Originally posted by Unicorn+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Unicorn)</div>
i'll try to do RCs every hour and a half, which is the time when REM sleep starts. Hopefully i'll be conditioned to do quick reality checks eveytime i start to dream.[/b]
I'd just like to remind you that, not only is 90 minutes a very rough estimate (it varies considerably from person to person, from night to night, etc), but this is the estimated time it takes for your first REM period to begin. Every subsequent REM cycle will be quicker than the last; if your first REM period was after 90 minutes of sleep, your next one might be, say, 60 minutes after the first, then the next one might be 40 minutes later, etc. So basically what I'm trying to say is that you're on the right track by conditioning yourself to RC regularly througout the day, but you should be doing it as often as possible .

Originally posted by Unicorn@
Asking yourself in real life whether you're dreaming or not doesnt seem to be enough. I mean, i simply used to answer by yes or no, and simply move on...
The key to a good RC is to be thorough. Umbrella has the right idea:<!--QuoteBegin-Umbrella
Whenever I think about it, I just ask myself things like:
Have I seen the environment I'm in before?
Is there anything/anyone present that's not supposed to be here?
Are things that are supposed to be here missing?
Who am I with? Do I know these people (well enough) and are they normally here when I'm doing what I'm doing? (I focus on context dreamsigns btw)
What would it feel like to realize I'm dreaming right now?
This is a good RC, personally I add 2 more contemplations:
"Which day of the week is this" and/or "What time is it right now?"
The idea is that in a dream, you may have noticed, you never really have an idea of what time/date it is- you just don't even think about it. Consciously thinking about it is one way to "step back" and really examine what's going on. I might also mention that psychiatrists use the term "lucid" to describe a patient who is well oriented to time, person and place. The other question I ask is:
"How did I get here?"
I try to recall, in reverse, the events that led up to where I am now, perhaps going all the way back to waking up in the morning. This is effective because of the fragmented nature of dreams. When a dream begins, you just "appear" in the dream scene. If you think about it, you won't have any recollection of how you got there, because before that you weren't dreaming! Personally I believe this to be one of the most effective methods of reality checking.
Even if you determine that you aren't dreaming, there are still techniques you can use that will aid in becoming lucid during sleep. Check out this thread.

Good luck and happy LDing!