Don't seem to RC anymore in my dreams?

[Dairyman]

Alright, so I've been trying to have a FULLY lucid dream for what seems like AGES, and had a few semi lucids, but absolutely no fully lucids. Now the problem is, whenever I'm dreaming, I *always* forget to reality check! In real life, I reality check almost every half hour and keep asking how I got here. Occasionally I inspect the room/environment to see if anything is weird. But almost NEVER in my dreams!! The last dream I had where I RC'd, I did a nose pinch RC and it failed. I think this may have something to do with it since I never had an LD since, no matter what level of awareness. Is there ANY way I could possibly remember to RC in my dreams apart from autosuggestion? Does it take a while for your mind to realize that RC'ing is part of your daily activities and to finally put it in your dreams? I'm going to try autosuggestion, but any ideas/suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance.

[Shift]

How are you doing your RCs, and which ones do you use?

[Dairyman]

I do R.C's whenever I can remember them, sometimes I do the daily dreamsign. I use mainly the nose pinch reality check, looking at my hands and asking how I got here. Hmm, now that I think of it, I might do that daily dreamsign every day now. It really does help.

[Shift]

I know what I say about reality checking is really starting to sound repetitive, but that's because I think, at least for me, these things are so important: Try doing your RCs whenever you first wake up (FAs), whenever you realize there is a coincidence, whenever you are strongly confused about something, whenever something just weird happens and stands out as strange, whenever you think of lucid dreaming, whenever you hear someone say 'dream' or talk about dreaming, whenever you think about reality checking, whenever you think about or see your dreamsigns, whenever you notice you are looking at the time, whenever you find yourself coming up with an explanation for something, and whenever you think of the daily dreamsign. When these things DO happen, whatever it is that you are doing you need to completely stop. Literally stop in your tracks, focus on nothing but your reality checking. Look around you. Where are you? Should you be there? Who are you with? Where are you going? Where are you coming from? Does it make sense? Do your reality checks, and when you do them make sure to really, really REALLY expect them to work because you think there's a chance you're dreaming. Do them expecting and even imagining the dream outcome. If you are pushing a finger into your palm, imagine the feeling as it pushes through, and visualize the tip coming out the other end. If you are counting, point to each finger and say the number to yourself. Maybe imagine extra fingers growing, or try wiggling them around to see if, when you stop, there's an extra one. Imagine the flow of air through your pinches nostrils. When you do them, make sure to do a few in case one doesn't work. Always have backup RCs. The daily dreamsign is definitely good for MILDs, but also good for remembering to do your regular reality checks at those times that I pointed out. So yea, if you can really try to do them every day or to at least come up with your own, or be very diligent about your own dreamsigns. The best DILD isn't one where you reality check, it's one where you realize you're dreaming without a state test because your awareness is just that good!

[Dairyman]

Hi Shift, Thank you for the information on reality checking. That's sort of how I had my first LD, I just knew I was dreaming because I was aware (had a cup of coffee before bed).

[staggerlee]

Hey Milkman You sound just like me, complaining to myself that my RC's didn't do the trick. Yesterday I checked much more than 21 times. Last night it feels like I was constantly checking. Whenever I woke up, which was at least 8 or 10 times, I instantly reality checked over and over again, then pledging to myself that I would RC in my next dream. But in my dream, no RC's. 6:00 am came around, and I hadn't succeeded in remembering to RC in my dream. I lost a bit of sleep trying so hard, so I am frustrated. I have been trying this hard for 3 days now. I did the 61 point relaxation, but every time I only made it to 15 or 20, and had to start again from lack of concentration. I will try again, and keep trying. But hope to not lose so much sleep like I did last night. Thanks Shift for the RC tips. I will try them out.

[ninja9578]

The first couple of times you gotta be crazy about RC. I remember one time I wrote RC on my wrist and I did one every time that I saw it. I was doing them every 3 minutes and it certainly paid off, I had a nice long one that night. Try that for the first couple.

[Dairyman]

Hmm. Okay, I will try that too. Thanks.

[CHiLLEN]

Good advice, i'm still after that first LD! RC on your hand sounds like a good one.

[Dairyman]

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who replied to this topic. I had a DILD last night from doing the nose pinch RC. Unfortunately forgot to stabilize it! But still, I felt good when I woke up. Excerpt from my DJ: ...so I do a reality check and it fails, then I realize i'm dreaming. But suddenly, I'm in my bed and I do a reality check, I can still breathe through my nose with it plugged. But, I forget to stabilize the dream and so I can't open my eyes! I then wake up.

[staggerlee]

Congratulations Milker, too bad you didn't stabalize you could have taken care of those deodorant viruses. Way to go. I'm still workin' on the remembering to remember the RC.

[NOback]

lol i think sometimes getting frustrated sometimes may be they key to help you lucid.