So after about 9 months of trying, I finally had my first proper LD!

I've been trying a variety of techniques, and getting frustrated many times, but I finally had a DILD last night.

Previously to try to DILD I practised the "finger through the palm" RC, but it just never seemed to work. I never seemed to get the awareness todo the RC. It always felt like a "Catch-22" where to do an RC I already needed a level of awareness. (Of course I understand now that it's partly about getting into a habit so you do it in your sleep).

I've tried WBTB WILD, but always just seemed to fall asleep.

More recently I have changed tack a little and decided to use the RC of looking at text twice to see if it changed, but that really wasn't working either. I just hardly ever saw text or signs in my dreams.
The one night a few weeks ago I did see a notice board that should have had my name on it, but it looked all wierd, and I almost became aware, thinking that it was odd.

After the interveneing weeks of not seeing any more text to use as an RC, I decided instead to try the nose-pinch RC.
I've been practising whenever something strange happens, or at obvious changes of scenery.

Last night I had quite a vivid first dream (my dream recall has been quite good for much of the last 9 months - I keep a DJ), but not lucid.
Then I had a second dream, which had some quite familiar scenes from college. Then I was walking along a familiar route when it occurred to me to do the nose-pinch RC, and I was quite shocked to find I could easily breathe through my pinched-off nose. It was so obvious that for a few seconds I became lucid. The only problem was I woke up, and then promptly forgot to stay still and try to DEILD! I guess the shock of the achievement jolted me awake too much!
The other thing I did wonder was whether I became a bit more aware because I was just waking up (maybe a noise?), but whatever, I did the RC and it failed / worked!

So for all of you out there getting frustrated; stick at it, it will click eventually.


Now I just need to build on this and do a few more.