主题:Couple Questions.So I have been aware of Lucid dreaming for a long time and have tried it multiple times without much luck. But this time, I'm serious. Going through all the steps and plan on following through. My first question is, would a watch be a good reality check? My second question: so I have been keeping a dream journal obviously and I have a good sense of recall even without it, so this morning at around 10 am I was doing some stuff, making a phone call, social media and what not and then I remembered what I had dreamt and wrote it down...does this happen? Like, you won't remember it or remember to write it down when you first wake up but then it comes back to you after having been up for a little bit? Thanks and ant advice is appreciated.
I actually found out that I can read, see numbers perfectly in my dreams. I do the pinch the nose and breath reality checks, people say its the one who works best. (Just try them out.)
Also, the 2nd question. Yes, it does happend many times, even when im about to sleep. Actually, I remembered one of my dreams today after 4 hours of staying awake. Completely normal.
Oh yeah I know it takes time for sure. I'm also meditating every night as I think that will help! Awesome post. Thanks a lot.
I'll definitely give the nose plug a try, thanks for the advice!
From my experience, as well as my research, it seems that plugging your nose and trying to breath in, is the most effective reality check, just made sure to do it 2 or 3 times in a row, sometimes it fails on the first couple of tries, I don't know why, but it does not work 100% of the time, but trying it more then once increases the odds. Also, you want to make sure you are dreaming, before doing anything risky.
Yes, I often remember my dreams hours after I wake up.
As everyone has already said, the nose pinch RC is probably the best and definitely try it a couple times when you RC. I find that sometimes in a dream it doesn't work the first time, but I typically can tell that something still doesn't feel right when I do it. Like, if I do one and can't breath, but I notice that it seemed like there was a tiny bit of air trying to get through, I'll get the idea that it must be a dream and I'll try again with my nose pinched even harder. At that point, if it still doesn't work, yet still seems like some air is trying to go through, I'll automatically know it's a dream and the next nose pinch will work flawlessly.
Another thing I do after a successful nose pinch RC(or even a failed one) is then stare at my hands. They always morph and change shapes. You gotta really focus on them and study them up close. At first glance they tend to look normal until I look a little harder.
As far as remembering dreams later in the day...of course, happens to me all the time.
Let me just say as someone who has taken a year to be able to start enjoying probably 4-6 insanely vivid LDs per month...DON'T GIVE UP! Whatever you do, if you really want to LD, then don't stop trying. I can't imagine that someone would really put their all into it and not have some kind of success after that much time. I mean, I've heard of people not being able to do it, but it doesn't seem all that common and who knows how many of those people are just not doing something right. Maybe they RC 20 times a day, but are they meaningful RCs? Do they really wonder, at that moment, if what they are seeing is a dream or reality? Or do they just RC because they know they are supposed to?
When I RC, I make it a point to stop and really wonder if I'm dreaming before checking. I do that because I can't tell you how many times I've been dreaming and stopped to wonder that same thing and right before doing my RC I thought "nah, this is too real to be a dream" and boom, RC works and I'm dreaming. Never underestimate the realism of dreams.
All I can say is that the amount of time it might take you to be able to start LDing is going to go by regardless, so it's not like you've lost anything if it takes you a year, or less, or more. It's totally worth it in the end and it seems like it was just the other day that I learned about LDing. I used to wonder(even after my first couple of decent, but hazy LDs) if LDing was really all that it's hyped up to be and if it's worth the effort over that much time. A year later I can confirm that it's completely mind blowing and out of this world. Just keep at it and make it something that you truly desire in life. Good luck
A good reality check must be able less prone to influence from the subconscious mind, and more difficult for it to simulate. For example,is flying a good RC? Obviously we don't normally expect we can fly, and that's built into our subconscious. Thus, even if you have the slightest doubt you will be rendered unable to fly, which fails the RC. Let's look at counting fingers. Is it more difficult for subconscious to simulate five fingers instead of six? Obviously not. Therefore it is not a good RC either. Of course, counting fingers and observing clocks take advantage of the fact that the subconscious mind is very volatile and therefore repeated examinations might yield different results. However, not only this takes precious time away, it can often cause you to become less lucid.
IMO, nose pinching is the best RC., especially if you train it properly. Most people who claim it fails are in fact not doing it correctly. First, like any RC, it should be done without hesitation so it doesn't create "doubts." The beauty of nose pinching is that not only it's quick, it's also harmless. This makes it less prone to influence from the subconscious. Second, one should not confuse a stuffed nose with "unable to breathe." To train for this, one should try pinching the nose during the day and observe its feel -- basically it makes impossible to breath in any air, not the slightest. This kind of feel is impossible for subconscious to simulate. With this experience firmly imprinted in our mind, it becomes very easy to compare the difference within a dream.