DILD Tutorial

written by ninja9578 and Puffin

Traditional DILD

DILD is the oldest and most common form of lucid dream. It stands for "Dream Induced Lucid Dream" and is simply a dream in which the oneironaut realizes that they're dreaming, from within the dream itself.

Unlike WILD there is no awakening beforehand and little preparation, which tends to make traditional DILDs occur randomly.
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Background

There have been references to this kind of lucid dream for ages, including a reference in the Christian bible and eastern religious works as well. It could be argued that as long as man has been dreaming, there have been a select few that became lucid.

Preparation.

The DILD technique allows dreamers to achieve lucidity through awareness. The oneironaut must really consider the fact that he or she could be dreaming at any moment. The more skeptical and aware one is, the easier it can be to have a lucid dream.

There are many supplemental ways to increase the chances of having a lucid dream, along with practicing awareness, using the DILD technique. Tacking on additional techniques such as MILD or WBTB will greatly increase this change, but for a traditional DILD there is little more preparation needed than being skeptical of what's around you, finding a comfortable sleeping position, and clearing your mind.
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Meditation

A clear mind helps you to have a lucid dream. A mind bogged down by outside interests and random thoughts can focus that much less thought on lucid dreaming. Too much stress can also make it harder to have a lucid dream through DILD, which is where meditation can help.
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Mantras

Many people chant or repeat mantras while falling asleep. This helps put thoughts of lucid dreaming into the brain and works as autosuggestion or a placebo effect. Common mantras include:

• I will know when I'm dreaming
• I will lucid dream
• I will question if I'm awake or dreaming
• I will do a reality check

How to DILD.

There are a few different ways to realize that you are dreaming; these include realizing that something is strange, seeing something impossible, or even just spontaneously becoming lucid right where you are.

But all in all, DILD is about awareness! The oneironaut should train their mind to really be skeptical and question if they're dreaming or not.

For beginners, the hardest part of the DILD technique is becoming genuinely skeptical as to whether one is awake or dreaming. One could think they're awake right now because the table, chairs, and everything they touch and see looks very real. But as one dreams, they don't question things either because the dream, too, feels real.

Applying this principle to reality shows that lucidity is really caused by awareness, and by knowing that one can't know if they're dreaming until they make sure by doing reality check or looking for a dream sign.

Below is a look at the two most common ways to confirm that you are dreaming.

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Dream Signs

Dream signs are exactly what they sound like: signs that you are, or might be, dreaming. There are several that are universal and are true for almost every lucid dreamer, and those which are specific to an individual. One can discover their personal dream signs by keeping a dream journal and looking for anything that seems to repeat, for instance, one's dreams might often have dogs or cats in them.

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Reality Checks

If you manage to "awaken" within a dream and become lucid, chances are you're still not 100% sure if you are dreaming or awake. Reality checks give you a way to know this for sure.



The method of increasing awareness and skepticism alone can cause lucidity, but when exactly does one practice this? The answer is any time they think about dreaming, or lucid dreaming, or just remember to be aware of what's around them.

It can help if the dreamer looks around them and observes objects, seeing if there's detail and if the item looks realistic or distorted. Sometimes in dreams, if one walks up to an object closely it may be difficult to focus, or it might not feel like the dreamer is entirely "there".

Pros.

Easy

Because there is very little preparation for this technique, it is the easiest technique to do.
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No Loss of Sleep

Unlike the WILD technique, for a DILD you do not have to wake up in the middle of the night so there is no loss of sleep. This makes this technique perfect for those with 9-5 jobs or school, for which losing sleep is not a good idea.

Cons.

Random

Traditional DILDs are not incubated, they just occur when the dreamer realizes that he or she is dreaming. This makes them occur at random time so the dreamer never knows when they will have their next lucid dream.

Other Useful Links.

◦DILD - Dream Induced Lucid Dream - Howie
◦Puffin's DILD Guide
◦All Day Awareness - a DILD Tutorial by KingYoshi