Thread: I finally did an RC

I did not on but two RCs in my dream last night, but I still did not become lucid. has anyone else had this problem?

I usually make up an excuse when i do reality checks, make sure when you do a reality check, you do ones like reading words on a piece of paper, 99% of the time the words usually change when you re-read them. Reality checks are the first step to lucidity, not the product of lucidity!

What kind of RC? It seems that most people have to try out a few kinds and see which work best, because some are much more effective than others, and some don't work at all for certain people. I recommend the RC tutorial.

Like Mystical said - one reason I have problems sometimes is if I'm lazy about the reality checks and do it half heartedly and make excuses for them. Perhaps its the same with you?
For example, the 'block your nose and breathe' RC works very well, but not if you block your nose for only an instant and just say 'Yeah, I couldnt breath... moving on'

Every time you do a reality check - ASSUME you are *dreaming*.... until proven otherwise

And like the others said - everyone is different, and you need to find what RC's work for you
For example... reading is a very bad RC for me personally - because I read fluently in dreams.
However others don't find the same problem as I do, and that RC works just fine
Add another RC or 2 to your list of checks, until you are sure which ones work for you

So as a suggestion and summary:
1) Add perhaps 2 more RC's to your routine - at least until you know which ones work for you. Then you can cut it back to 2.
2) Assume you are dreaming until proven otherwise
3) Never rely on only one RC. If one fails - *always* try the others as well. And don't prejudice the results because of the first RC ... again, still assume you are dreaming until proven.

Good luck

What Iam doing now is setting my cell phone to vibrate every hour until 6 in the evening then it is every half hour. When I do an RC I try to oush my finger through my hand and make a fire ball in my left hand and shoot lighting with my right. Do you think that will work?

Originally posted by Musouka
What Iam doing now is setting my cell phone to vibrate every hour until 6 in the evening then it is every half hour. When I do an RC I try to oush my finger through my hand and make a fire ball in my left hand and shoot lighting with my right. Do you think that will work?

The finger through the hand is usually good. Count your fingers too
The fireball ... not sure. It depends on the person. Eg just cos you cant fly doesnt mean its reality

Try about 3 RC's at least, if you don't know what works for you yet.
Here's another few good ones, that work for me

* Remember the last meal you had. Where were you, how did you get from then to now. Does it make sense? If you find yourself making excuses, or unable to answer - they you are likely dreaming. Follow this one up
* Close your nose, and keep breathing normally. If you can, then you're dreaming . Make sure you dont get lazy with this one, I've fooled myself by being too quick and dismissive. Make sure you hold your nose long enough to be sure.

Otherwise look in the tutorials for other options

yeah it definitely depends on you. One RC is looking at your hands. I can't do that one because my hands are perfectly normal. You can turn a light on or off, try to put your finger through a wall or mirror, look at your watch look away and look back... It all depends on what works best for you. I think trying to breathe through your nose and reading something and looking away and reading it again are the best ones because you get used to not being able to doing some of the other things. You need to pick something that is guranteed to get screwed up in your dreams.

Yep - agreed

Originally posted by Imachinchilla
You need to pick something that is guranteed to get screwed up in your dreams.

Unfortunately, that seems impossible... but you need something as close to that as possible
Thats why you need more than one RC. Make sure that if one fails, there are others to double check with