Thread: Are RC a must in order to realize your in a dream?

Reality checks are only used to confirm that you are dreaming. It rarely happens that someone just randomly does a reality check and becomes lucid. You usually first realize you might be dreaming, and then do a reality check to make sure.

Like enjyu said, reality checks are only used to confirm. Most people rarely do a reality check, it's more something like "oh wait this is weird....maybe I'm in a dream. *does reality check*"
Many times you won't even need a reality check to start your lucid adventure, but they are very crucial for two things within the dream:

- If done a long the dream, they will be a very powerful tool to maintain lucidity (means do one every minute when you're lucid and you've increases by a lot your chances of staying lucid for the rest of your dream);
- They act as a logic tool. If you see some one in your lucid, especially if you're a beginner, you might feel some constrain (wonder if it's okay to abort that amazing women, or take that weapon from the huge guy). If you do a reality check, you will better realize how impossible the whole situation is, so there's no need for constrain.

its not the RCs that are nessessary,but the awerness that you keep making it high by RCing,before a RC,you have to question your reality,use all of your 5senses,and ask Q like,where have i been,or how did i get here,then you do the RC

The theory behind a reality check is that if you perform them in your waking life in a habitual fashion then at some point that habit should carry over into your dreams. For example if you hold your nose and try to breath through it many times during the day you will not be able to breath through your nose and you will know that you are awake. Hopefully this habit will carry over into your dreams and when you hold your nose you will be able to breath through it and you will then know that you must be dreaming and subsequently become lucid. This has never worked for me. Sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming but because the dream sseems so real and Im not sure if Im awake or dreaming I will perform a reality check to find out if I am dreaming or not.

No, you don't have to use RCs to become lucid. Lots of different sources claim that if you do RCs enough, you'll eventually do them in your dreams and you will become lucid, although in this case, you'll just habitually do them without realizing it. Awareness is the most important thing in terms of attaining lucidity. I hardly use RCs.

Most of my lucids I just randomly become aware, although I may have forgotten than I had done a RC I would certainly say it's not necessary.

I had my first lucid dream because of reality checks. I was asked by a DC if my friend was coming on a trip with us, so I pulled my phone to text him, saw the time and remembered to do a reality check. There have been other dreams where I'll just have the realization of what is going is stupid and I must be dreaming however performing RCs made my lucid dreams more vivid.