Though I guess I managed to miss this thread, I figured I might offer a couple of comments anyway, even though all the important poitns have already been made.

First, everyone should re-read Zoth's post, think about what he wrote, and then read it again. I've never read a clearer explanation of the difference between ADA's "normal" awareness and self-awareness, and also of the importance of self-awareness to lucid dreaming... it's one of those posts that I wish could be permanently pasted on the front page of the DV forum; thanks Zoth, for taking the time!

Next, keep in mind that awareness and self-awareness are not techniques. They are conditions or actions of consciousness; conditions that are not handy tools to be learned and wielded to "trigger" other things, like lucidity, but actual functions of our minds that would be there whether we honed our ability to access them or not. I hope that made sense, because I think it is important.

Also, I'd like to repeat something Zoth already said: Normal awareness -- that which is used for ADA -- is a natural function that pretty much every living thing possesses and practices every day. A mouse, for instance, is a master of ADA to a degree humans could not even understand, much less emulate -- but even the most aware mouse will never, ever have a lucid dream. Awareness does nothing to trigger lucidity -- indeed, a powerful sense of awareness might actually backfire, making a NLD more real and acceptable and quashing any chance of lucidity. Self-awareness, on the other hand, is a condition of consciousness enjoyed only by humans (and maybe one or two other species, but that is for another thread), it is sentience. But it is sentience that must be earned. Though all of our minds are capable of self-awareness, actually intentionally achieving it on a regular basis is not very easy, and happens more rarely than you might think... therefore, carefully practiced techniques or disciplines are necessary to nurture your sense of self-awareness. And, as Zoth already said, since the presence of self-awareness in a dream is literally the definition of lucid dreaming, it really must be present in order to be lucid (unlike normal awareness, as you can be totally lucid without ever seeing a thing around you).

So these things are not techniques meant to trigger anything. They are the result of techniques, sure, but not techniques themselves. Also, they are two very different activities, different states of consciousness, are are by no means the same thing. Assuming they are will make self-awareness more more difficult, I think, and lucidity more elusive. ADA is a fine practice, but it must be done in concert with self-awareness in order to achieve lucidity. But Zoth already said all that, didn't he?