I believe it’s possible. I myself would prefer other, quicker RCs like pinching your nose closed and trying to breathe through it (that one always works for me). Some people will make up their own RCs as well. I’m not sure if I would personally trust the top, but theoretically it could work.
Well, it seems to me that the top could be possible, so long as you believe that it will continuously spin in the dream world. It’s possible that the top can still fall if it’s in the dream world too.
Sort of like in the movie, Cobb expects the top to keep spinning if he’s in the dream world. So if you make your mind believe that it will keep spinning during a dream, I suppose it would work.
As long as you set your intention for your reality check, any object could work, theoretically.
An example of your intention for the top could be (obviously): [“If the top keeps spinning, I am dreaming”].
I agree. Or, if you want a totem, or more personal RC, you’ll have to find one in a dream. Only by experimenting with your dreams you’ll be sure if something will be a good RC.
I’ve seen many people write a letter on their hand and look at it through the day, and if it’s not there, they are dreaming. But they have never done that in a dream before, so how can they know it will not be there in a dream? Most common RC’s are based on most people’s experiences in dreams. I’ve seen my hands perfectly in dreams, and some people can read fine… so the best way is to look at your dreams and find out from the inside what works for you.
But then again, the top might just work for you XD