Reality Check Discrepancy

Hey LDers!

So I have a question, or many questions about the very vague, common, reality checks. As I've been reading these forums, I've been reading a lot about how reality checks are very effective as they carry over into dreams, but also ineffective and shouldn't be used at all in waking life. I was wondering about this, since I usual do reality checks constantly throughout the day: pinching my nose, reading text, reading the clock, asking where I am and how I got there, and telling myself that I will remember that I'm dreaming when I'm asleep.

I've also read from Stephen LaBerge's Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming that one should pick specific times throughout the day to perform a reality check or whenever seeing a dreamsign or something unusual. I've been trying to test my reality every hour on the hour but it's sometimes difficult. I've also read on this forum that one should do RCs randomly throughout the day or whenever thought about and not at specific times.

I was just wondering what you all think? Are they effective? Ineffective? How many times should they be performed throughout the day? Do they really carry through into your dreams? And so on.

Gimme your experiences and opinions as they might be helpful to others as well.
Go.

I do them every 15 minutes, which has me checking my watch alot, which is in itself a reality check. I miss them sometimes though.

For me, only one RC is enough, but then I maintain it for the whole day, from waking to going back to sleep. It is very effective, as it gives me 99% of my lucids, however, different things works for different people, so I understand why everyone has a different opinion on it.

They help a lot.
You may want to have a watch or phone remind you of an hourly RC. In time your mind will come to remind you before the alarm reminds you giving you a sort of clock in your head. Your mind will be ever vigilent for the oncoming RC that is sure to come, you will always be expecting it. This on top of random and planned RC's and you'll be doing it in your dreams and then BAM you'll catch yourself dreaming!

I do one about every half hour, and have been for the last 3 weeks. I randomly remember to do them. But so far, they haven't carried over to my dreams. I blame 'state dependent memory' for this. I'm still hoping they they eventually will carry over.

A few years ago, when I used to LD regularly, it seemed that the reality checks themselves would not carry over to my dreams. But the RCs gave me a general awareness that I'm not dreaming, and it seemed that this awareness was what caused me to spontaneously, without apparent cause, realize that I was dreaming. I don't think I once actually asked myself if I was dreaming in a dream. Instead, I would suddenly just realize that I was obviously dreaming, without question. I think this happened due to a combination of awareness gained from RCs and using MILD.

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A few years ago, when I used to LD regularly, it seemed that the reality checks themselves would not carry over to my dreams. But the RCs gave me a general awareness that I'm not dreaming, and it seemed that this awareness was what caused me to spontaneously, without apparent cause, realize that I was dreaming. I don't think I once actually asked myself if I was dreaming in a dream. Instead, I would suddenly just realize that I was obviously dreaming, without question. I think this happened due to a combination of awareness gained from RCs and using MILD.

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Yes this is how I started exactly which in the long run may be better. You become more dream aware without the crutch of RCs.