I’ll try to keep this as short as possible. I had this experience a few mornings ago, and then three times in a row this morning.
I set my intention to remember to realize I’m dreaming in the early morning. I then just fell asleep normally after about half an hour (light sleeper). The instant I noticed I had started dreaming, however, I went into SP. From this I could focus on hypnagogic imagery. On all three occasions I failed to hold onto the HI, despite doing a little research in my LD book before the third.
Is this not a later stage of WILD? I’ve been avoiding WILD as I don’t feel I am experienced enough as a novice dreamer to do it. With this in mind, would it be worth getting to grips at least with the last stages (i.e. entering the dream) more? I have never had a lucid dream and this could well be the method for me, seeing as I seem to be able to consistently get into SP.
The full details of my HI are here, if you wish to see them.
If you’ve lucidly observed HI, you’ve at least experienced an alternative state of consciousness.
Watching HI, or full-fledged visions, can be less exciting than actually being in the images (i.e., “a dream”); but they’re lucid sleep experiences in their own right.
Don’t avoid WILD! If SP comes naturally to you, because you’re a light sleeper, go with it. WILD isn’t an “advanced” technique; it’s merely one way of entering a dream. Light sleepers usually find it easy. It’s heavy sleepers who find WILD difficult.
As far as almost realizing you’re dreaming and then snapping back to a more physical awareness and SP…here’s my suggestion: when you switch back to SP, simply try to feel the dream you were about enter. Gently “push” your awareness away from your body-awareness and back into whatever remembered detail you’ve got. Tip: Don’t “push” into the space behind your closed eyelids, but “push” into some space out of the space you can see (as if the dream is behind you or to the side). The reason for this is that it keeps your attention away from a physical focus.
Add: You might wind up in an OBE from doing this, and from playing around in SP generally.
Thank you for your reply Dreamosis. I’m pleased to say I had exactly the same experience last night, but this time I observed the HI for a little while without trying to force myself into the dream. Eventually I noticed I had a body and could move it, putting me in my first proper lucid dream! Woohoo!
Also, not only was this a WILD but it was at about 1am (i.e. I unintentionally WILDed on my first sleep of the night, after going to bed at about 11:30). That must be pretty rare for a first LD!
What followed, by the way, was a false awakening which I identified after a while with an RC. I lost it pretty quickly after that despite immediately attempting to stabilise and calm myself, but I am elated to have made such great progress.