Author Topic: Reality Checking - Totems?  (Read 8154 times)

Offline zachharmonic

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2013, 03:53:19 AM »

I just don;t want OP to get stuck in a pattern of watching lucid dreaming movies and following them exactly, and besides i though it went without mention but the whole totem idea is just extra work for something that is very easy and if he obsesses on a totem he will actually loose the thing that is most important, self experience. If he just looked inside of himself then he could discover that you don't need a toy to focus on, you simply need to focus on yourself and you will never have a problem with lucid dreaming again because knowledge of the self "how you feel, think, act, do." will trigger a lucid dream instantly for the fact you are not yourself at that time.

For the record, I have moderate ADD. :T Simply forgetting about it is a genuine issue for me, so don't be an asshat.

Offline johnb

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2013, 12:01:31 PM »
One thing I've tried that's kind of like a totem is to change something that I usually have with me in some way so that I'll notice it's different. For example, if you normally wear a ring, wear it on a different finger. Or if you normally wear a wristwatch, wear it on the other wrist. Or add an old key you never use to your key chain. Or put a piece of duct tape on the back of your cell phone. You'll notice the thing that's different from time to time during the day. When you do notice it, do an RC and/or think about some aspect of LDing. You have to change whatever it is pretty frequently, though, or you'll get used to it and not notice it.
In the secret space of dreams
Where I dreaming lay amazed
When the secrets all are told
And the petals all unfold
When there was no dream of mine
You dreamed of me.
-- from Attics of My Life, by Robert Hunter

Offline lukesmith88

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #17 on: September 18, 2013, 05:49:24 PM »
I don't use a totem per say. But sometimes I'll draw an "A" on my hand and do a reality check every time :explode: I look at it. It works surprisingly often.

Offline Sunshine

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #18 on: September 18, 2013, 09:16:45 PM »
(content removed by user request)
« Last Edit: February 10, 2014, 07:04:01 PM by pj »

Offline PerchanceToDream

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2013, 01:37:55 AM »

I posted the following in a slightly different topic within this Techniques section. It more applies here in this thread so I'm copying it below:

Hey everybody,

I'm new to this site, but not new to lucid dreaming. About 10 years ago I was really into it for a few years. Practiced like mad and had a steady stream of LDs. Then I got side-tracked, stopped doing RCs and writing in a DJ, and of course the LDs stopped too. Now I'm back!

I have noticed that one of my strongest dream signs involves magic tricks and magic shows; I'm a retired professional magician! So I've been wearing a red rubber finger lately, like the one they use for counting cash. My two part-time jobs are bookkeeper and retail office supply associate. Wearing a red rubber finger is quite appropriate in these jobs. I have been doing sleight-of-hand tricks with this thimble sized, red rubber finger, for staff and customers as of late. Because magic tricks is a constant dream sign and looking at my hands is a popular RC, I'm convinced I'm onto something, for me. People are quite amazed with the magic, and I look at them as if they are dream characters, looking at my hands doing magic, as if it were a dream.

I've just ordered a set of professional Gold Thimbles for magicians; should arrive in about a week. I am going to wear a Gold thimble at these jobs, and justify it by doing the trick. I've been wearing the red rubber finger on the bus and such, and when people look strangely at me I just see them as random dream characters.



I would love to have some input from some of you regarding this new technique that I think is quite tailored (mind the thimble pun) to my own circumstances.

My inspiration was watching the movie Inception last week, in particular, the use of Totems. So far, no LD, but it's only been 4 or 5 days so far, and I'm determined!

Thanks,

PerchanceToDream
Practice, Practice, Practice.

Offline pj

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #20 on: September 26, 2013, 05:53:06 AM »
I am a great fan of sleight of hand.  I know enough about it to appreciate the real thing - and thimble illusions are the real thing!
What truly matters is not built of right and wrong; but of grace, and of love.

--pj

Offline Snaggle

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #21 on: September 26, 2013, 11:06:56 PM »

I posted the following in a slightly different topic within this Techniques section. It more applies here in this thread so I'm copying it below:

Hey everybody,

I'm new to this site, but not new to lucid dreaming. About 10 years ago I was really into it for a few years. Practiced like mad and had a steady stream of LDs. Then I got side-tracked, stopped doing RCs and writing in a DJ, and of course the LDs stopped too. Now I'm back!

I have noticed that one of my strongest dream signs involves magic tricks and magic shows; I'm a retired professional magician! So I've been wearing a red rubber finger lately, like the one they use for counting cash. My two part-time jobs are bookkeeper and retail office supply associate. Wearing a red rubber finger is quite appropriate in these jobs. I have been doing sleight-of-hand tricks with this thimble sized, red rubber finger, for staff and customers as of late. Because magic tricks is a constant dream sign and looking at my hands is a popular RC, I'm convinced I'm onto something, for me. People are quite amazed with the magic, and I look at them as if they are dream characters, looking at my hands doing magic, as if it were a dream.

I've just ordered a set of professional Gold Thimbles for magicians; should arrive in about a week. I am going to wear a Gold thimble at these jobs, and justify it by doing the trick. I've been wearing the red rubber finger on the bus and such, and when people look strangely at me I just see them as random dream characters.



I would love to have some input from some of you regarding this new technique that I think is quite tailored (mind the thimble pun) to my own circumstances.

My inspiration was watching the movie Inception last week, in particular, the use of Totems. So far, no LD, but it's only been 4 or 5 days so far, and I'm determined!

Thanks,

PerchanceToDream

 It's a clever idea and as good as any dream sign. I don't know that dream signs are all that useful and the same for reality checks. Darn it, I'm becoming lucid in most of my normal dreams. Anytime I exercise dream control I'm becoming lucid, lol, I have much better dream control in non-lucid dreams, or anytime I ask how I got here or anything magical happens- the effect of realizing that one can become lucid in normal dreams rather than just Wilds. I assumed all lucid dreams were Wilds before I began forum posting.

Offline PerchanceToDream

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #22 on: September 27, 2013, 12:31:28 AM »
[quote}
 It's a clever idea and as good as any dream sign. I don't know that dream signs are all that useful and the same for reality checks. Darn it, I'm becoming lucid in most of my normal dreams. Anytime I exercise dream control I'm becoming lucid, lol, I have much better dream control in non-lucid dreams, or anytime I ask how I got here or anything magical happens- the effect of realizing that one can become lucid in normal dreams rather than just Wilds. I assumed all lucid dreams were Wilds before I began forum posting.
[/quote]

Hey Snaggle,

Sounds like you carry a certain amount of awareness into your dreams. What is it, do you think, that causes you to so easily apply conscious direction while within a dream?

And yes, PJ, sleight-of-hand is a wonderful art; my favorite type of magic!

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Offline Snaggle

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #23 on: September 29, 2013, 07:46:38 AM »
[quote}
 It's a clever idea and as good as any dream sign. I don't know that dream signs are all that useful and the same for reality checks. Darn it, I'm becoming lucid in most of my normal dreams. Anytime I exercise dream control I'm becoming lucid, lol, I have much better dream control in non-lucid dreams, or anytime I ask how I got here or anything magical happens- the effect of realizing that one can become lucid in normal dreams rather than just Wilds. I assumed all lucid dreams were Wilds before I began forum posting.

Hey Snaggle,

Sounds like you carry a certain amount of awareness into your dreams. What is it, do you think, that causes you to so easily apply conscious direction while within a dream?


[/quote]

  Hi PerchanceToDream
  I've always seen hypnagogic images when going to sleep. Had to undergo a sleep test last year, could not fall asleep, but their machines said I was sleeping  :-[. I was in a very shallow rest far from even decent NREM dreams, so using their tests as a guide I've always been able to do Direct WILDS going into sleep, so am a natural WILDer. Though personally I don't consider it to be a real WILD until one crosses over into REM sleep or that one is really asleep in NREM, since one is still aware of what's happening in the real world can move without breaking the dreams and can "wake up" by just opening ones eyes. During my test the hospital bed was so uncomfortable that I could not fall asleep (at least into REM sleep).

Offline Heidiho775

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Re: Reality Checking - Totems?
« Reply #24 on: November 05, 2017, 09:28:58 AM »
[quote}
 It's a clever idea and as good as any dream sign. I don't know that dream signs are all that useful and the same for reality checks. Darn it, I'm becoming lucid in most of my normal dreams. Anytime I exercise dream control I'm becoming lucid, lol, I have much better dream control in non-lucid dreams, or anytime I ask how I got here or anything magical happens- the effect of realizing that one can become lucid in normal dreams rather than just Wilds. I assumed all lucid dreams were Wilds before I began forum posting.

No disscusion you have a lot of awareness in your dream!