Hello, I am new to this forum (I read alot but rarely write messages/replies). Though I have read alot about lucid dreams I still havnt had one yet (except one nightmare during my childhood).
The first step in lucid dreaming is remembering your dreams.
I keep a dream diary, and looking through the dreams I notice that I am rarely in the dreams! (e.g. the dream may be action from a film I have recently watched, and since I was not in the film, I am not in the dream). This means I very rarely get a chance to perform a reality check!
Is there a way to overcome this? (or change my dreams?) or am I stuck?
Any help is appreciated.
N.B. I view this forum, every few days (so if you need more information, it may several days before you get one).
couldn’t you do a reality check as the question “am I here in first or third person?”
also you could will things to happen and see if you are successful.
once lucid you would probably have to experiment with getting into first person … entering a DC body or making your own body materialise around you etc.
I think I am in third person (though correct me if I am wrong). Because the very few times that I am actually in the dream, I remember it as if I am watching myself (though still having the feelings of my body that I am watching and still knowing what I will/want to do next).
well, you should still be able to do a RC about how you feel/view things. plus with already having a body in the dream it should be easier to anchor yourself in it once lucid 
An example (to use an old film that most people know) is Jackie Chan’s Rush hour.
In one film, Jakie chan is hanging realy high up and Chris Tucker? has to pull out a large flag? to save him.
Either I would not be in the dream, and the action would appear as if I was watching it live (but without a body) while the action is occuring or (if I am lucky) I would be in the place of Chris Tucker but I would be watching myself pulling out the flag to save him.
I think a little bit of auto-suggestion might be worth a try. When you are going to sleep, relax yourself, and repeat a simple idea within your head each time you breath in and out…
“I will have a dream, I will have a body within this dream”
“I will have a dream, I will dream in the first person view”
etc.
Try not to keep your mind to focused on these thoughts, sort of just let them flow in the background as your fall asleep. I use this technique when I want to try and aim for a specific experience within my dreams.
Good luck, and never give up!
“next time I watch a movie, I will do a RC” You can always watch movies with a critical state of mind, though I think it ruins the movie a little. If you always notice impossible things even in movies, and do reality checks at those times, you will do it when you dream of watching a movie. Perhaps you must find non-intrusive RCs suitable for movie watching, like mental ones in the style of, “is there a movie like this-” or “when did I start watching this movie-” questions.
Good one 
Shake your head!!
I mean… you don’t have limbs in 3rd person… but you gotta have a head! ^__^;
Tried it last night.
I had a head, I was looking through in 1st person & I remembered to do a reality check but I couldnt lift my hands to look at them and I could only turn my head slowly. I remembered the digital clock (minutes grater than 59) & nose reality checks (close one eye, does your nose still appear). There were no clocks, I closed one eye and the test failed (i.e. I could see my nose) 
so I thought I wasnt dreaming. I let everything carry on, then I woke up!
Autosuggestion seems to have helped, so Ill try it out again (or it may have been the fact that I was reading a book on lucid dreaming for an hour before sleeping).
Thankyou moogle, Rare, krakatoa, MovieMe, Rotten Apples for your help & comments