Thread: Got any tips on reality checks?

ask yourself if you are dreaming 10-20 seconds after ppl start talking to you
(like someone randomly walks into a room and asks you something) - that's the most challenging time to RC.

I'd suggest doing a reality check whenever you feel like it (such as "oh, I havn't done a reality check in a while", and then you do one) or whenever something strange or out of the ordinary happens (such as "is that man really talking into a sparkly pink phone?"). Hope this helps!

set a reminder in your fone dude and jus try and do them as much as you can and aftera a while you get used to it more

good luck! xD

First off, try to RC every 10-15 minutes. If you find that hard, make a suitable timeframe for yourself. Try to look at a clock every so often, and notice how long it has been since you last reality checked.

Also, when do you reality check, don't just do your technique. Don't just say, "Well my finger isn't going through my hand. So I am awake." Literally check reality. Look around you. Feel gravity. Feel your weight. Feel what it is like to move around. Test anything you can.

Eventually, reality checking will become concreted into your head, and you will do this in your dreams, and achieve lucidity.

Good luck!

-Muggler

Write RC on your hand every day and RC when you see it and especially when you think about it without having seen it.

Place post-its around your room/house/whereever reminding you to RC. Try to anticipate them.

Use the mnemonic aid of visualizing your day and all of the cues you've left around for yourself.

Set an alarm to go off as frequently as possible, and RC when it goes off.

Switch through all the ringtones on your phone, and anticipate your main ringtone. Every time you hear it, RC, then continue flipping through until you reach it again. Practice this, so that whenever your phone goes off you think to RC. If you watch tv, do the same with commercials. If you listen to the radio, do the same with commercials. Etc.

Remember to follow the tutorial and I recommend this.

Ok, guys! Thank you! I'll try these! But one mroe question, how often is it really needed to do a RC's per day?

In all actuality, you could probably become lucid with very little to none at all. Granted, it would take more time, but it can certainly be done. I've done it...twice.

I prefer reality checks mostly to confirm that I'm dreaming. The main purpose of RCing throughout the day is to increase your awareness. Awareness is key for lucid dreaming. After all, a reality check is not much good in a dream if you perform it and never think about it.

Reality checking is a brilliant tool, but I wouldn't rely on it entirely. Like Shift said, I would try to incorporate some MILD techniques, and possibly even WILDs. Of course, I wouldn't drop RCing altogether. It does work wonders for a lot of people. Really, it's all about finding the method that works for you. I kinda prefer MILD because I'm lazy...

So, back to your question, I would go with RCing at any interval from 15 minutes to every two hours or so. It varies from person to person, but what you really want to avoid is falling into the habit of doing an RC and not thinking about it. So, go with whatever interval best satisfies this condition for you. Not very helpful, I know. To start, I would suggest one every half hour to hour. Alternately, leave sticky notes lying around, etc.

Please pardon my wall of text.

If you want a reality check you can do without being conspicuous try to move things with your mind or put your hand through a solid object.

I tend to find in dreams if I put my hand/body against a wall and ignore the fact the wall is there (I cant really explain the thought process.. it's more like I just dont care that it's there) I can sink into it/walk through which obviously doesn't work in reality!

RC as much as you need to to become lucid. What does that mean? Well, it depends on you and your life right now. So, if I were you I would aim for as high of a frequency as possible just to get it on your mind, and then when you're able to remember, I'd do it until it works and you have a concept of how much you have to do it. As Mario pointed out, DILDs are especially about awareness. On the one hand, you want to be aware of yourself, your behaviors, your emotions, your thought-processes, your unconscious behaviors, why you do what you do. You also want to be aware of your environment. Sometimes, raising awareness is sufficient to allow you to become lucid. You'll see something strange and it will suddenly -click- that you are dreaming. No doubt, you'll simply laugh at yourself for not realizing it earlier.
Other times, you'll strongly suspect you are dreaming, but want to do reality checks to reassure yourself. You may feel pressured- perhaps you are surrounded by other people. Would running around screaming "I'M IN A DREAM!" be something you'd regret if it weren't true? Are you afraid of something in the dream? Just reality check to really convince yourself. Sometimes dream characters will respond to your declaration of lucidity with "What, what's wrong with you? Of course this isn't a dream." and, if you take their word for it, you'll lose lucidity. You want to use reality checks as a tool, a tool to test reality.
You also want to make your reality checking a reflex or habit. You don't have to suspect your dreaming. If it becomes a habit, fantastic! You just want to make sure that you don't make a habit of not paying attention. Lots of times you'll feel the need to RC or something fairly normal will still cue you, and without even truly suspecting you'll suddenly find that you have 8 deformed fingers. So, moral of the story: Do you reality checks, and be absolutely serious about them. Also do multiples in case one fails. NEVER put off reality checking because there are people around you- exactly how often do you have dreams without a single DC? If possible just do discrete ones- check the time, read some text, whatever. There are ways to RC without declaring it to the world. Pretend you have an itch and scratch your hand- but don't focus on your act, focus on your RC. Read the text on a shirt or a clock or the spine of a book. Close your sinuses from within and do a 'nose-pinch' test. Just remember to give them adequate attention. Never slack.

Btw, MILD is actually a very intensive method, I'm not sure why you think it's good for lazy people, Mario? With all of the prospective memory training, dream journaling, visualization, reality checking, and analysis for dream signs and reality checks during the day, I'd say it's a technique that requires quite a bit of dedication.

Please thoroughly read my wall of text.

What you have to do is you need to be in the frame of mind (always) that you could possibly be dreaming. Do not just assume you are awake. Instead, assume you are dreaming in the first place, so, the things running in your head all the time should be "I think I am dreaming, It is very possible that I am dreaming. Let me check just to be sure" then if the RC shows you are awake, then just go with it. Just say to yourself, "ok, I'll check later, you never know". And repeat that over and over the whole day, every day.

That is something which Naiya had pointed out to me. Very useful information.

Originally Posted by Shift

Btw, MILD is actually a very intensive method, I'm not sure why you think it's good for lazy people, Mario? With all of the prospective memory training, dream journaling, visualization, reality checking, and analysis for dream signs and reality checks during the day, I'd say it's a technique that requires quite a bit of dedication.

Sorry, allow me to rephrase that. I'm too lazy to WBTB or WILD, but I enjoy the increased certainty of MILD. I happen to find it easier to repeat a mantra than do RC's all day long, too. Memory stuff comes easy to me, I guess.

Place notes around your room, in front of the computer etc. Also wouldn't be a bad idea to place pictures of your dreams signs about. If you're out of the house a lot, get either a watch that beeps every hour or write something on your hand to remind you to RC.

Just practice different tricks and see what works.

-chase

Haha! It's funny, I did some of the things you wrote, and I acctualy had a LD this night! I remember doing an RC, and the finger went right through my palm! Did som flying and stuff, my first intentional LD!

Nice one.

I guess I'll get a watch or something, myself... So far I've only done like 3 RCs a day

there is an app in the iphone call TIMR which you can program to go off any time you wish... as many times as you want...
i just set mine to go off five times today as an experiment
i'll do an RC wherever i am.

well i gave myself a tattoo thatt i use for recall that looks like this: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9&id=734966311

every time i ask myself if im dreaming i look at my tattoo and it tells me if i am or not

also if you can put a banner on your cell phone just put "are you dreaming" as it and youll see it every time you open your phone

Originally Posted by cL0cKradi0

well i gave myself a tattoo thatt i use for recall that looks like this: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9&id=734966311

every time i ask myself if im dreaming i look at my tattoo and it tells me if i am or not

also if you can put a banner on your cell phone just put "are you dreaming" as it and youll see it every time you open your phone

Interesting tatoo.

And yea, things like wallpapers are good.

Like for example, look at a screen shot of my desktop.
So, I don't need to be actually on my desktop to see "RC".

Only problem is that it is now normal to me and I don't pay any attention to it. The best idea for this kind of thing is to regularly change the appearance of it, so it doesn't become too familiar.

I'm not sure why I can't find it on his threads anymore, but Banhurt made a pretty neat pop-up reality check program. I've got it on my computer but as he's not hosting it I won't pass it on unless he says it's ok. Would be worth PMing him to ask. Both his programs (RC/DJ) are fantastic.

Well, I'll be honest with you, I don't really like the DJ program. But I know I would if I was to get used to it.

But the RC program is exactly what I've been looking for. Then I realised, I might be able to use the brain flooder, and change the settings enough so that it pops up for a reasonable amount of time and a reasonable amount of times.

I RC every time I see a Pontiac.

I found a program for you! http://bytered.com/software-realitycheck.html
It pops up every once and a while and asks you to RC. Cheers

Originally Posted by beachgirl

there is an app in the iphone call TIMR which you can program to go off any time you wish... as many times as you want...
i just set mine to go off five times today as an experiment
i'll do an RC wherever i am.

Thanks for the tips! But if I had enough money for an Iphone, I could just as easily buy a Nova Dreamer. But I'll keep it in mind incase I ever get myself an Iphone.

And to you other guys, thank you very, very much! It has helped me understand the point of RC'ing! I really take the time now, rubbing my hands, rubbing other surfaces, thinking about where I am, where I've been and where I'm going. Checking mirrors, texts and such! A big thanks to you guys! Especially Mario and Shift.

The program is great, the only problem is that I really don't use my computer that much...!