I never see dreamsigns...

[Sam1r]

Hey... Well...over my (what in September will be) six months pursuit of lucid dreaming... Not once did I say "Hey man...that can't be happening...oh,wait...I must be dreaming!" The thing is...I do reality checks and keep a dream journal just like everyone... However,the reason all of my Lucid Dreams were...well,lucid...is because of a sudden thought "I'M DREAMING!"...I never doubt that though and was 100% sure that I was dreaming...So sure,I've never done a Reality Check... Does this mean there is no need for Reality Checks in my case? Cheers, -Sam

[Elucive]

Dream signs can be tough, especially since they're not consistent. When it comes to DILDs, the best thing is overall awareness. It's better to be aware of everything, than to look for specific signs. When you reality check, it should be because something weird happened, or you feel a certain way. You can use external reminders for a while but I suggest you do your best to remember to do them on your own. When you improve your awareness, it WILL carry over into your dreams. Eventually, you'll start to become familiar with how a dream feels in general, and in time, that will be enough to get you lucid. Remember, the ultimate dream sign, is the dream itself.

[faceonmars]

Whatever works for you is fine. I personally do not buy into so-called LD 'experts' . Like John Lennon said: Whatever gets you through the night.. its all right'

[Sam1r]

Hey I see...you've corrected my mistake... I rely on doing RCs due to an external source...normally I'd write RC on my right hand and AUS(Autosuggestion) on my palm... I thought that was the proper way..silly me^^ Thanks very much -Sam

[Elucive]

Who said they're experts?

[Elucive]

You're welcome Sam

[Puffin]

Lucid dreams usually stem from a burst of awareness, and not by reality checks or dream signs themselves. These are only used to confirm that you're dreaming. Like Elucive said, it's best to cultivate overall awareness so even if you don't see a dream sign, you'll become lucid (dream signs don't usually cause lucidity anyways). You should still do reality checks though, because you might forget what they are when you become lucid. I remember forgetting the finger-through-palm RC after not using it for a week. Also, I don't suggest RCing only when you see a cue or message to do so, because often you won't see these in dreams (sort of like dream signs). RC all the time, whenever, not just at certain times.

[Bobblehat]

I was the same as you, Sam1r. I often became lucid spontaneously at the start - or near the start - of dreams and knew I was lucid before I needed to RC. Then one day, I was in a dream and it seemed like my incarceration was inevitable. I said to myself something along the lines of, "Well, I'm not dreaming, but this would be one of those times you should habitually do a reality check, ready for when something like this happens in a dream." I nose pinched and I could breathe. It gradually dawned on me that I was dreaming. So from my own experience I would say yes, carry on doing RCs.