the most part is one of the most critical thought processes that you should be going through to learn to lucid dream. Simply learning to ask yourself these important questions can cause you to become lucid without any further reality checking.One downfall to this reality check is that, in cases of false awakenings where you wake up in your own bedroom, it will fail. All memories will suggest that you were just dreaming, but are now awake, in waking life, laying in your bed. Unless there is something very unusual about your environment, chances are you will not catch it. Because of this, especially for those who have FAs frequently, other reality checks should always be used to compliment this one.

Reading Text

No one knows for sure why text in dreams can be so unstable, but whatever the reason it serves as a very handy way to reality check. Text can be wavy, blurry, illegible, be in characters you are not familiar with, say things that don't make sense, and it has a habit of changing what it says when you look away. Because of this, to reality check you can look at any body of text and just give it a quick read-over. It may appear normal at first glance, which is why this reality check should always take a bit longer than other RCs. Make sure to look at text, look away from it, and then look back. If it still hasn't changed, try glancing away and then back at the text a third time to see if it has changed. While looking back at the text, imagine that it says something different than what it did the first time you looked at it.

In addition to reading, writing text in dreams can often have the same problems. Trying to write, then reading what you've written (if you were able to write) is another way to do this reality check.

Numbers/Digital Time

Just like reading text, numbers themselves also have problems remaining stable in dreams. This is yet another convenient reality check, because people frequently look at their watches and human society usually has the time plastered all over the place. Whenever you feel the need to reality check, check up on the time. What time is it? Is it supposed to be that time? Do the hours make sense, and are the minutes below 59? Make sure to look away and then look back, expecting the time to change (you can think of it like a timer to convince yourself it should be changing).

Any numbers can be used, it does not have to be the face of a watch, but a watch is a very helpful way to conduct this reality check, especially for those who want to do reality checks as inconspicuously as possible, since people are usually glancing at the time anyway. Make sure that you are using a digital clock or watch, because an analog clock without numbers will not work. You can also make sure to ask yourself, 'Am I even wearing my watch?' If you are, check the time. If you are not, ask yourself why not.

This is also a fun check, because every so often a minute will end as you are glancing away, and you will notice the time has changed on you! This should spark even more intense reality check efforts

Device Test

Sometimes in dreams, mechanical and electronic devices will fail to work properly, working improperly or not at all. One of the most commonly spoken of is the light switch or lamp. Attempting to turn on a light can fail or cause a lightbulb to blow out, failing to change the illumination level of a room. Switching a light switch, or using a computer or phone or other things of this nature are good tests, especially with more complicated devices. Many also use text, so you can do a 2-in-1 while using the device and RCing to any text.

Try to Float

One of the most popular things to do in a lucid dream is to fly, and this reality check incorporates the ability to fly while also getting you on your way into the clouds if you are dreaming. To do this reality check, simply try to float from where you are up into the air, or try to jump. Your body will begin to float if you imagine yourself gently lifting upward; if you jump, the absence of gravity will cause you to float back down to the ground, rather than landing as you would in real life.

Look At Your Hands

Very often, hands will appear to look strange in dreams. They may appear wavy, hazy, even discolored. They may even appear reversed (your right palm would have its thumb on the left side, rather than the right). Very, very commonly in dreams, the number of fingers on a hand will not add up. You may find your hand to have six, or seven, or more fingers, or even only two. When doing this RC, make sure to very carefully pause and inspect your hands, carefully counting the number of fingers.

Finger-Through-Palm

This reality check relies on the fact that, though you have hands in dreams, they are not real and do not exist. They are just images you are perceiving, and have no solid form. Because of this, they can push through other objects, and other objects can push through them. To do a finger-through-hand (aka hand-in-hand) RC, take the finger of one hand and push it into the palm of the other hand. Visualize the finger tip coming out the back of your hand, while telling yourself 'this is a dream, my hands do not exist.' If you are dreaming, the finger will pop out the other side of your hand.

Nose Pinch

The purpose of the Nose Pinch reality check is to completely block your airways, yet continue to breathe and not begin suffocating. This is because, for the most part, your body is managing your breathing while you sleep. In a lucid dream pinching or plugging your nose, just as you would in a swimming pool, is pinching a nose that doesn't really exist. Your real nose is still wide open and air is passing through it. Despite pinching your dream nose, you will continue to breathe in real life, and you will still be able to breath in the dream since your mind will be able to provide you with or emulate the feeling of breathing deeply. To do this RC, simply pinch your nose completely so that you cannot breathe through it and close your mouth. Try to inhale through your nose.

An adaptation on this RC is to close your throat from the inside, blocking your airway, and then attempting to inhale. You will not have to use your hands at all, and can do it without any visible signs that you are doing anything out of the ordinary, so this is also a better RC for those who wish to conduct them in an inconspicuous manner.

Others

There are many other less common reality checks that people have come up with over the years. Reality checks are just ways to test which reality you are in, so anything that is different in the dream world from the real world can act as a reality check. You can make up your own, if there is something in your dreams that frequently shows you are dreaming.

Alternative RCs:
Ask yourself "How did I get here?"
Ask yourself "Did I put these clothes on?"
Look into a mirror. Who are you?
Try to 'phase' through objects- like the finger through palm, but with any objects, ex: your entire arm into a wall or desk.

Oh good, I like how you put it in a spoiler. I was worried that this thing would et too long and scare people away. I'll leave this hear for a few more hours for any last minute stuff then copy it into the tutorial.

Habitual Reality Checking Habitually

In addition, however, reality checking habitually can lead you to do reality checks in your dreams, likely because it is the focus of so much attention that it causes you to dream about your cues.


that part sounds like a run on sentence...how about:

In addition, checking habitually can lead you to reality checks in your dreams. It's more likely to happen because it's the focus of your attention, causing you to dream about your cues.



Other than that, the part where you mention "DJ" should be typed out in it's entirety...you know for people that may have read about this before anything else related to dreaming.

And on a side note, I love that you bought up the fact that RCing is still useful for failed WILD attempts. I've gotten a good deal of DILDs because of that. Good work shift...good effing work.