Thread: A new method (SMILD) with high potential...

This may sound overly simple, but I think it has a high chance of working very well.

Just as lights and sounds from reality incorporate themselves into our dreams, smell works the same way. Here is the method - SMILD (Smell Induced Lucid Dream).

1.) Make it a very strong habit to always test reality whenever you smell fragrance "X." This "X" has to be a fragrance that is easily identifiable. No perfumes or other "complex" smells, but something simple and natural-smelling like peppermint, lavendel, apple, vanilla, etc. It also must be a smell that you can easily use in your bedroom.

2.) Now you have to apply this smell in the environment in which you sleep. It could be on your sheets, on your pillow, or perhaps in your entire bedroom. In other words, it has to be in high concentration, and not a "weak" smell.

3.) With this smell present while you sleep, the goal of course, is for it to transfer into your dreams, and be "smellable", while you do your dream activities. Whatever you dream about, whether it be walking, flying, cooking, running, whatever it is, you should be able to smell at least some of this fragrance. Since you are physically breathing it in, there is no reason for it not to transfer into the dream. And if you can smell at least some of it, and recognize what it is, then that's all you need to trigger the RC.

4.) If you're good with #1, to always do the RC when you smell X, then it is very likely you will have a lucid dream (in this case, a DILD).

Maybe worth a try? What do you all think?

I don't personally think it will work (just my opinion) unless you find a way for the smell to be very strong - something like smelling salts perhaps.

Originally Posted by Bobblehat

I don't personally think it will work (just my opinion) unless you find a way for the smell to be very strong - something like smelling salts perhaps.

And I said in my post, specifically, that the smell has to be strong. Have you ever smelled fresh peppermint leaves? Not dried, but fresh. They smell very very strong. The leaves don't even have to be near your face. If you walk into a room where there are frish peppermint leaves, you'll be able to smell them, unless you have sinus problems.

So rubbing your pillow with peppermint leaves or placing a couple of leaves next to your bed, could just be enough for the smell to transfer into the dream.

Originally Posted by Jakob

And I said in my post, specifically, that the smell has to be strong. Have you ever smelled fresh peppermint leaves? Not dried, but fresh. They smell very very strong. The leaves don't even have to be near your face. If you walk into a room where there are frish peppermint leaves, you'll be able to smell them, unless you have sinus problems.

So rubbing your pillow with peppermint leaves or placing a couple of leaves next to your bed, could just be enough for the smell to transfer into the dream.

Not sure if you've taken offence at my comment but it certainly wasn't intended. Just giving my opinion based on my experiences. I think for this to work (as a lucidity induction method) for me I'd need to find a way to ensure that the smell is both very strong and can be turned on only once I am in REM . If a smell were on my pillow then it might get incorporated into my dream and influence the dream content, but I don't think it would make me lucid. Sometimes I wake up dying to take a leak, but that sensation (and it is a strong sensation - probably much stronger than any sensation I could get from anything other than the very strongest of smells) is only very rarely included in my dream content in any way and has never made me lucid.

Originally Posted by Bobblehat

Not sure if you've taken offence at my comment but it certainly wasn't intended.

Hell no, I didn't take offense. Sorry if it came off that way.

Just giving my opinion based on my experiences. I think for this to work (as a lucidity induction method) for me I'd need to find a way to ensure that the smell is both very strong and can be turned on only once I am in REM . If a smell were on my pillow then it might get incorporated into my dream and influence the dream content, but I don't think it would make me lucid. Sometimes I wake up dying to take a leak, but that sensation (and it is a strong sensation - probably much stronger than any sensation I could get from anything other than the very strongest of smells) is only very rarely included in my dream content in any way and has never made me lucid.

Yeah, but the way I think, is that smells, no matter how strong they are, won't wake you up. That makes them different from lights, sounds, etc.

Test it out and let us know how it goes

Very interesting and original idea. I think It'll work well with ground coffee.

I definitely will try this it the near future!

Originally Posted by Livtoniac

I think It'll work well with ground coffee.

That's a great idea.

I made a post a couple of months ago saying that when I put a few drops of clove oil on my pillow of a night my lucidity increased greatly on the nights that I done this so I agree smells do work. Clove oil seems to be very good and it's very cheap, give it a go!

If you walk into a flower shop, you are hit with that smell. But as you stand around, you get used to it. You can inhale and sniff the air as hard as you want but it will not affect a thing. I think you will adjust to the smell before you fall asleep and you won't pick it up later. I can't see this method working unless you the scent is applied whil you are already asleep. But this really is a good thought

it might work for you but not for me for i have no sence of smell but its a good idea none the less

Btw this would fall under the category Eild, no need ot make a new name. Let us know how it goes.

Originally Posted by Jakob

This may sound overly simple, but I think it has a high chance of working very well.

Just as lights and sounds from reality incorporate themselves into our dreams, smell works the same way. Here is the method - SMILD (Smell Induced Lucid Dream).

1.) Make it a very strong habit to always test reality whenever you smell fragrance "X." This "X" has to be a fragrance that is easily identifiable. No perfumes or other "complex" smells, but something simple and natural-smelling like peppermint, lavendel, apple, vanilla, etc. It also must be a smell that you can easily use in your bedroom.

2.) Now you have to apply this smell in the environment in which you sleep. It could be on your sheets, on your pillow, or perhaps in your entire bedroom. In other words, it has to be in high concentration, and not a "weak" smell.

3.) With this smell present while you sleep, the goal of course, is for it to transfer into your dreams, and be "smellable", while you do your dream activities. Whatever you dream about, whether it be walking, flying, cooking, running, whatever it is, you should be able to smell at least some of this fragrance. Since you are physically breathing it in, there is no reason for it not to transfer into the dream. And if you can smell at least some of it, and recognize what it is, then that's all you need to trigger the RC.

4.) If you're good with #1, to always do the RC when you smell X, then it is very likely you will have a lucid dream (in this case, a DILD).

Maybe worth a try? What do you all think?

Nice idea, but it wouldn't work. If you can smell the same smell for a long time, you stop smelling it. By the time you're dreaming, you won't notice the smell, no matter how strong.

**This is due to a phenomenon called sensory adaptation, which is not yet fully understood. During sensory adaptation our brain adapts, recognises the constant smell is not dangerous and stops identifying it so it is not overloaded with redundant information. Our olfactory sensory neurons also adapt to the repetitive odorant stimuli by reducing their rate of firing. Therefore we perceive the smell to be fading, allowing us to adapt to our environment and perceive new smells.**