Thread: Reality Checks - RCs

Hi,

Do you think it would be a good idea to use the memory of the last time you did a reality check, as part of a current reality check? I thought it might be a more convenient way of testing memory.

Yup it would be a good idea. Anything related to awareness, improving memory and lucid dreaming is bound to be an effective tool for aiding lucid dreaming.

Originally Posted by Eamo24

Hi,

Do you think it would be a good idea to use the memory of the last time you did a reality check, as part of a current reality check? I thought it might be a more convenient way of testing memory.

Yes, good idea. But i can guarantee that another member came first with that idea i will try to find it just for curiosity, as it is quite fun 2 guys come up with the same idea ( kind of laberge vs hearne )

Edit: here it is ( i found it by searching liked threads)

Originally Posted by Eamo24

Hi,

Do you think it would be a good idea to use the memory of the last time you did a reality check, as part of a current reality check? I thought it might be a more convenient way of testing memory.

Not only memory of your last waking world reality check. But also memory of doing RC in a dream, when you got lucid. Together with the excitement that you felt and amazement and any other strong emotion. The "wow, I AM dreaming" feeling is very helpful.

Is it me or have I hear that in an awesome book before.......

One thing that I've had happened is the need to do a second RC.
on my first RC, my hand was normal, I lay in bed for a few minutes.
For no reason, I decide to do a second RC, which then got me lucid.
Ever since then, I've gotten into the habit of doing multiple RC's.

Multiple RCs is great because sometimes the first one can fail in a dream. I personally count all my fingers, then do a nose-pinch RC.

Agreed. Multiple RCs are always good. You never know which one will your mind like and use.

It's a good idea to switch them around from time to time. Get a new one. Something that your mind will find exciting, new and worth paying attention to.

Hi,

Would it be a good idea to reality check to things which are common to dreams AND waking life (as I don't have any obvious dream signs)? Things like going in and out of buildings, talking to people etc. I thought it would be a good idea as they're present a lot in dreams and in reality. Thanks.

I´m experimenting with doing RCs every 30 minutes. This way RCs is in your mind constantly and especially when it´s getting closer, like 10-5 minutes. That´s when you really are on alert. Because of the fact that you have to keep checking the time regularly you will always be anticipative that it´s soon time to do a RC.

The downside here is that time seems to fly by when you check the time so often. I felt a big different in the lenght of days since i started this.

Originally Posted by rymdsol

I´m experimenting with doing RCs every 30 minutes. This way RCs is in your mind constantly and especially when it´s getting closer, like 10-5 minutes. That´s when you really are on alert. Because of the fact that you have to keep checking the time regularly you will always be anticipative that it´s soon time to do a RC.

I just remembered, that I used to do that. It worked out pretty well. Plus, the goal of a reminder is to get you into habit to RC without any prompt. So the fact that you are anticipating RC before time is up, is great. This way you will be able to ditch the reminder and RC whenever you remember.

But this anticipation also sounds like a great thing to have in a regular dream. Suddenly you will find yourself having an urge to RC.

Good luck

Originally Posted by gab

I just remembered, that I used to do that. It worked out pretty well. Plus, the goal of a reminder is to get you into habit to RC without any prompt. So the fact that you are anticipating RC before time is up, is great. This way you will be able to ditch the reminder and RC whenever you remember.

But this anticipation also sounds like a great thing to have in a regular dream. Suddenly you will find yourself having an urge to RC.

Good luck

I dont get that last part ''This way you will be able to ditch the reminder and RC whenever you remember''. Or do you mean reminder as in an alarm? If so I don´t use that.

Ye for sure. This is what I´m thinking also. That the anticipation will swich over to my dreams. Just started with this though.

Thanks

Originally Posted by rymdsol

I dont get that last part ''This way you will be able to ditch the reminder and RC whenever you remember''. Or do you mean reminder as in an alarm? If so I don´t use that.

Oh sorry, I thought you were using your watch alarm as a reminder to do RCs, as many of us do or did sometimes. I was just trying to point out, that from the beginning, to get into the habit of RCing, it's ok to use reminders such as alarms, sticky notes, bracelet... But the ultimate goal is to get used to doing RCs spontaneosly. But it seems like you are already there.

Happy dreams!

Originally Posted by gab

Oh sorry, I thought you were using your watch alarm as a reminder to do RCs, as many of us do or did sometimes. I was just trying to point out, that from the beginning, to get into the habit of RCing, it's ok to use reminders such as alarms, sticky notes, bracelet... But the ultimate goal is to get used to doing RCs spontaneosly. But it seems like you are already there.

Happy dreams!

Aha Okej. I think whats great with not using alarm is that you have to be aware all the time. With an reminder that goes away to some degree.

Happy dreams for sure!

The only thing that concerns me about doing very frequent reality checks as a “habit” is being sure not to get so used to them you begin doing them without much thought. Doing RCs in “zombie mode” seems to be a sure way to start getting dreams in which you perform RCs that indicate reality and never result in lucidity.

I've recently been experimenting with very frequent RCs while trying to still do them mindfully. I'm experiencing an apparent disturbing trend, though, of sometimes seeing positive-result RCs in dreams (which virtually never happened over the last several years that I've been experimenting with LDing). I wonder if this could be a sign that I might be doing them just a bit too habitually.

Otherwise, I feel like I'm on the right track. In addition to spontaneously deciding to do them here and there, I'm also trying to tie them to frequently-encountered general thoughts and emotions—any time I feel surprised, or something irritating or bad happens, or I find I was zoned out and have just come back, etc. Any time I feel an emotion, always sincerely RC before acting on it. In doing so, I'm hoping to eventually embed the mindset of questioning my state so deeply that I start becoming lucid in a high percentage of dreams. It also doesn't seem like a bad idea to try to let the question of whether I'm dreaming linger a bit after the RC (even if it appears to be reality); maybe a rouge RC positive then would be a bit less likely to fool me in dreams if I also have the mindset of continuing to watch out for other evidence of dreaming even after performing the RC.

Finally, if I feel the need for an RC even though I think I just did one, I encourage myself to do it anyway, since I sometimes have false memories in dreams of having done a RC that indicated reality, only to do it again and find I'm dreaming.

Originally Posted by gab

Oh sorry, I thought you were using your watch alarm as a reminder to do RCs, as many of us do or did sometimes. I was just trying to point out, that from the beginning, to get into the habit of RCing, it's ok to use reminders such as alarms, sticky notes, bracelet... But the ultimate goal is to get used to doing RCs spontaneosly. But it seems like you are already there.

Happy dreams!

Hi gab. Thx for ur thread about RC. Im very new for LD. Keep doing rc about 10-15 times a day n doing my dream journal also. Im using android app names awoken for remind me to do my RC. My question is : do this app will become my trigger of rc in the dream? Like a dream sign. Coz i never see this app in my dream. Thx. Sorry for my english, its not my daily language

Thanks a lot for this! Up until now, when doing RCs, I always end up telling myself that I'm not dreaming this time whenever I come to that conclusion. Will most definitely try to stick with using a mantra starting today instead of doing this and see if will make a difference as time goes on.

Newbie's question :
Do you guys draw dream sign in your mind when u do Reality check? How about have more than one dream signs ? lets say 7 dream signs? How the result if we compare it with perform RC without thinking dream sign?
Thank you btw,

Originally Posted by Nove13

Newbie's question :
Do you guys draw dream sign in your mind when u do Reality check? How about have more than one dream signs ? lets say 7 dream signs? How the result if we compare it with perform RC without thinking dream sign?
Thank you btw,

My take on this: when you're doing a reality check, you want your full concentration on the check itself. You have one and only one goal at this point: determine your state in a quick, clear way. When you're doing a reality check, your awareness is already raised and the notion of "hey this could be a dream" has already been reached in your mind, you don't need more "thinking," you need quick action: the RC. The RC has one and only one purpose: to fully determine your state.

Taking a moment several times throughout the waking day (or as often as you want as long as you can maintain the concentration and perform it honestly and thoughtfully) to reflect upon your state, your environment, your memories, thoughts, etc. is called a "critical reflection" moment. Those are the times where you can think about dream signs, and analyze your environment to decide if it is "dream-like" or not. It's a good idea to do an RC at those moments. But critical reflection is not the same as an RC, even though they are closely related.

Dream sign review is also good to do right before bed.

When doing an RC and when the result indicates "awake," do not think "I'm not dreaming." Instead, I like to think "Hmm (interesting). The next time I'm dreaming, I remember to recognize that I'm dreaming."

And sometimes (just to make sure I don't get habituated to the 'waking' result) I do a 'dreaming RC' where I pretend to receive the dreaming result and then go through my 'just got lucid' ritual.

thx for your reply. Its very helping
Another newbie's question :
at ur first LD, u did RC n realized u were dreaming or u realized u were dreaming first then u did RC for make sure. This just for first LD. Mybe at your level now you will realized you r dreaming without RC.

Originally Posted by Nove13

thx for your reply. Its very helping
Another newbie's question :
at ur first LD, u did RC n realized u were dreaming or u realized u were dreaming first then u did RC for make sure. This just for first LD. Mybe at your level now you will realized you r dreaming without RC.

In my first and indeed most of my early LDs I got lucid just be realizing it was a dream (I didn't even do an RC to check). However I did do RCs in the dream after initial lucidity to maintain lucidity. Recently I find myself needing to RC to get fully lucid, interesting!

Ooh okay. Noted. Keep learning

Oh nice, I have never tried that before.

I seem to be getting at least one dream a night about work. I really REALLY gotta start RCing at work. Doing something fun. Like trying to make my boss drop his pants. Or make him fly away.

This is just so fantastic!! I'm going to think of every RC I do as practising something that i'm going to do (when i'm dreaming), something that when I get good enough will work! This has totally turned on its head my idea about RCs and the correct intention I should have.
I can't thank you enough gab! You guys here at DV are just Mind blowing.