How can I RC when I can't control my dream?

My dreams are usually very vivid and lengthy. I remember my dreams usually very well, and I’ve started to keep a Dream Journal just so enhance things. But one problem I’ve noticed is when I am dreaming, I’m so caught up in the dream world, nothing seems out of place where I’d question it. What are some things I can practice that can help seperate my dream world from logic, so I can properly start doing some RC’s?

This is a common question among those new to lucid dreaming. If we aren’t conscious while we’re dreaming, how are we supposed to remember to perform a reality check, or question our state?

Granted, we can’t use our conscious mind to turn a dream into an LD, but we can use our subconscious. This is what RCs are all about. Clearly you aren’t dreaming each time you do one during the day, but we still do them to hopefully increase the chances that we’ll dream about doing them. This is all it takes to trigger your intention to become conscious in the dream, and provided you’re successful, you’ll find yourself fully awake - though inside the dream.

To increase the chances of dreaming about doing a reality check, it helps to build an association between RCs and some common activity or object. For example, each time you look at your watch, try to remember to quickly do an RC. Eventually this will develop into a habit, and you’ll find yourself consistently remembering to RC as part of checking the time. At that point, it’s likely you’ll incorporate an RC into any normal dream in which you decide to look at your watch.

Unless you’re naturally talented and can fall asleep consciously (WILD), you have to get the message into your subconscious mind, where it can emerge in a dream.

Atheist gave some good advice as always. :smile:

The best reality check I have used so far is the nose RC. You just pinch your nose with your fingers and try to breathe through your nose. In real live this obviously doesnt work. But in a dream you can still breathe. This one never fail for me. Counting finger fails most of the time for me probably cause I visualize my hands so well. If you do the nose RC in a dream you are almost(I say almost cause it probably doesn’t work everytime for everyone) guaranteed to realize your are dreaming and most likely have an LD.

I do that a lot anyways, my ears tend to pop a lot. I never have done it in a dream.

I did have a FA before, I did my entire routine only to wake up again.

Come to think of it, I had one RC success. I remember going to the bathroom and looking at myself in the mirror. My face was haze and my pupils were dilating and contracting rapidly back and forth. I said to myself, “i’m tripping!..but I didn’t eat any shrooms…” And then I realize it was a dream. I think I remember walking around my house for a few seconds and then woke up.

Had no idea that was the beginnings of a LD until I got here. :smile:

I find it hard to form something like trying to stick my finger through my hand hard to make a habit out of. I just can’t make an unconscious effort to do a big RC.

Ego, since you recall your dreams so well, you should use some
commonly occuring events or objects in your dreams, and base RCs on those.
If you frequently dream about looking at yourself in a mirror, for example,
whenever you look at a mirror when you’re awake, that is the time
to do a RC.
Being persistent is the key to creating a strong association with the object/event.

I have absolutly no dreamsigns or reoccurring dreams. I have NEVER (well, maybe once, i dont remmeber) become lucid by doing a reality check, for me its always been sort of proof in a dream after ive already become lucid. Its like i jsut suddenly know im dreaming and i do a reality check to make sure.

As long are you are persistant doing something, you WILL eventually see results

I understand. Now that I am starting to really think about it a lot, and keeping a dream journal, I should be able to link them eventually. Thanks for the tips, guys! :smile: