What tricks do you use to keep your mind awake?

[RxQueen]

@Jester300

I find the best way to keep conscious is combining physical and mental so i count while concentrating on my breaths and i flex the muscles that make your ears wiggle.

i could see this being hilarious to watch lol.

[Queen_SD]

Those are interesting suggestions… But none of them have worked for me, even though i’ve tried them all countless times. I just cant seem to stay aware, same thing happens IRL as well actualy. I find it extremely hard to consentrate and not let my mind drift off. So instead of trying to keep my mind awake, i just let it go. Think “im going to lose awareness any minuite now and fall asleep, oh well” and keep wating for that to happen. You cant PLAN to lose awareness, since that happens without you noticing it so your mind stays awake, waiting for something that will never come (something like reverse psychology).

[Blitzen]

@CRW

I find if I keep my mind focused, I’ll never fall asleep. But then again it usually takes me 1-2 hours to get to sleep anyway, so unless I’m really tired, it will take me ages to WILD.

[b]What I usually do is just say to myself “I am going to realize that I am dreaming” but you have to actually mean it, like I say it maybe 5-10 times and almost visualize what it means and then let myself fall asleep. It worked this morning because when I saw something odd in my dreams, I immediately knew I was dreaming. I could see how this wouldn’t work at all for most people, but for some reason it works for me.

[/b]

Best suggestion here, the others are … Out - of - order.

[TBK]

I’ve found, for me at least, that after I do a MILD my mind wanders far to easy and it takes a conscious effort to keep it blank and focused which in turn keeps me from sleeping. I may try doing a simple counting exercise after the MILD and see how that works out.

[AventuradeSueno]

Yesterday i was listening to the radio while sleeping on my back very still w/o moving and i remember that like in less than 30 mins. i was feeling my body like very close to hypnagogia and delta state, and this wasn’t after some hours but right after going to bed.
So a recommendation would be listening to something that really entertains you and you just keep still…

[Blitzen]

Well it is only when my body is physically tired do I ever experience HI. It appears that when I simply go right to sleep without any thought while my body is exhausted, I just fall into deep sleep no conscious attention at all. However when I pay attention while my body is tired and stay alert, yet relax my body… I seem to experience what looked like HI to me but they I shortly wake up. It feels like day dreaming only without being able to move my body and little conscious dicsison making.

Obviously the only way to keep the mind awake is using some method while your body is truly exhausted in a relaxed state. So I recommend doing something to wear your body out, maybe jogging an extra mile, or whatever will tire you out. Next no excitement, absolutely none. Instead, lie down and maybe listen to a body relaxation track. (The trick is to really get into it, put all of your focus into the relaxation of your body, forget for a few minutes about lucid dreaming). Anything to get the body relaxed to the point where it feels like you could drift to sleep without any form of thought.

Once you have achieved all this, and your body feels relaxed and tired. Start to pay attention to the area of comfort your body is going into, are you about to hit sleep? If so then start your method of WILD then. I really don’t recommend trying any kind of WILD while your body isn’t tired. I also don’t suggest waking up after any short amount of sleep, that is lame to me.

[AventuradeSueno]

i agree w/ the above said;
and i also agree with the fact of no thinking about lucid dreaming while WILD’ing because you’ll get too stressful or nervous and won’t relax, it just won’t work that way.

[TBK]

I’ve found talking to myself seems to help as long as you’re an interesting person to talk to Counting seems to help me as well.