jay. I can not be sure but I think doing reality checks on a schedule is indeed relatively common, over a period of time I have seen it mentioned here and there, seems like a reasonable way to go about it.

Yes, I think reality checking specifically in the face of strange situations is the most common way people do it. One does not need to pick one or the other, just depends on the person.

No success yet with WILDs? I understand your concern of wishing to get the most out of you effort. There is no doubt attempting WILDing often results in disappointment, there is no way of taking into account the many factors which lead to failure or success, it is a role of the dice in a manner of speaking. On the other hand, it is a common view which I have found mostly true that WILDs are usually more intense than DILDs, generally speaking. Also once one gets good at them, gets a feel for them, they become very reliable in producing the desired effects. So the WILD method has its short comings, but there is also a lot of potential there given enough practice.