How can I force myself to do my checks in my dream?

[technoviking]

Hi everyone, I was curious if there is any hints out there on how I can increase my chances of doing a reality check inside my dream so I can begin the lucid dream process. I've began to remember my dreams a lot more now and before maybe once a week I would remember a dream. So far its been 2 nights in a row where I can remember a fair amount of the dreams. The problem is when I'm in the dream I never do a reality check, I simply go with the flow of the dream. My reality check is I wrote some letters on my hand and I was hoping inside the dream I could check that. But I don't seem to ever check my hands or even think about it. I'm too caught up in what is happening in my dream. I think the weirdest part is I use a wheelchair the majority of the time in the real world but when I dream I'm never in a wheelchair. So you would think that HUGE difference (that I'm actually walking in my dreams) would instantly tell me that I"m dreaming. But the fact I'm walking in my dreams doesn't send out any reality signals. Any tips would be great!

[Puffin]

Welcome to Dreamviews! The lucid dream process of which you describe actually happens the other way around in 99% of cases - you stop in the middle of the dream, aware, and then do a reality check to back up your suspicions that you could be dreaming. Sometimes you don't even need to do an RC because you're already fully convinced that you're dreaming! Work on explaining to yourself why you may (or may not) be in a dream every few hours, using reality checks if you have to, and reason out to yourself what the location would look like if you were in fact dreaming. For instance, "I'm not dreaming because I can't breathe through my plugged nose, but in a dream, I'd be able to breathe. Also, that chair over there might not be the same size, shape, or color. I might not be as aware as I am right now, or observant."

[technoviking]

Thanks Puffin for the tips. Also do you recommend using audio stimulation? For example 2 nights ago my dream was some what blurry. I knew I was myself and I was looking at things but it wasn't clear at all. The other night I tried this audio stimulation called i-doze and I put it on the lucid dream track. The dream I had while listening to that audio was much more clear and I remember a ton more. This could be just luck though because the track only lasts for 30 minutes then shuts off. Do you think this audio stuff is bs? Thanks, Cory

[Puffin]

Certain audio such as binaural beats or isochronic tones can induce sleepiness and relaxation, but as for inducing lucidity, I'm personally skeptical about that. However, I'm positive I had a few DILDs from getting into bed, lying on my back, and listening to delta binaural beats for half an hour or so. It probably has less to do with the fact that the music playing, and more that it's relaxing physically, and you're maintaining a state of clarity until you decide to turn the mp3 player off. If the sounds play when I'm actually dreaming though, it doesn't seem to help. If i-doze is helping, I'd stick with it.

[technoviking]

Excellent. thanks for your help. I'm also going to read your Beginner's guide to LDing, can't wait!

[Khal]

I have a suggestion for you - instead of writing on the back of your hands, every once in a while pinch your nose and attempt to breathe through it. Before you do that, attempt to convince yourself that you're not actually dreaming, and then try to breathe through your nose whilst it's pinched. Good luck!

[technoviking]

cool idea! thanks! i will try it! I guess what confuses me is what inspires you to actually stop to make these checks? For example, when I enter the dream world I'm so caught up in whats happening that I don't focus on myself, I just get swept away with the dream. Theres rarely a time when I'm just standing in a room and have time to myself in dreams. Even if things don't seem right, for some reason I don't ever question them. What helped you once your inside the dream world start questioning things? Do I need to start questioning things in the waking life to get into the habit or what exactly? Like if I see a tree in the real world do I need to physically touch the tree so in my dream world when I see a tree I'll get an urge to touch it? -Cory

[Khal]

I'm exactly the same as you are, don't worry (I'm still fairly new to Lucid Dreaming - check my Introduction in the forum we're in atm). I've gotten into the habit of holding my nose in real life and trying to breathe through it. I'll describe my first ever lucid dream to you and how I realised it was a dream: I was walking outside of school with one of my friends (we'll call him Jordan) and I remember looking at him and laughing with him, whilst we searched for one of my other friends. As were we walking along, I saw my friend we were looking for and I was about to tell Jordan, but then I realised he had turned into one of my other friends named Jack. I stopped and thought, "Wait a minute..." then held my nose and breathed through it with complete ease. I then attempted to fly but my friend grabbed me and made me trip, then I woke up. I'm guessing if you pay attention to things in real life with a bit more detail, you'll do reality checks more often and be able to notice if it's a dream or not. Don't worry about it, I'm exactly the same as you - I'm always focusing on the dream too and going along with it. You said: Even if things don't seem right, for some reason I don't ever question them. The only suggestion I can make is to pay attention in real life to situations and look at the details of things, taking notice of whether or not the people are being themselves and your surroundings are normal. Good luck I don't expect you to reply to this post, it was a bit long and I realise how painful it will be to reply xD

[technoviking]

Replying isn't hard lol. Your advice is great. I like the nose technique because it won't require me to write on my hands and its more of a big impact if you can breathe when your holding your nose closed which may make me aware. Thanks! We'll see if I can pull something off tonight!

[Khal]

Good luck!

[Pops715]

Technoviking - I'm the same way. When I'm in the dream, I never do a reality check because the dream just seems...natural and I just go with it. And I'm still waiting patiently to have my first lucid dream.

[lawilahd]

Puffin is right, most LD's come from awareness rather than doing a RC first, read about all day awareness on this site and you'll learn more. Also when you do the reality check eg. breathing through pinched nose, even if you know that you are awake, expect that you will be able to do it, because if you always do it with the expectation that its not possible because your not dreaming, then when you actually do dream and do the RC, it may not work because you are too used to the idea that it doesn't work, which has happened to me before.

[RebelSeven]

Though RC's do increase the chance that you will randomly notice a re-occurring dreamsign and make yourself become lucid, the true purpose of the RC is much more fundamental. By giving you several things to be constantly looking for on a low-conscious level, RC's increase your lowest and most base levels of awareness. This has the effect of stimulating your logic centers of your brain constantly (If you actually try to stay aware all day). In the end RC's work because you are training yourself to BE AWARE and keep your logic centers ACTIVE. In this way while in a dream you will actually notice things are unrealistic and you will consciously question them instead of going with the flow. Basically RC's make you increase lucidity while awake, and that bleeds over into your dreams.

[Pops715]

I'm going to put all I've learned here into practice. I had at least two dreams last night, neither one of them lucid. I awoke between them, scribbled some notes in my dream journal, then tried the WILD technique while going back to sleep, but to no avail. This is getting frustrating. It gets even more frustrating when I see other newbies saying that they've already had some lucid dreams. I feel like I'm the only one here who HASN'T had one yet.

[technoviking]

I honestly think the alarm clock technique is where its at. I slept for 6 hours, didn't remember any dream. But as soon as the alarm clock went off for 3 seconds and I went back to bed I instantly had a dream I could remember pretty vividly. I think if I keep trying the alarm clock method something will work. Also Pops715, I think you maybe looking at dreams wrong which maybe blocking you. If you get frustrated by anything I think its a bad sign. Dreams are wonderful even if they aren't lucid. They are interesting to look back upon and wonder why was this dream generated or what does it mean. Ask yourself why is it frustrating? Does doing the dream journal take up a lot of your time? If it does then maybe use a voice recorder instead. THat way when you wake up you simply press a button, talk into the recorder an then hit stop. Then go back to sleep. That's what I'm going to do instead of using a journal then later that day I'll replay the recorder and write in the journal.

[tehmuffinman]

I'm going to put all I've learned here into practice. I had at least two dreams last night, neither one of them lucid. I awoke between them, scribbled some notes in my dream journal, then tried the WILD technique while going back to sleep, but to no avail. This is getting frustrating. It gets even more frustrating when I see other newbies saying that they've already had some lucid dreams. I feel like I'm the only one here who HASN'T had one yet. Don't get frustrated, just keep on trying. Like the others have said, it is not that you want to make RCing into such a habit that you randomly happen to do one and it just so happens that you were dreaming at that time. You want to recognize your surroundings and be AWARE that you are awake or dreaming. AWARENESS, I have found from my several months here, is one of the most important words to lucid dreaming. And you certainly aren't the only one that hasn't had a lucid dream. Be patient and dedicated rather than frustrated. Some people just do it naturally, others, not so much, like me. I've only had two lucid "moments" where I'm pretty sure I believed it was a dream but was not aware enough to understand what that entailed. Also, a tip for WILDing that I've heard from the experienced WILDers here, as well as from LaBerge and Tholey, but I don't think it gets mentioned nearly enough. In Tholey's words, "It is not desirable to want actively to enter the scenery, since such an intention as a rule causes the scenery to disappear," meaning just let yourself be passively drawn into the dream rather than force your way in. The scenery being hypnagogic imagery if you've gotten that far. I personally suck at WILDing so I've been sticking to DILD and MILD efforts with WBTB but experiment, and see what works out. Don't immediately give up on a method because it doesn't work soon enough. tl;dr: Don't get frustrated. Practice awareness. Stick to one technique for some time before you decide it doesn't work for you.

[technoviking]

Great advice muffinman, I didn't realize what it even meant to be aware until this morning. I usually just drive, listen to music, and just go with the flow. Just like a dream. Not really paying attention to my surroundings, what i'm feeling, etc. Today when I drove I actually took in what the steering wheel felt like, my seat felt like, when I drank tea, the feeling of the liquid going down my throat into my stomach. Things I just passed over before I'm now being more aware of. I think this will help me in my dreams for both creating worlds around me as well as realizing that something doesn't feel 100% correct which will help me LD. I also see you're a redditor. If you ever read the 12 hour erection story on the front page, that was me!

[Pops715]

Actually, just jotting down a few key words about the dream helped me to remember it. (I had to get up to go anyway...comes with age) Went back to sleep and resumed dreaming but it was a totally different dream. I'm going to focus on increasing my awareness during the day. I think that's the key (or one of the keys) to what's holding me back.

[Pops715]

Don't get frustrated, just keep on trying. Like the others have said, it is not that you want to make RCing into such a habit that you randomly happen to do one and it just so happens that you were dreaming at that time. You want to recognize your surroundings and be AWARE that you are awake or dreaming. AWARENESS, I have found from my several months here, is one of the most important words to lucid dreaming. And you certainly aren't the only one that hasn't had a lucid dream. Be patient and dedicated rather than frustrated. Some people just do it naturally, others, not so much, like me. I've only had two lucid "moments" where I'm pretty sure I believed it was a dream but was not aware enough to understand what that entailed. Also, a tip for WILDing that I've heard from the experienced WILDers here, as well as from LaBerge and Tholey, but I don't think it gets mentioned nearly enough. In Tholey's words, "It is not desirable to want actively to enter the scenery, since such an intention as a rule causes the scenery to disappear," meaning just let yourself be passively drawn into the dream rather than force your way in. The scenery being hypnagogic imagery if you've gotten that far. I personally suck at WILDing so I've been sticking to DILD and MILD efforts with WBTB but experiment, and see what works out. Don't immediately give up on a method because it doesn't work soon enough. tl;dr: Don't get frustrated. Practice awareness. Stick to one technique for some time before you decide it doesn't work for you. Thanks. I know that being frustrated may be part of what's holding me back. I'll focus on increasing my awareness during the day. Hopefully that'll help.

[tehmuffinman]

Great advice muffinman, If you ever read the 12 hour erection story on the front page, that was me! Oh holy Jesus H. Christ of Science... that... that story... needles.. cheese log.. I must vow now that once I get into a medical career I will not be retarded and inflate peoples junk with blood. I tip my hat to you sir.

[Bobblehat]

Also, a tip for WILDing that I've heard from the experienced WILDers here, as well as from LaBerge and Tholey, but I don't think it gets mentioned nearly enough. In Tholey's words, "It is not desirable to want actively to enter the scenery, since such an intention as a rule causes the scenery to disappear," meaning just let yourself be passively drawn into the dream rather than force your way in. Oh boy, if only it were that easy - I'd be WILDing every time I meditate. I think a lot of BS is spread around about WILD - especially on how easy it is. "Count to 100, say 'I'm dreaming' and you'll find you really are dreaming!" says LaBerge. Can anyone else smell bullsh*t? I'd have respected him more if he'd said, "This probably won't work and you'll waste years of your life trying to do something that doesn't work." Try it though - you might find you can do it. Would like to see statistics on how many people actually successfully master WILD in a manner that leads to long term success though. You won't find those stats in LaBerge's writings though. The statistics would put people off buying his books. There's more money to be made in giving people false hope.

[Bobblehat]

It gets even more frustrating when I see other newbies saying that they've already had some lucid dreams. I feel like I'm the only one here who HASN'T had one yet. Generally, I'd take anything beginners say with a pinch of salt. Seen the same thing on here so many times - beginners announce they are going to attempt some technique, they succeed on their first attempt and have ONE lucid dream, then come back to the site the next day anxious to tell everyone how they're a natural or how they're an overnight guru.

[Ctharlhie]

Actually I think you have an amazingly useful trigger for reality checking right under your nose, you said in you first post that you use a wheelchair in waking life but not in your dreams. Well, any time you aren't in your wheel chair, reality check, you're probably dreaming Try auto-suggestion as you're dropping off to sleep 'when I am not using a wheelchair I will realise I'm dreaming and reality check...' or similar, and repeat it over and over.

[tehmuffinman]

I think a lot of BS is spread around about WILD - especially on how easy it is. "Count to 100, say 'I'm dreaming' and you'll find you really are dreaming!" says LaBerge. Can anyone else smell bullsh*t? I'd have respected him more if he'd said, "This probably won't work and you'll waste years of your life trying to do something that doesn't work." Lol, I see where you're coming from and agree from my times spent trying to WILD, but all I was trying to explain is one point that I've seen emphasized both on DV and from people with Dr. Professor Buy-my-book degrees, that you should not concentrate on the dream while you're doing whatever it is you do.

[DreamVail]

I think maybe there is a mix up here. I think Puffin was right. Reality checks don't induce Lucidity. Potential Lucidity can do reality checks but you have to have something give you the trigger to do them. I think the question in the original post here is not so much about reality checks as to how to find a Lucidity trigger. To me, I think it is important that the subconscious dreaming mind and the Lucid part of the mind are wanting to work together, and play together. The mutual enemy of both I think is Fear.