Reality Checks...What Am I Doin?

**Rhys** · 07-26-2007 01:36 AM

g'day every1, (first post).

just a quick 1 with reality checks....?

Iv'e read its good to rub ur hands together, look at digital clocks etc, but im a little vaigue on the howl thing im constantly doing them around the house and stuff, but not sure really what i should be doing....? any suggestions and/or examples?

Cheers Guys.

**RooJ** · 07-26-2007 01:55 AM

Welcome to the forums!
Id recommend trying to breath through your nose while holding the nostrils closed or trying to push a finger through the palm of your hand.
The idea of reality checks is to get into the habit of trying to test reality during the day to check if you're dreaming, and hopefully take these same habits into your dreams. While dreaming you should find you can, for instance, breath with your nostrils closed and you should then realise its a dream.

Its important to actually test reality, be openminded when you attempt to push your finger through the palm of your hand, if you get into the habit of thinking "this is stupid" and not really putting any effort in then you'll take that same habit into your dreams. Its really a case of actually (and seriously) questioning and testing whether you're dreaming or not, and hopefully repeating these tests when you dream.

Hope this helps

Edit:
The hand rubbing is usually used during a lucid dream to prolong the lucid, the rubbing of hands and the feelings produced seem to anchor the dreamer more firmly in the dream. I believe its all to do with engaging more of the senses within the dream.

The digital clock check comes in a few variants i believe, but the main one is when you look at the time on a digital clock and then look away remembering what the time was. When you look back at the clock a second or so later you check to see whether the time is noticably different. If the time is over a minute difference for instance this could indicate a dream.
Another form of the digital clock check is simply looking at the clock to see if it makes sense, sometimes the numbers flick around or simply arn't numbers in dreams, but id advise against this method as the dreaming mind isn't as capable at seeing these flaws as the waking mind.

**SilverZero** · 07-26-2007 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by RooJ

Welcome to the forums!
Id recommend trying to breath through your nose while holding the nostrils closed or trying to push a finger through the palm of your hand.

Man, I just had a moment. I read your suggestions, and kinda idly tried to push my finger through my palm. For a second, as I pushed, it felt like it was sinking in. I realized it was just my nerves doing something normal, but for a split-second. . . .

Hopefully I'll have a better outcome tonight.

**RooJ** · 07-26-2007 02:45 AM

Man, I just had a moment. I read your suggestions, and kinda idly tried to push my finger through my palm. For a second, as I pushed, it felt like it was sinking in. I realized it was just my nerves doing something normal, but for a split-second. . . .

Hopefully I'll have a better outcome tonight.

I know exactly what you mean, for the first few millimeters it does kinda feel like its going through heh, best of luck for tonights attempts

**Rhys** · 07-26-2007 07:20 AM

mmmm alrighty then cheers 4 the info, ill c how i go tonight...:p

**Sivason** · 07-26-2007 10:17 AM

Here is any easy one. Look in the fridge or any cabnit or drawer, close it and look again. Get a soda? Close the door and look again. The dream world will probably change the stuff in there around. PS. If you open a drawer again and see a crazy portal you might be dreaming.

**LucidMike14** · 07-26-2007 10:32 AM

The common ones are looking at text and looking back. I have been lucid 6 times and been practicing since june 7th, and only once used a RC in my dream. I was already lucid when I used it though. It was a digital clock RC. wow it actually works really well too. I was fascinated =)

**ninja9578** · 07-26-2007 07:34 PM

I just look at my hands. In dreams they seem unclear and dance around. Look at your hands now, see how clear they are? Now look about three feet behind them and notice how out of focus your hands are. That's what they look like in dreams (for me anyway.)