Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but I’ve got a couple questions.
Reality checks. Well before I do a RC my mind already knows this is real and not a dream, so this can’t be become a habbit for me. Like if I know I’m about to do a RC i know it’s planned and my mind already knows that this is real. It’s kinda impossible for me to do a spontaneous RC. So do I just keep on doing RCs and try to have some hope or am I out of luck?
Dream signs. I can’t tell myself if I see a certain thing then I will realize I’m dreaming because 90% of the dreams I can recall are really strange. It’s not like I’m at home or at school doing something normal. So what can I do about this?
First of all, welcome ModernNinja to LD4all! And welcome to the journey of the Lucid Dreamer
Are you really sure your method of finding out if you are awake or not is truly reliable? Because in that case, you would always recognize whether you’re in a dream.
Reality checking involves doubt, and a lot of that, despite all appearancies, since dreams can be rather tricky, and look like reality, and you’d want to catch those too, I’m sure
So no matter what you’re doing or feeling, think “I could be dreaming right now!”, give a good look at your surroundings, and wonder if there’s anything unusual. After this, you may do the RC, but the RC itself is little matter IWL, since doubt is what brings the question forth in the first place ^^
If your dreams are strange, there may be lots of reliable dreamsigns, like something that can’t be spotted IWL (flying couches, or talking dinosaurs ): you just have to tell yourself before sleep “The next time I will see X I will recognize I’m dreaming”, or something along those lines. Besides, if you are doubting reality/the dream in the first place, once you are in a dream it will be pretty easy for you to tell that you’re in one
Edit: darn you tosxy for beating me to the submit button!
Hi, ModernNinja, and welcome to LD4all
How do you know its real? You’re pretty sure that it’s real when you’re dreaming as well, aren’t you? If you weren’t then you would be lucid all the time. You’ve got to double check yourself even when you know that you know that you know it’s real. I’ve had many dreams where I do an RC just out of habit and have been shocked to learn I wasn’t awake. Before the RC I would have been certain I was awake. I even felt like I was wasting my time doing one, but it turned out to be fake.
From the way you’re talking, I’m not sure you understand the RCILD technique. The proper way to check reality goes as follows. 1: you decide to test reality. This can be because something catches your eye, you’re following a set RC schedule (which I don’t recommend), or you simply decide to do an RC just to see what happens. 2: Ask yourself, “am I awake or am I dreaming?” Do not decide just based on how you feel, because things feel pretty darn “real” in the dream world. 3: Do a reality check. I recommend pinching your nose and trying to breath. It is easy, discreet and reliable. 4: Based on the results of the check, make a conclusion. Don’t make a conclusion based on whether you think you’re awake or not.
If you do this often enough, it will transfer into your dreams. The point isn’t the action; the point is to question reality even when you are certain it can’t be a dream. It is the thought process of questioning reality that is the true RC and what you should really be focused on.
Again, I’m not sure you understand what this really is. You find a dream sign by analyzing your dreams. If you see a reoccurring theme, that is the sign you are looking for. For instance, if you notice you tend to see a lot of yellow cats in your dreams, make it a point to RC every time you see a yellow cat. That’s all there is to it. Find the common denominator and run with it.
Good luck, and let us know if you have any more questions
I could give you a small advise of how to make RC-ing into a habbit, and thus to eventually do a RC during a dream and become aware.
Choose an object you find mostly everywere in your town/viallge etc. If you have a everyday routine it’s even better. Find something like a bird or dog or cat or thing that appears frequently but doesn’t appear too frequently, like a car. Every time you see a dog or a/an [object which is likely to find around your neighborhood] do a RC.
That should help you if you do it properly… I dunno if it’ll work for you, it’s just a small advice .
Another RC you can do throughout the day, is simply to question “Where am I?” and “How did I get here?” and spend a little critical thought in expanding those answers. If you find yourself not sure where you are or how you got there, chances are you’re likely dreaming.
Also, try not to underestimate the power of a good Nose RC… I’ve surprised myself more times with that one! A good habit to try to make with that one is as you’re going to sleep and waking up. Just the other day I was trying to WILD in an afternoon nap. I wasn’t having much luck with HI and decided to get up, but that I would do a quick Nose RC first, and found I could breathe! Held on to my nose and focused on that feeling of breathing as I stood and blindly made my way around until some sight entered the dream, and had a great 5 minute or so WILD.
As for dream signs, if you often find yourself in unknown places (like myself), try to practice questioning “Where am I?” Other signs may come and go as you start noticing your dreams more. I laughed a good laugh at the pictures from This Post and twice now i’ve had dreams involving an RC cola… In one it was the center of the dream, as I was trying to take a picture of the bottle with my phone… I’m determined next time I see one to do an RC though and get Lucid from it!
I know how you feel!
I did not have a common denominator for a long time either. My dreams are absolutely bizarre at at times which makes me wonder as to what the heck is going on in that brain of mine. I’m not sure if you keep a dreamjournal, but after about 6 weeks worth of writing down my dreams in the morning (and in the middle of the night) I went and read my journal, then I went and re-read it and did find a few similarities, and highlighted them, like hallways, trains, people I didn’t know, toilets, etc. So maybe give that a try. It doesn’t have to be the same hallway, or the same strange animal, as long as it is somewhat similar.
And welcome to the journey of the Lucid Dreamer 
.