Tried WILD for the first time in ages last night...

**liam12345677** · 06-07-2016 08:01 AM

I just got back into LDing and this is my second day at it. I started my dream journal again but didn't manage anything the first night, although on the second night I could write about 5 or 6 sentences about one dream, so I think my recall is coming back quickly to the standard it was like before when I tried to LD.

But basically, I did WBTB for about 20 minutes. I got up, went to the toilet, drank some water, I couldn't remember any dreams so I pretty much just walked slowly around my room and looked out my window

I did an RC or two, but a lot of my thought was unclear, probably due to the sleepiness. I mostly just imagined a dream scene I would want to wake up inside if I was successful with WILD and I wasn't really sure what else to do with the time I had (I did want to check this site but that'd involve using my computer and I didn't want to wake myself up too much).

I went back to sleep when I thought I had acquired enough conscious awareness, and I remembered I needed an anchor so I just listened to the birds chirping outside (for some reason they're awake at about 3:45am), and unlike previously, I actually managed to keep track of them without falling unconsciously to sleep. However, I don't know why but I don't think my mind was focused on dreaming either, maybe due to only just starting again but maybe due to being tired, but I couldn't fall consciously to sleep either. I was lying mostly still for 20 minutes though, so could it maybe just be me getting the wrong time and missing REM sleep with my attempt?

Thanks!

**Oblivions** · 06-15-2016 04:24 PM

I'm having the same problem. Not with WBTB or WILD (because i've never successfully LD via any induction methods) but rather on what to do while waiting? I don't want to do anything with light since i've been told that messes up your melatonin? idk... I always just sit there and wait lol xD Maybe somebody has some recommendations?

**Angstrem98** · 06-15-2016 07:33 PM

A smartphone before sleep is a killer, sadly -.- When doing WBTB stay away from that artificial lighting, especially computer screens! I think ordinary light bulb is okay, but in my room I have enough moonshine( I gotta try with candle once to see how it works). About these anchors during WILD, I just count 1 I am dreaming, 2 I am dreaming... You could have missed REM sleep, alarm clock app like Sleep As Android might help you to at least roughly track your sleep stages during night. Don't forget to try WILD in afternoon nap!!!

**Gyalogos** · 06-15-2016 10:25 PM

Most of my LD-s started with WILD. Important is not to think about time. I made (relative) many times the WILD in the time going to sleep. Sometimes I was meditating in my bed for 3 hours (after a while you do not feel the time). Even with WBTB it happened that I needed 1-2 hours. If I begin to think about time (tomorow is work and I dont sleep enough), and become impatient and worried, than my chances for WILD are zero. Imagine this: You was the whole day tracking in the mountains in winter. It is cold, and you are tired. After the very long last miles you arrive in your warm home. After a tasty meal and hot drink, you go in your soft and warm bed. You are free. Tomorrow is weekend. Nobody will bother you. There is no depression, just a warm and happy relaxation. This, and the awareness. It is not boring, if you do your awreness well. You can gently change your focus. Breath, the blackness, your body, voices, aware thinking or counting. The important is, that you have no unconscious thoughts, more precisely you catch them when they arise. So, anytime you make the WILD, always know that after you started it, time is not anymore a factor. In the aware thinking you can think about time, but it is without worries. For me the relaxation is more interesting. It happened many times, that I was thinking I am relaxed. After that came the real relaxation and I realized that before I was tense. Letting your body become liquid and maintaining the here and now awareness.

Edit:

Ah, now I understand, that you dont know what to do in the time before you return to bed from the WBTB. Sorry. So my post is not so interesting here.

I had the idea of preparing some easy math test for the WBTB time Something like mindfulness + logical challenge. Maybe I will try out.

**JShadow** · 06-18-2016 02:48 PM

What I do during a WILD depends on the amount of time I'm awake. Sometimes I'll simply go to the bathroom, do a few reality checks, and think about my goal and go back to bed. This takes maybe 3 min. If I'm staying up for 60 min, I'll read a book, browse the forums, re enforce my dream goal, pretend I'm dreaming occasionally (you know - trying to make something levitate by pointing at it and lifting your arm, making something appear behind you by knowing it's there, etc), and of course a lot of reality checks.

I find the easiest way to have a LD is when I suddenly get tired during the day, I'll nap and be dreaming quickly.

It can take longer than 20 min. to WILD sometimes. Just don't worry about time, You should focus on getting to sleep. Mzzkc's guide is really good at explaining this. I like to focus on my wandering thoughts and visuals without interacting with them (just letting them flow), and completely forget about my body and surroundings. Music can be a good automatic thought process. I hate counting and mantras, it requires too much focus, now that may be different for you so experiment.

Good lucks.