So, I don't know if this is the right category to pose this question in, but if it isn't, I apologize.
Within the past week/week and a half, I've been having close calls with lucidity, mostly through reality checks. For context, I have a series of reality checks that I do just as a fail safe, where, if the first one fails to show that I'm dreaming, the second one can show that I am. That isn't really the point as the topic is with my first reality check, but, it may add in something.
Example one: I'm on the golf course that is a major dream sign and decide to do a reality check. I start off with finger counting and I count to 5, only to realize that there are more fingers (I think there was 8). Instead of realizing that I'm in a dream, I start the count again. The same thing happens a few more times until I just get tired of counting and the dream continues with me not thinking of it again.
Example two: I'm in a distorted version of one of my old friend's houses, and I feel like something is off as I haven't been to said friend's house I'm years. I do my first reality check and the same thing happens - I stop at 5, noticing that I have more fingers, and count again and again. I even look at my hand and try to figure out if I'm somehow counting wrong. Again, I get tired of it and a dream character calls to me to help them set up a karaoke machine.
Is this somewhat normal or am I do something wrong in my waking life that I causing this disconnect? I feel like it's also important to note that I've also had a debatable lucid in this time (two instances in the same REM cycle) where, as soon as I suddenly (no reality checks) know I'm in a dream, I'm waking up and in this gray area, trying to stabilize and bring back the dream. I've been having nights of bad sleep as well and even if I wake up with eight hours of sleep, I still feel like I need even more sleep.
Again, I don't know if this is normal or if there's a flaw in my own reality check system. Any insight would be helpful and much appreciated!
@StumpedSlicken question... do you often "doubt" the result of your finger counting test in waking life. What I mean by this is, how many times do you perform it usually before you come to a determination (in waking life)? I don't want to paraphrase Daniel's book too much if you haven't bought it, but in it he mentions how you shouldn't get in the bad habit of performing any one specific reality check multiple times in a row. This will cause you to doubt the results of them in a dream. He suggests to perform your entire reality check routine, and then at the end if you are still doubting the tests and if you are truly awake, perform the ENTIRE routine from the start (as opposed to performing the finger counting multiple times in a row). Basically, either you have the appropriate amount of fingers or you don't. Come to a conclusion and move on to the next part of your RC routine.
Another thing I'll mention that might help you in this instance... in my own practice, I always have the darndest time with the nose pinch RC. Whenever I perform it in a dream, I cannot for the life of me decide whether I can breathe or not (everything just feels numb). I will stand there performing this test for much too long a time, unsure of the result. So now in my waking life practice, whenever I perform this test I will specifically pay attention to if the results are clear and if I am having any trouble deciding if I can still breathe. In my waking life, it's very easy to tell. After breathing regularly first, then closing my nose and trying to breath, then breathing regularly again, I can tell immediately if something is not right. So my suggestion to you, if you continue using the finger counting, is to have a bit more self-analysis and know that, if you ever do this test and are doing it multiple times over bc you are unsure of the result, you are probably dreaming (take this as a dream sign in itself). Because there shouldn't be any question about it. If you are awake it should be easy to count your fingers. If you are finding it difficult, you are probably dreaming. This has worked many times for me with the nose pinch test. I will be in a dream, perform it, and immedicably recognize the familiar feeling of numbness/struggling to decide if it's working. This immediately puts me on high alert. Basically, be more mindful of your own thoughts during your tests. Ask yourself, how easy was it to come to a conclusion with that test? You don't want to rush the tests, but you also don't want to doubt the results. It's all about learning how your own brain works. That's what is so fun about his subject!
Hope all this was explained clearly enough : )
An important lesson from Daniel on realitytesting:
Many lucid dreamers think that they build a habit (doing rc's) that will transfer into their dreams. This is not the case according to Daniel. He says that it helps to build an mindset in which you are constantly looking for clues that you are dreaming (dreamsigns) and that mindset should transfer into the dream.
So you should, as Daniel says, question your surroundings and whether you are dreaming or not and use the rc's as a way to ground yourself in the dream, so to clarify that you are in fact dreaming.
But before doing that, you already investigated the question 'am I dreaming?' (I usually say 'isn't this a dream?', but that's up to you).
When doing a realitytest it is important that you do it seriously and thoroughly and to predict that you're probably dreaming (hypothesis). You would have to prove that you are not dreaming, rather than you are, which gives you the right mindset ('I'm probably dreaming, but the chance that I'm not exists', instead of 'I'm probably not dreaming, but the chance that I am exists').
I hope this helps you a bit.
I will add what I know from Daniel on the subject:
First, finger counting is usually an unreliable reality test, and often will not work as intended. Also, are you doing memory tests and environment checks as part of a reality test routine? Daniel usually says to make sure a physical test is the last step to be com sure of your state after other non physical tests. So maybe change which order you do the tests in. It’s important to note that often awareness brought over from waking practice influences the dream, not just the test itself. The good sign is that usually having many almost lucids means you are close to a lucid dream. So I’m sure you aren’t far off. As for the sleep, I don’t know a lot about that, just continue to get a healthy amount each night.
That’s about all I’ve got.