What is YOUR Ultimate Reality Check? I found mine!

[oilfieldpilot]

Hello all! (I'm coming up on my 2 weeks, hint hint!) Anyway, I have been getting a lot better with remembering to do Consistent Reality Checks. I know they help b/c I finally had a dream where I used one (recognized a dreamsign). Anyway, I wanted to share an experience yesterday; I think I have found MY Ultimate RC! First off, I live and work 99% of my life on the water; and MOST of my dreams have to do with water (the sea, ocean, lakes etc; major dreamsign for me) After work, if I still have sunlight, I take a leisurely walk to the beach and go for about an hours run. The beaches here in most parts of Louisiana are flanked by swamps/marshes and cow pastures; there are NO homes built along the beach except in a very few areas. My beach is virgin, so I get to see a lot of seashells, driftwood, as well as washed up dolphin, sea turtles, huge fish, etc. I use these as a signal to do an RC when I happen upon them, then I continue my trot. Yesterday, I happened upon a dolphin that I had been passing for the last week, and a sea turtle who washed ashore 2 days ago. At the Very end of my run, I noticed I was coming up on something new that has washed up. It was an alligator, about a 7 footer, (small to ave for here; remember I live in the marshes/swamps) This little guy I noticed had been recently washed-up, as his feet and parts of his legs were buried in the sand. I stooped over him and said "Oh, you poor little guy!" and then put my foot on his back to see how long he'd been dead (he looked like a very recent wash-up) Just as I put my foot on his back and rocked him, I laughed and did my RC. I learned TWO things Instantly: 1. THIS WAS NOT A DREAM, as Mr. Alligator was NOT dead, but WELL Alive! (as he coiled and showed me each and every one of his pearly whites!) and 2. I obviously was NOT That tired after my hour's run as I had thought! Hahahaha Then I proceeded home to change my shorts! ok, just wanted to share this one. Am interested in anyone else's RC experiences? Even if they are still in Waking life... I had another RC not much different, and it came for a visit in my dreams that night! Hang Lucid, Dreamers, OFP

[nerve]

I think maybe you're confusing "Reality Check" with "Dreamsign". Dreamsigns are the signals you choose to point out times for you to do a Reality Check. Reality Checks are the actual tests that you perform to decide wether you're dreaming or not. (the Reality Check Tutorial in the Tutorials Section has a list of different Reality Checks) it's important for people to find Dreamsigns that work best for them, I'm glad you found yours.

[oilfieldpilot]

and Yes, you are indeed correct! maybe I sounded confusing, sorry. Since MY dreamsigns center around: Water, Flying rattletraps, Days of college exams....I try to FOCUS my Reality Checks around my typical Dream Signs. Which would make sense. If I did reality checks about...let's say for me....Watching TV, then I would virtually Never have any opportunity in MY dream to do an RC IN my dream and hence become lucid. I would NOT have a Dream sign related to a TV within my dreams to do an RC , and to associate my Waking RC's....because I don't watch TV and they don't exist where I live/work, Literally! (we're fortunate to have a phone line!) So far, MY focus of waking RC's are based on what are my typically occurring dreamsigns; again, huge bodies of water, crashing helicopter, parachute failing, back to exams and not being prepared, and people in my daily life... Make Sense? I hope so! It seems to be the only way I can achieve lucidity in My dreams so far! GOSH IF NOT, Let me know! ofp

[nerve]

I can't tell you what will work for you, and there is no "best" way to achieve lucid dreams, but there are plenty of great techniques described in the Tutorials Section. check them out and find what works best for you. :D

[oilfieldpilot]

Yes the tutorials have been very informative no doubt! I have been taking the time to read posts and research in many areas so as to try and avoid making 'repetitive-beat the dead horse' posts too. It is most beneficial to ME to have people like YOU and this forum who really are instrumental in helping us fledglings learn and keep us on our "victor" (flightpath) Each of us has to come to know ourselves and then find what works best for us. You are right! thanks again I hope to be coming out of a dry spell; but I do note each and every tinsy tiny step of progress and be grateful for it. Anything forced, is counterproductive, I have learned and learned,....and then learned again! Happy travels 8) ofp

[Damascus]

Originally posted by oilfieldpilot MOST of my dreams have to do with water (the sea, ocean, lakes etc; major dreamsign for me) I am jealous of people like you, whose dreams are easy to break into LDs. It's so much easier for you to get a LD than me, whose dreams are always random and unpredictable. Count yourself lucky, and train yourself you see this dreamsign!

[Dagaz]

Originally posted by Damascus I am jealous of people like you, whose dreams are easy to break into LDs. It's so much easier for you to get a LD than me, whose dreams are always random and unpredictable. Damascus is right my dreams are just confusing stuff, like last night it was with superhereos, buying a shampoo in a store... just random stuff, i cant seem to find a patern to follow. I think im going to just find a RC that i can get use to do it several times a day... I think its better that someone instead of making an artice of RC`s that someone made one about Dream Signs and how to find your one, so theeeeen you can practice your RC`s... well im glad you finded yours ... i have to first find my DSign... Byee...

[oilfieldpilot]

Hi Damascus! PLEASE Let me Clarify: Achieving Lucidity for me is NOT Easy!! I am only trying Recently to become lucid in my dreams by My decision! I never knew one could do this. Thru my life, what lucid dreams I have had, were purely spontaneous, and I just went along for the ride; I knew nothing else to do. But I knew thie experience was incredibly different than a normal dream (for me). Au Contraire, Amigo I have only been fortunate to have dreams, remember them somewhat easily, and too predict what dreams I will have (ie, stresses over exams....stress over work...seeing thingsI don't care for....etc) Which brings me to this point: yes, my dreams are largely predictable and I am realizing this More and More as Iam doing these RC's on a very frequent and daily basis. For Example: Friday, thru the day I saw or encountered the following 5 things and TOOK NOTICE: 1. A damn cockroach in the Pilots' crew quarters (a 'thing' I don't care to see) I'd rather see a spider or bug...Cockroaches I detest! 2. AmberJack, Bluegill and mahi mahi: all huge fish we catch when offshore on these oil platforms. I saw these fish late in afternoon come up to feed at my platform 3. I talked to my husband (who is in Az) and asked if he is remembering to do HIS RCs. He has been nonchalant. One of our RC's is Each time we pass thru a doorway, we say "Door to my dreams" and take a moment to observe the doorway. Anyway, I told him he's sure remember to do this RC if a damn rattle snake sat on the otherside and bit his a$$ if he forgot to do the RC! 4. Birds: On onshore base is flanked by 2 large rookeries. This time of year the marshbirds are hatching. I try to go and check on the nests and see all the babies. So that day I did see 5 nests with new hatchlings 5. Lizard: I am particular to lizards too. I had an iguana for over 10 yrs I raised from a hatchling. At my base onshore we also have a TON of lizards and frogs and toads. They are hatching now too and are all over the place. I noticed upon retuning that afternoon we had a new batch of baby anoles scampering around our deck. Sure enough, Each and Every one of these items above were incorporated into my dream that night; I was trying to make pets out of 2 gross cockroaches, I was stuck in a nest of snakes trying to chomp on me, strange bird's nests, trying to fish and my line kept gatting snagged, and a beautiful emerald green lizard sitting atop a cactus watching me do all of these things! And thru the dream I Knew I had experienced these things that day (this is new for me too).... The only difference is that NOW, after practicing RC's and Awareness so much the past several weeks, and I realizing and taking notice in my dreams. BUT...... I am Stilllll not becoming lucid I talk to myself in my dream; tell myself to remember this and that, etc, but no lucidity....unless it is spontaneous! I HAVE Become Lucid 2 times so far thru RC's in the last 2 weeks. They both had to do with something reallllly screwed up with flying (one of the typical pilot nightmares) and I actually asked myself, Hey is this a dream?...and thankfully it was; and I became lucid momentarily. I was just grateful I was not crashing into the Gulf! Makes for a sucky day Small steps, but I feel I AM making some progress. I AM NO NATURAL!!!! I wish I was! (My husband is...dammit!) So apologies if I came across as this Thanks again! hope this clarifies things

[Amethyst Star]

Hey ofp. Dont worry if you're not having that much luck yet. You will if you keep doing those RCs. Another one I found (and you might try) is just looking back at things. In my last LD I was wondering whether or not I was dreaming and so I looked down the hallway of my dorm room and saw a bunch of tourists walking. I looked away and when I looked back they were gone, signifying that I was dreaming! So, maybe every now and then you could try looking back to see if what you just saw is different in any way, such as if an animal you just saw is gone or different in some way. Originally posted by oilfieldpilot 3. I talked to my husband (who is in Az) and asked if he is remembering to do HIS RCs. He has been nonchalant. One of our RC's is Each time we pass thru a doorway, we say \"Door to my dreams\" and take a moment to observe the doorway. I liike your "Door to my dreams" idea. I should try that out, since it's an every-day occurrence and would probably happen in my dreams. Thanks! -Amé

[oilfieldpilot]

Thanks Ame! (sorry for the wrong "e" there) I really like your RC idea and that makes sense too! I will start incorporating that into daily drudge! The doorway RC is actually my modified version taked from TLI ( The Lucidity Institute). The 2 that they do are the doorway, and then whenever someone hands you something, you are to say "I remember". If you forget to do this, you earn a star or flower sticker to adhear to your nametag. I am trying to practice practice practice before attending their 10 day intensive "Dream Camp" in Hawaii this July! You would Not realize just How many doorways you pass through in a day! I swore to myself at first (trying to find all the excuses why This RC wouldn't be suitable for me...) that I don't pass thru enough doorways to make this worth while...WRONG! When I decided to give it a day, I carried a pen with me. Each time I forgot to do the RC (which was Always), ( And yes, you DO remember After you go thru for some reason) I would take the pen and draw a hatch mark on my forearm. BY the end of the first day....I had 6 sets of 5 hatch marks = 30!!! those were only the forgotten ones too (I think I remembered maybe 5 or 6) Funny thing is, once I told my husband that he better get off his butt and remember to do his RC, and told him to just remember there is a snake on the otherside that WILL bite if he forgets the RC! Then that night I had that damn nightmare about snakes!!! Now Guess WHO Doesn't forget HER RC's at every doorway??? I've even added "Door to my Dreams" and when I pass thru, "NO SNAKES!!!" hahahaha Now maybe when the snakes slither back into my dreams, It'll trigger and RC for me! (I have lots of water moccasins and timber rattlers here too!) OK, I'm looking forward to loking BACK! that's cool! thanks again Ame! Happy travels too -ofp

[fluid phil]

Hi Oilfieldpilot et all.... In my one and only ld, what triggered me realising it was a dream was when I was in a car with several people and I was NAKED or nearly naked. I often dream of this sort of thing (It could be because I often feel vunerable/exposed in real life, or because I'm a randy little fellow - which I am) but other people often talk about this happening in dreams. Its probaly a good sign you are dreaming because it so unusual to be naked in such a public way and in an exposed situation (unless you are a flasher or streaker or porn star). This seems to be a key to ld. Things seem to make sense at the time in the dream but you need to say "Whoa...back the truck up. I'm naked in a car full of people? What are the chances of that happening outside my bucks night? Not very high, me thinks. Could this be a dream perhaps? Lets look around a bit more critically" And off you go. Of course this has only worked once for me so maybe I should shut up until it happens again. Phil (not currently naked hence I'm pretty sure I'm not dreaming - I think)

[Aramis]

in my last LD all the words were backwards and i did a timecheck and relized i was dreaming

[latency]

A time check was the first RC that worked for me, so it's stuck more so that the others... I remember I just loked at my watch, then looked again and it was totally messed up, so I was like 'WTF?!?!?!' then I snapped to lucid and kept calm at the same time. I just started sniggering insanely that these RC's had finally paid off...