Time as a reality check

[squirmelia]

Lately, there have been occasions when I have looked at my watch and the numbers have been squiggles. As an almost perpetual watch-wearer (currently feeling like I have accidentally shaved off a limb), I've pressed the buttons and prodded the screen frantically demanding the time back, and only sometimes has it returned. I know this behaviour is not unusual for watches - I once grew fond of a watch that would tell me that it was the 0th day of the month, particularly when I had been drinking.

It was when I remembered that looking at a watch can be used as a form of reality check (popular among lucid dreamers), that I realized that lately a lot of activities that could be construed as reality checks have been failing. Light switches sometimes only cause a flicker, the taps on the bath won't stop the water flowing no matter how hard I turn them, and chairs are often lacking even a vague resemblance to stability. Whether I'm dreaming or whether my world has become increasingly dysfunctional and is wallowing in inconsistency, I still want a boat car, like in Waking Life (and my local cinema even acknowledged that Before Sunset is going to be showing there soon, which is cool).

Comments

[vardebedian.livejournal.com]

Last time I was tripping (in Amsterdam) I couldn't help looking at the clock on my mobile every few seconds because time had gone so badly askew. I know what you mean.

And...if you mean "Before Sunrise" that is indeed a wonderful film.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

>Last time I was tripping (in Amsterdam) I couldn't help looking at the clock on my mobile every few seconds because time had gone so badly askew.

I always find it worrying when I check the time on about three different clocks and they all seem to agree, but I still don't believe them.

>And...if you mean "Before Sunrise" that is indeed a wonderful film.

I mean the sequel, which I'm hoping will be just as good!

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

The advance word is that it is excellent. I can't wait.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Yeah? I'm just surprised it's actually going to be shown at my local cinema (unless they were only pretending in their email).

[fluffymark]

You know you're lucid dreaming if LJ actually sends you all the comment notification emails.

Damn, it's still broken in reality. :/

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I actually got some today, which was quite incredible. :)

[mooism.livejournal.com]

One of mine got caught by my spam filter today! First time for everything.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Was it supposed to?

[mooism.livejournal.com]

No…

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. :)

[psychosynthesis.livejournal.com]

thanx for the info. I hadn't known.

[solitarywalker.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i'll second that... Especially since lights going off for a few minutes and then back on for no reason is actually something that happens more when i'm awake than when i'm asleep, so that sort of thing doesn't work for me. And i don't wear a watch.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

My lights just have a habit of not responding the first few times I try to turn them on, when I'm awake. Maybe I should just fix them. :)

[psychosynthesis.livejournal.com]

the reality check where you read something and see if it changes works.

I do not know about the one with the lights, I never heard about it until I saw Waking Life.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I think a good reality check for me would to be to play Tetris. I can never play Tetris properly in my head- the bricks and the gaps keep changing size.

[hypnogogic.livejournal.com]

Found myself checking a clock a couple weeks ago in dreamland -- only to see those crazy wiggle arms.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Were they terrifying? It takes me longer than most people to tell the time on an analogue clock.

[hypnogogic.livejournal.com]

No but I didn't undstand them for awhile -- I was confused -- and sought out someone elses time piece -- a watch. When I saw the dali-esque arms melting in and out of reality, that's when it me --- oh, I'm dreaming.

[gentio.livejournal.com]

Since my watch broke I haven't replaced it, and for the first time in pretty much my life, i've gone without one.
I felt really nakid at first, and still kept looking at my arm trying to devise the time from the way the shadows are cast from the hairs on my arm, but now it's really libertating, especially at weekends or evening when away from anything else that makes the rough time obvious.. i'd reckomend it :)

[gentio.livejournal.com]

oh and i can't spell recommend before 9am :P

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I think the problem I'd find at weekends is that without knowing the time, I'd probably never make it to the bank before it closed, return library books, or manage to catch any trains. :(

[tygerbc.livejournal.com]

I never wear a watch. It's amazing how your time-keeping can improve. You also notice really impressive clocks =) Then again, I rarely lucid dream any more. Did Dali have lucid dreaming in mind, or painting in mind during his lucid dreams? I'm sure it is in a book somewhere.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I'm always kind of unnerved by analogue clocks as it is, not sure I really want to notice more of them! I suppose I always feel like they're taunting me. I dream about painting sometimes, but not usually during lucid dreams.

Before Sunset

[tellute.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for company to Before Sunset see give me a shout.

The orginal is somewhere in my top ten films of all time (with at least 15 other moivies!)

Hmmmm Julie Delpy....

Re: Before Sunset

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Any ideas when exactly it is out at Harbour Lights? The email from them just said "coming soon", so I wasn't entirely sure when that meant.

People have said that Before Sunset is pretty good, so I'm really hoping it will be.