i think i've come up with an alternative RC that may work better for me.

for a while i've been using the finger through the hand method. i like to conduct RCs often so that i might become habituated enough to carry this into my sleep. but i think i just get used to seeing my finger not pass through my hand and having the same thing happen in my dreams. i had one dream where i kept on poking my hand to no avail and got a bit frustrated with this method (but became lucid despite the RC failure, maybe because it still heightened my awareness).

so i'd like to use a RC that isn't neccessarily a check of how real a situation is - or rather one that is not dependent on something happening that won't happen in waking life. maybe instead, something that increases your awareness through some sensory cue.

one that i've been using recently i do almost every time i walk through a doorway, go from outside to inside or vice versa, or see a dream sign. i look at the palm of my right hand and rub a circle on it with my left index finger while saying to myself, "is this a normal situation - does this feel like a dream? am i aware of my breath, am i mindful?" then i rub one complete circle on my hand while focusing on how this feels and watching the motion.

i'm hoping that this will start to pay off especially because it isn't something that could fail in the same sense as the traditional RCs. let me know what you think and feel free to suggest another method that works along these lines.