Quote Originally Posted by Goldenspark View Post
... but my first LD following an RC came the night after reading that the nose pinch RC was probably the best one.
I would say, that reading, thinking, talking about lucid dreaming related stuff is part of awareness.

And I did notice with amazement, how things I read during day I remember when the time is right. You may not actively think "oh, this is a great article". But you have certain feeling when reading it and your mind registers it.

Quote Originally Posted by Goldenspark View Post
Up until then I had been practising the finger through the palm one. It felt like the impulse to do the nose pinch was completely spontaneous, and the brief moment of lucidity that followed seemed to be as a result of the RC.
That's how I feel it every time - spontaneous urge to RC or to ask myself if I'm dreaming. But this has to come from somewhere, and I strongly believe it comes from daytime awareness practice of any shape or form.

So you gain awareness, that gives you an urge to RC and allowes you to recognize what you doing.

Quote Originally Posted by Goldenspark View Post
What has annoyed me is that since then it's not happened again!
I practice the nose pinch RC regularly, but it's like my subconscious is refusing to let me in again!

I think you may be right that the awareness needs to come first, which is maybe why I am a bit stuck.
It's now been a year since I started, and just 4 brief LDs to show for it.
I think that's normal. When I started out, I have been doing the looking at hands RC and thumb/palm. But not untill my 3rd LD I did the thumb/palm RC. Then I have been doing the nose pinch pretty intensly, but I still kept doing the hands in dreams. Untill I finaly did the nose pinch. Why it took so long to transfer, and why so inconsistently, I don't know.

So don't think about your subconsious as doing anything against you. It just does what you tell it to do. Think of your sub as your partner.

I recommend sagaouse's self-awareness. http://www.dreamviews.com/wild/13181...prep-part.html
And here is a short awareness question, with looking at hands RC and a mantra, that got me my first 20 or so LDs. http://www.dreamviews.com/dild/13212...ods-dilds.html