I’ve always wanted to master WILD, as many other LD’ers, I’m sure.
But these past days I’ve been so motivated I really want to get good at it now. I’ve had WILD’s in the past, but most of them were a bit unintentional, some after I had stopped trying. Most of them were actually through chaining. All of them, I think, sucked not at all stable and in many I could barely see. I found this interesting since I’ve heard so many people say WILD’s are usually more vivid and stable.
Anyway, my question: when I wake up in the morning what is best to do:
a) not move at all or as little as possible and try to WILD right away;
or
b) move a bit, open my eyes and see if I can make my mind more alert and then try to WILD?
The thing is sometimes I just lay there a long time and nothing happens (I probably move a little, swallow and do involuntary micro eye movements, maybe that’s why…) and sometimes I fall asleep.
I’m going to keep trying, even now that my classes started and I’ll get less sleep. I’m experimenting and trying to really see how it may work for me, but any feedback would be great who knows what little detail might help me! thanks (sry long post)
I think that answer depends a bit on how alert you are when you first wake up from a dream.
When I wake up from a dream I just try to assess the situation. If I’ve already slept for like 5-6 hours then usually I’ll just try. I’ve also tried to WILD during chaining with minimal movement, but often I just fall asleep again. I don’t really have to get up in order to WILD, but it helps if I at least makes sense of the situation. Like an internal monologue.
“Okay, I’m awake now. I’ve slept for a good while. Getting into a dream should be relatively easy now. I’m going to focus on [insert focus method here] and step into a lucid dream.”
That’s usually all the “alertness” I need.
I’ve also done WILD in conjunction with WBTB, but that usually only works if I’m very tired upon waking up. If I’m too fresh I can’t fall asleep. One advantage of NOT getting up is that you’ll already be in a comfortable position in which you can probably manage to not move etc.
PS: usually when I WILD, I screw up during the transition stage (i.e. trying to enter the dream too early or too late, or forgetting what I’m doing while I’m doing it). I’ve only successfully done it once (and, like you, that was after I stopped trying).
thanks for your reply, Svenshinhan I sort of do that too, look at how much I’ve slept or how awake I feel…
Another question though, has anyone tried autosuggestion to help WILD? This morning I tried repeating in my mind a few times “I will remain conscious while I enter my next dream”. I ended up having a WILD, but I don’t know if the autosuggestion actually helped
I’ve tried LD-ing lots of times, but only managed it once. I’ve tried out the techniques listed in the forum, but they haven’t worked. Any suggestions?
Hi Snow Jin. Try to be persistent and keep trying with the induction techniques that work well for you. I’m sure soon you’ll have your first real LD. If you’re starting LDing, it’s good to do reality check since it’s the easiest way and doesn’t require any skill. There’s a great article in the knowledge base, ‘‘How to Choose Your Technique’’, that explains the right techniques for different kind of sleepers.
Perhaps not directly a question or an answer, but I just had my second successful WILD of my life. I wrote the details in my Dream Journal
To summarize: I didn’t intend to WILD when it was about to happen, but I realized it was going to happen when I noticed a very strange sort of “progress bar” in my mind.
It said: “Preparing dream…” I was still somewhat aware at the time. I wondered what it meant, had a hunch, and then I got it. Then the mental progress bar changed.
“Transitioning…” And that’s when I felt my body tingling all over and after a while I had a feeling the time was right, and I got out of bed, and found myself in a dream. I realized this when I saw myself sleeping in my bed!
While trying to have a WILD, I always keep counting until images start to appear; but then my mind somehow goes back to my condition at that moment and pay more attention to the way I lie in the bed and such. What should I do?
I’m also kinda newish to meditation you can simply focus on your breath, or one the blackness behind your eyelids. The important part is to notice when your mind drifts off and gets distracted and gently bring it back to your breathing (or whatever you are focusing on).
With a little practice you’ll notice you will be able to hold your focus a little longer without getting distracted and that when you do get distracted you will notice it much quicker. This makes it a lot easier to focus on WILD!
What I do is I meditate a few minutes every night, already in bed, before going to sleep.
I have tried WILD some times, but it never happens… I have tried counting, but after some time I just realise I haven’t beencounting for a while. It’s pretty common that I get into point where I see what I would probably see if my eyes were open and there were daylight. But I can feel that my eyes are closed and I know that there is dark… I am relaxed and bit numb, but not paralyzed. Then the feeling and sight disappears and I’m just sitting there with my eyes closed. Well, atleast it refreshes… I actually haven’t really tried WILD all the times when encountering this situation, but have been taking short naps…
Also, I have never seen other kinds of hypnagogic images.
I’m sorry that I won’t be able to answer your questions, but I just write because I have a question of my own.
I’ve been continuing meditation, but now I can’t even get to the “image” state.
My problem is that I’m not used to lying on my back and my arms start to go numb after a while. Is it part of the WILD technique or is it because I put them in a way that doesn’t allow blood to travel through my veins? Every time this happened, I moved my arms because I thought I’d rather be safe than sorry, and I lost the progress (if I had any, or course).
Is the numbness because of blood and veins and what should I do?
@ Shaolink: I think it does count as moving, I have that too The best way to avoid it is forget about it, in my experience. The more I try not to do these things the more distracted I am. I believe the attention that gets distracted when you yawn or swallow is more of a problem than the movement itself. I mean if you swallow and think “Oh crap, I swallowed!”. So if you have to swallow just swallow like it’s no problem at all. If your mind is calm and focused (on couting, breathing, images, or whatever) enough you won’t even noticeif these things happen.
Also, with practice this gets better. For the swallowing too you can lie on your side or put another pillow under your head. With your head up a bit you tend to need to swallow less.
@ Flammee: I also have those problems with the counting and images. It gets better with practice. Meditation also helps keep focus so you don’t suddenly realise you aren’t counting anymore. The problem with the images is a bit trickier, for me at least (by images I’m including seeing what you would see if your eyes were open). But what you want to do is focus on them gently. Simply watch, without judging or trying to control them. If they fade, let them fade, but keep watching as more might show up. Many people focus too hard wehen they seeimagery and that’s the best way to screw it up! If you keep watching you’ll get into a dream this way. Every now and then you might want to remind yourself “I’m dreaming” just in case. I’ve watched HI and entered a ND many times
Remember that dreaming happens every night without us being aware, so there’s nothing really we have to do to get into the dream except get out of the way. The conscious mind has to let the unconscious do it’s job. The trick is only to stay aware and not fall asleep.
@ Puce: First, I’m glad you’re giving meditation a chance I really don’t know if this happens with everyone, but when I started it really seemed that the results were backwards! That meditaton was keeping me from LD’ing. But that’s probably just how my silly paranoid conscious mind sees it! (I’m saying that for the image part you haven’t been able to get to…)
WILD doesn’t have to be on the back. Most people do it because you tend to be a bit more awake like that (I fall asleep on my side most of the times ), so whatever position you’re confortable in is ok. The numbness is probably just your body getting really relaxed, so that’s a good thing! Unless you’re letting your arms hang off the bed or something and they get numb just like when you sit on your hand.
Anyway, I hope I could help. Note that I’m far from being good at WILD! 80% of my WILD’s are kind of on accident
Meditation seems to help me concentrate more on the counting, but it might be like learning a musical instrument. Playing the instrument seems easy in the first lesson; then becomes hard for a while, until you get quite used to it; after that is another easy part, in which you’re skilled enough to be able to do what you’re supposed to do; and then it gets harder again because pieces start to be pages long.
This was an example for things getting easier and harder, but I just wanted to give an example to how there are periods in achieving a skill (and failed at the example, I think). I might still be in the first period, in which I think that meditation helps. Or maybe it is just beginner’s luck. Not that I believe in it, but I’ve read The Alchemist and written a report on the connection between the story and beginner’s luck recently. Also since meditation and Buddhism is usually seen together (even though there are many other meditation teachings), and Zen Buddhism has this Shoshin idea (beginner’s mind, in short); that might be the case.
So the position doesn’t matter? I tried yesterday night too, and I had even came to the conclusion that the position wouldn’t matter myself; but when I lied on my side, I lost my concentration more quickly and drifted off to sleep (I don’t remember a dream though). I don’t think that I’ll be able to do it that way. Thanks though, I’ll keep that in mind. And also I’ll remember not to move when I go numb.
Yesterday night, while attempting on my back, I think I might progressed a lot (when compared to my previous situation) . Even though I lost consciousness every time images (or sounds) started to appear, I did remember what I was doing a short time later (before I fell asleep). That ruined all the HIs, but I think I’m doing fine, considering how people say that WILD is one of the hardest methods to have LDs.
I know that still have a long way. It is like I want to go to the US from Australia, and I’ve only taken a step in that direction.
No problem and I liked your analogy with playing an instrument, sure makes sense!
I think the position may matter, but in a very personal way. I don’t believe in any “best” position to WILD. I also fall asleep on my side almost every time (not sure if I mentioned that in my previos post…) but all my successful WILD’s have been on my side
What I’ve been trying and having some good results with is I first lie on my back with my arms up above my head. I try to relax and WILD like that. After a while I get a bit tired of that position but instead of giving up I move to the second position which is normal lying on the back with my arms down by my body. I stay there longer. At one point I’ll get the strong urge to roll over, which is only a way for the body to check if the mind is asleep so it can enter SP. Supposedly if you can fight that urge and not move you’ll enter SP and then a LD! But that urge can be VERY strong sometimes (as it is in my case). I always give in and roll over Anyway, instead of giving up I move to position three which is on my side. For some reason after this process I tend to be able to stay more aware on my side! Although I fall asleep many times too but even when I fall asleep I’m able to carry some awareness into the dream and end up having a DILD!
This might just be something you can try sometime later… I see it as something in between WILD’ing on my back and on my side. Since I usually fail at both
During afternoon nap today (which I don’t usually take) I tried to have a WILD again (I know that it won’t work, but I also know that I need a tremendous amount of practice, so I try at every chance), and I guess I might’ve come quite close. I don’t remember seeing HI though.
It was just like this: I was on my side and I kept counting “1, I’m dreaming, 2, I’m dreaming…” until I stopped counting (quite a big of a teutology, right?). I think I might’ve lost consciousness then, but I remember being conscious again when I percieved an image like those in WILD-step-by-step tutorials, and I got over-excited. I kept reminding myself that I wasn’t supposed to secrete adrenaline and such, but the image faded.
Maybe I was just lucky or maybe it was just my imagination, I don’t know. I don’t remember having any HI, but the scene seemed real anway. It was like I was looking down to a room, and in the room was just a wooden table with a book on it. The book’s cover looked like the one I’m reading nowadays. I had focused on the book and nothing else. When I “woke up”, my heart was beating and I was already out of (if I was ever in) SP.
not at all stable and in many I could barely see. I found this interesting since I’ve heard so many people say WILD’s are usually more vivid and stable.
I sort of do that too, look at how much I’ve slept or how awake I feel…
you can simply focus on your breath, or one the blackness behind your eyelids. The important part is to notice when your mind drifts off and gets distracted and gently bring it back to your breathing (or whatever you are focusing on).
The best way to avoid it is forget about it, in my experience. The more I try not to do these things the more distracted I am. I believe the attention that gets distracted when you yawn or swallow is more of a problem than the movement itself. I mean if you swallow and think “Oh crap, I swallowed!”. So if you have to swallow just swallow like it’s no problem at all. If your mind is calm and focused (on couting, breathing, images, or whatever) enough you won’t even noticeif these things happen.
I really don’t know if this happens with everyone, but when I started it really seemed that the results were backwards! That meditaton was keeping me from LD’ing. But that’s probably just how my silly paranoid conscious mind sees it! 
(I’m saying that for the image part you haven’t been able to get to…)