A little help needed... about the theory behind MILD

So... I've been trying MILD lately and read all the information available on it (from the DV Wiki tutorial to Naiya's Simple MILD Technique and everything in-between).
But it still seems like I'm missing something out... I understand the purpose of mantras and their use but lack some information on the visualization part.

First, I would be very grateful if someone could explain HOW visualization works. Do I become lucid because I dream something similar to/exactly what I have visualized?

Second, do I have to visualize the full dream as if had been lucid or is it OK if I visualize the "first" part of the dream, then I imagine that I become lucid because of awareness/dreamsign/RC and I continue it lucidly?

Back to the first question: it would be nice to know what the whole process looks like.
I can imagine it like this:
You set your intention that you want to lucid dream with the visualization and the mantra so your brain wants to make you some good :cheeky: and you dream the same thing you visualized (is it the same or is it just barely similar?). So when you get to the point when you do the RC or see your DS you continue lucidly. Anyway, this is my thought on it.
Looking forward to Your answers. These thoughts have been bothering me for 5 days...:roll:

It's difficult to explain in words, but I'm going to have a shot anyway. Here's a web definition of visualization:

"A mental image that is similar to a visual perception"

Your perception to the physical reality is what really defines what it is for you, and your physical senses (smelling, seeing, hearing, tasting and feeling) develop with how conscious you are. When you visualize from being conscious, without practice you might just feel like you're forcing a daydream for no reason, but if you do the exact same thing when you're not as conscious/awake (like interrupting sleep in the middle of the night) there is a good chance you will become engulfed inside the image and transfer these senses to another reality. Next time you wake up in the middle of the night, try relaxing as much as possible and try and engulf yourself in a visualization using all of these senses. If nothing happens, try and make this 'daydream' go as fast it can, this will feel like you're putting pressure on your brain and for at-least a second it will clarify and you will feel something as if it was real.

Experts can do this from being fully conscious and I don't know how experienced you are, but it's all about where your focus lies. I know someone who can/could 'WILD' from being wide awake, but I couldn't do that for the life of me. As I said it's one of those things you would need to experience to subconsciously understand.

That's just my take on it. :)

Visualization is the flow of thoughts you can imagine seeing and hearing. The imagined visualizations are a representation of our experiences or fantasies - and a way your mind codes, retains, and expresses information. Visualization and imagination are the stuff of dreams and daydreams. When we visualize we use the same area in our brains as when we are dreaming. You can visualize almost anything (preferably relaxing) while you are falling asleep; all the while telling yourself you will awaken in a dream.

Thank you both of you. :happyface: Great information! But if someone could clarify how these visualizations carry over to dreams and lucidity I think I would understand it even more... ;)

Read the section on it in EWOLD. It's the best description of the technique I know of (considering that it's written by the man who invented the technique). Don't focus so much on the verbal mantras, that gets played up a lot but it's not going to help you. It's about the idea itself.