Thread: I feel cheated out of a lucid dream....

I started trying to become Lucid about a month ago (well, sure, I tried way before that, but now I'm for real and I try to keep it up), I'm doing tons of RCs all the time, but for some reason I'm not doing the "Look at your hands" one. My RCs now don't work at all.

BUT, about 3 years ago, I had a dream in which I was lying in my bed and even though I had no idea what a reality check is at the time, I looked at my hands. And they weren't there. I just saw "blurry something with the colour of skin". That was when I thought it had to be a dream. I tried to move in my bed, turn around, but I was always shifted to my original position by some invisible force in the blink of an eye. So I got up, walked around in my room... and then the dream scene changed into another one and that was it for my lucidity.

Anyway, I'd definitely agree that looking at your hands is the way to go, since it worked for me even when I wasn't doing any RCs and Lucidity wasn't my intention.

I'm glad I found your post. It made me remember what happened back then and realize my own mistake.

Originally Posted by BjStrife

... but for some reason I'm not doing the "Look at your hands" one. My RCs now don't work at all.

Well, the looking at your hands is a classic RC from Castanedas book. This one, the nose pinch and thumb/palm RCs are usually recommended, because your body is always there with you. You don't need to go and look for a book/text, for a light switch and other RC items. Plus, reading and technology is notoriously unstable in dreams. They work for some, but not for others, or not consistently.

But the most important thing when practicing RCs is your attitude. You absolutely have to believe, that they will work, because you are in a dream. (eventhough you know, you are awake). But, if you don't believe they will work while practicing them during day, then in your dream they will not work either.

Second thing is awareness. When you asking the awareness question "wow, is this a dream?", or better yet "wow, this is a dream", you have to believe, that yes, indeed, you are in a dream. I believe, that this question, that gives you a pause, that makes you stop what you doing and realize you are in a dream, even if just for a moment for your RCs, this will start happening in your dreams. It gives you a moment of "wow" awareness, makes you do RC and gets you lucid.

I have never just did RC in a non-lucid dream and got lucid that way. This RC was always preceded by a moment of awareness, just out of the blue, then I automatically did RC and confirmed lucidity. And I never had a choice of which RC I'll do. It was always picked for me by my mind. And it didn't matter, how often I practiced RC. Sometimes I RCd in a dream with the one I practiced the most, sometimes with RC, that I practiced just once or twice.

The thing is that I can't really become focused enough in my dream. It is always more like "recollecting" what happened during the night when I wake up, rather that actually "being" in the dream at some point. And even though I remember about 4-5 dreams per night, it is always this way.

As for the RCs, I always do more of them at once. Not sure if it is a good idea or not. And I could say that I am actually looking at my hands, but I'm not focused on them, because the closest thing to that which I do is checking a bracelet that I always wear and pushing my hands through a wall or something dense. But I guess that doesn't count as intentionally checking my hands, or at least it wouldn't work that way in a dream and would be overlooked by my dream self. (But it doesn't matter, because my dream self can't be bothered with reality checks... )

Other reality checks I do include trying to levitate and turning the light on and off. But so far, this has only been part of my waking life. My dream self doesn't care .