Hi. I had a lucid dream several days ago (my first one). I wasn’t trying to make it happen, it just did out of the blue. Before that I’ve heard some information about lucid dreaming (friends and the movie “Waking Life”) so I was kind of prepared for it and I was able to experience it to a certain extent. Since that dream I began researching, I’ve read the information on this site and tried some techniques…
So… my point is that in my last dream I had these several awakenings in my dream in which I was able to try some reality checks. Sadly they did not work. At first I tried the lamp switch. And everything went normal… the light turned on so I figured that I’m not dreaming. Then I woke up. I told my dream to somebody and then a second opportunity for a reality check appeared. I saw some strange device that looked like an electronic clock but stranger. Then I remembered that I should find a clock somewhere to make a check. Finally I went to my computer. I looked at the time… and everything was bright and clear. The clock was fine. No difficulty in reading it. So againg I said to my self “I’m not dreaming”. And again I was wrong…
So, next time I’m going to try something else… but my question is whether someone of you have experienced false reality checks like these. I know that dreams are extremely personal… maybe these exact texhniques don’t work for me. And especially that one with the lamp… I didn’t find it so trust worthy before the dream. Maybe that’s the reason? So now I’m a little confused…
Sometimes when I try to stick my finger through my hand, it fails, like in the real life. Try doing something more bizarre, like walking through walls (do it in private, just in case) or levitate.
yes, I know. But I’m not so aware to try and fly each time I have a dream. That’s why I tried these easy ones (the clock and the lamp) and I’m even surprised that I managed to do them. I haven’t tried the hand method yet cause I haven’t made it to a habbit yet.
I haven´t had false reality checks, but I do think that it has alot to do with expectations. If you think that those reality checks aren´t trustworthy, that might cause them to fail.
My favorite reality check is breathing through my nose while pinching it. I really believe that I am able to breathe through it in dreams, so it will work!
It´s all about believing 
I share the frustration… >_> The other night I did SO many reality checks and all of them were irritatingly accurate… Hands looked perfect, double textures were normal the list was pretty much endless… I woke up in a very bad mood needless to say… 
Tundra, I can imagine it´s frustrating! When you guys do reality checks throughout the day, do you just do realitychecks or do you also really ask yourself “Am I dreaming”? Like thinking back on what you did 5 minutes ago, how you got there etc?
ahem
Well… to be perfectly honest, I don’t do reality checks during the day… only when I’m unsure of whether I’m dreaming or not… 
So perhaps my new reality check should be me actually DOING a reality check
10x for the tips
Try looking at text and re-reading it. It will always change in a dream, from my experience. Also try and plug your nose and breathe through it. ;D
Sounds like you doing reality checks is a dream sign? 
Maybe you could use MILD and tell yourself something like “Next time I do a reality check I will realize that I´m dreaming”? 
A friend of mine started his quest for lucidity some time ago.
I said him to do some Reality Checks during the day, like sticking a finger through the hand.
While dreaming he did exactly that RC but he didn’t realise he was a dreaming!
I do RCs everytime i can, but until now, i never had a dream where i do a RC, when it will happen i hope it will work and help me to trigger lucidity!!
I’ve tried MILD so many times… I either stop doing it before I fall asleep because I’m so tired, or it actually stops me from going to sleep… 
BUUUT on the plus side, last night I got the first RC that actually worked in AGES!! YAY FOR MULTIPLE TEXTURES!!!
When we do an action from the routine and not concentrating on the action itself, we do not do the same action in the dream (For ex. It is very rare to smoke in a dream if you are a smoker because you dont actualy pay attention on your smoking when you are smoking IRL === I am an X-smoker).
If you do your RC like a routine… “Oh here we go… yeah yeah… am I dreaming? …” then you won’t do it in the dream. BUT (A big but) If you are Lucid while RC ing , Trying to gain perception on the reality you are in at that specific moment (When you encounter your DS or just each 2 hours etc…) When you PAY ATENTION to the DS or to the moment itself in your life, things go very different (IRL and in your dreams).
My greatest TIP is to be lucid when you are doing the RC.
You have awareness IRL so you actually know for sure you are not dreaming. The problem is in the dream you don’t have that awareness because its asleep and then you don’t realize that you are dreaming [Even when odd things happen].
Conclusion = Do RC when encountering your DS for that week/month and once per 2 hours [or whatever suits you right] BUT (Another big but) do the RC while being lucid IRL. Remember that if you act and pay attention IRL you will have this memory implanted in your brain and thus doing this same thing in the Dream World.
Finally, about failed RC. YES they exist but one thing for sure - Look at the clock then turn around or cover eyes and count “99 98 97” (this will be nice) then look again - It will change [In my case it changes to the numbers I counted].
It is the same as “read text” RC but it gets both of the effects - Clock/Electro check and Read check.
Cheers
What Blucid said is very true. RCs are not just actions, but also designed to question your reality, so there’s also the intention behind them that counts alot.
An extra tip, is to want your RC to fail (i.e. to show that you are dreaming). By putting that will into your RC, it increases the chances of you succeeding in recognising that you are dreaming.
And as for the text RC, the more text, the more likely the text will fail to be the same as it was before you looked away.