Transitioning from Awake to Dreaming

[NullAshton]

I've been trying to WILD for some time now. I've attained it several times, but don't remember HOW I attained it. Mostly, it just happens. I close my eyes, then I'm dreaming. Anyway, 95% of the time when I try dreaming like this, nothing happens. I've tried all the techniques, then some, nothing works. One of the problems is my state of mind may be wrong. What exactly should the state of mind be? And does rate of thinking alter anything? Dream recall I have no major problems with, same goes for control, staying in a dream(although changing dream enviroments shot me out of it last time, next time i'm going t try spinning). I'd like to have more clarity of thought in dreams. Mostly, though, I want to get in the dream in the first place, and before I go to sleep since alarms tend not to wake me up.

[themindsi]

lol, dig the sig. Anyways, yes, for me rate of thought does effect things. You must remain conscious, but for me, if my thoughts are racing, i'll never achieve WILD. This happened last night, I was trying to WILD and started the imagery and felt the vibrations, but my mind was going a million miles a minute (i had to register for classes today), and I'm nearly positive that's what prohibited me from WILD'ing.

[Ev]

State of mind and amount of thinking definitely affects your ability to enter dreams: dont think enough and you'll succumb to the dream or dreamlike state unaware. Think too much and you wont be able to fall asleep at all. It's hard to find an exact optimal solution, and I'm sure it's different for everybody. Try to experiment. Also, entering dreams first time you hit the bed is not easy. In fact it's one of the most difficult things to do, otherwise just about everybody would be doing that....

[Jade010]

Hello, If you find that a certain approach does not work for you, first try to modify it before switching to another approach. You say that WILDS does not seem to work well for you, and that you prefer to approach lucidity before going to sleep. Given these 2 factors, there are several things you could do. So lets look at your goal: Originally posted by NullAshton Mostly, though, I want to get in the dream in the first place, and before I go to sleep since alarms tend not to wake me up. One of the most difficult aspects of WILDS is waking after a few hours of sleep. Personally, I have never found this to be necessary, though I do understand why it's suggested. So, to modify WILDS, simply skip the step that suggests several hours of sleep, followed by a Beta (fully awakened state). Instead, set up your environment to mimic an in between state which will allow you to hover between the stages of Theta. Here are some things I do to accomplish this - before going to bed: 1. Make an effort to expend energy during the day, so that when you lay down, you are exhausted. Meaning, do not retire to the bed until you feel you cannot keep your eyes open. "Be extremely tired." 2. Lay in the Supine position when you rest (on your back) and adjust the angle of your body, so that you are on a slight incline, i.e., prop yourself up on pillows. The goal is to place your body in a position that you are not accustomed to, in order that you do not drift to sleep before entering Theta. "Be slightly uncomfortable." 3. Once you lay down, do not be overwhelmed with "clearing your mind" because if you wish to enter the in between state, you need to "allow" your mind to follow its own course to create a dream. It cannot begin to create a dream if you do not allow it the freedom to choose its own imagery. "Allow for freeflow of thought without restriction." Note: If you find creating imagery/visualization difficult, just remember that your mind will do so on its own. 4. Very Important. Move your thoughts away from you physical body, while in Step 3. This is where mindset comes into play. Your body should not be "participating" in lucidity and so separation of mind and body are paramount. You can accomplish this by ignoring the small nuances and signals sent by the body to the mind. Such as, resisting the urge to readjust your body, itching, and thinking about your bodily form. All energies should be converted from physical to mental. "Feed your thoughts. Ignore the body." The combination of these steps should induce a light, lucid Theta state with the foundation of a dream which is ready for entry. Granted, the dream you will have created may not be the one you wish to enter, but merely a series of random thoughts. Take those random thoughts and "accept" them as your dream. Don't worry if it's not perfect, because you will soon be able to alter the dream as you slip into the deeper stages of Theta and later Delta. The most important aspect of all of this is realizing when you've created the foundation for the dream. The moment you feel that you have, allow yourself to fall asleep. When I do this, I enter the dreamstate with full control. ~Deja

[jay dawg]

wow your some kind of LD expert! 8) very insightful instruction! would you happen to know if hearing a "white noise"/ringing sound has to do with an OBE or LD? this seems to be happening to me quite quickly at night's first sleep. it gets pretty loud but then my mind fills with thoughts of my brain exploding and i stop! haha. cuz it then dawns on me, "since everything is in my head, then couldnt that feeling of it exploding actually "happen"!?!" lol i know im paranoid as all get out. as it happens, i feel as if im disconnecting from my body and moving into a higher state of consciousness at the same time. would this be OBE or LD? (if there is a difference><)

[NullAshton]

Thanks Tonight I have Tae Kwon Doe, so that should probally make me tired out. I'll try these suggestions. You should really make a tutorial for this.

[themindsi]

Wow! Deja, you should consider tutorial writing! Glad to have you here, you seem to know alot!

[Etrain]

Knowledgable indeed....

[Jade010]

Hello, I'm not an "expert" by any means. I've just been through so many methods in my life that I can understand some of the frustration. As to your question - YES...auditory signals such as ringing of the ears or white noise is a gestault of OBE! You are very fortunate that you have these signals, as many do not. So, be glad that you experience them and do not fear. You can use the auditory signals to OBE/Exit just as you would use visual signals to do so. If the sounds are coupled by physical vibrations, all the better. Please let me know if that is the case with you? Here is what is happening when your ears begin to ring: The mind sends various signals to the body to check and see if the body is truly asleep. Normally, it sends physical signals and then auditory signals. If the body does not respond to either, the mind will go to sleep (enter deep Theta). You can "trick" the mind into believing your body is asleep by ignoring the physical signals. Here is an example....... 1) When you are laying in bed, you might feel a very strong impulse to turn over or readjust in bed. You are not really uncomfortable, but your mind wants you to believe you are. Why does the mind do this? To "check and see" if you're really asleep. It says "I wonder if Jay is asleep. I'll try to get him to move. If he does not move, then I (the mind) can put the body completely to sleep and get to dreaming." If you resist the urge to move, the mind will do this. At this point, you might feel the physical sensation of Vibrations followed by Sleep Paralysis. Remember, the entire reason the mind waits for the body to go sleep first is to prevent the body from walking around and acting out its dreams. It's a protection mechanism created by the mind to keep you safe while you dream. When this example occurs, the result is: Your body is asleep, but your mind is awake. This is the perfect environment for Exit. So, when hear these noises, stay awake, resist the urge to move and wait for the body to be "shut down" by the mind. Don't push the auditory signals away, but use them as a means to Exit the body. Of course, if your goal is not to OBE, but LD, then you would create a auditory dreamscape to enter, instead of a physical/mind state to Exit. Originally posted by jay dawg wow your some kind of LD expert! 8) very insightful instruction! would you happen to know if hearing a \"white noise\"/ringing sound has to do with an OBE or LD? this seems to be happening to me quite quickly at night's first sleep. it gets pretty loud but then my mind fills with thoughts of my brain exploding and i stop! haha. cuz it then dawns on me, \"since everything is in my head, then couldnt that feeling of it exploding actually \"happen\"!?!\" lol i know im paranoid as all get out. as it happens, i feel as if im disconnecting from my body and moving into a higher state of consciousness at the same time. would this be OBE or LD? (if there is a difference><) The body follows the same pattern of \"shut down\" every single night. So, the pattern is capable of being utilized for OBE or LD. Hence, there really is no difference, except in your personal choice - whether you choose to have an OBE, enter an LD, or simply relent and suffice to have a \"regular\" sleep cycle. Example: Physical/Auditory signals are best for Exit/OBE. Visual signals are ideal for entering LD. However, don't worry too much about which signals are best for what - just know that you can use them to enter an altered state. Originally posted by jay dawg i feel as if im disconnecting from my body and moving into a higher state of consciousness at the same time. would this be OBE or LD? (if there is a difference><) ~Deja

[CalmoftheEye]

HA, I knew it. I always figured that the urge to reposition was not actually being uncomfortable. Thank you for clearing it up though, because even though I knew this I still did not know why. I thought it was cause my bed sucked.

[Jade010]

Just remember too.....you must also keep completely still and not just resist the urge to roll over in bed. Do not move any part of your body (hands, feet, etc) including your eyes. Try to keep them very still while they're closed. Pay attention to the movement of your breath - not too shallow - not too deep. You want every physical signal to mimic bodily sleep because the mind is clever.....so tricking it requires perfect stillness with this method. ~Deja Originally posted by CalmoftheEye HA, I knew it. I always figured that the urge to reposition was not actually being uncomfortable. Thank you for clearing it up though, because even though I knew this I still did not know why. I thought it was cause my bed sucked.

[freefalling]

Provided there is no noise, I always hear a ringing in my ears. Is this somthing different? afew of my friends have talked to me about paralyzing their bodies while trying to sleep, i guess this is what they meant - thanks for clearing that up as I really didn't understand what they meant!

[jay dawg]

Originally posted by freefalling Provided there is no noise, I always hear a ringing in my ears. Is this somthing different? afew of my friends have talked to me about paralyzing their bodies while trying to sleep, i guess this is what they meant - thanks for clearing that up as I really didn't understand what they meant! i dont think thats the same thing. always hearing a ringing could be from the damn TV always being on, who knows. the kind of ringing i heard was like that but, it gets really loud and feels weird. are your friends into lucid dreaming? sleep paralysis is common in this

[freefalling]

No, they are not into LD, and probably don't know what it is. They just use 'sleep paralysis' as a means to get to sleep. However a different friend is interested but just wants to hear from me about how far I get. Oh, and by the ringing thing I meant anywhere, anytime. If I think about the ringing and concentrate on it I can make it get louder.

[Trees and Balloons]

same with me. the ringing is always there, i think it just gets drowned out throughout the day. when im in a completely quiet situation indoors however (e.g. in bed), it gets pretty noticeable. are you telling me this is some sort of exclusive trait? that doesnt make sense to me, maybe im misinterpretting your statement?

[jay dawg]

i notice it in the bathroom before i take a shower. never gets louder there tho. only when im trying to wild/obe i guess. what im saying is perhaps the ringing is a side effect from having TVs. like sometimes ill notice the ringing from the TV to be much louder at times than it's usual slight ringing. which is really anoying

[TygrHawk]

Originally posted by Trees and Balloons are you telling me this is some sort of exclusive trait? Yeah. It's called "hearing damage". It's usually the result of listening to music too loudly, being around jet airplanes too much, etc. I have it too, though not terribly badly.

[freefalling]

Yeah, I wouldn't be suprised if it was hearing damage. It's really only when it's quiet or I think about it that I notice it. All the other times I guess I block it out.

[O-Nieronaut]

If I'm trying to sleep in a quiet environment, I notice that ringing get much louder just before I fall asleep. Of course, if I become too cognisant of it at the time, it stops and I don't fall asleep.

[themindsi]

Originally posted by freefalling No, they are not into LD, and probably don't know what it is. They just use 'sleep paralysis' as a means to get to sleep. However a different friend is interested but just wants to hear from me about how far I get. Oh, and by the ringing thing I meant anywhere, anytime. If I think about the ringing and concentrate on it I can make it get louder. Me too!

[NullAshton]

I think that's kinda like the feeling you get when you lay in water for a while, that ghost feeling you get. Probally something like your brain is used to sound, and when there is no sound, your brain makes up a sound to replace that.

[Jade010]

Hello, There is a difference between "Ringing of the Ears" and tone replacement. When you are in a very loud environment, and then move to a quiet environment, your hearing adjusts and you will hear a tone replacement. It often sounds like a high pitched tuning fork. Think about when you are outside in the bright sunlight and then you walk into your home, where it is darker. For the first minute or so, it's difficult to see isn't it? Your eyes are adjusting to the lack of bright light. Your ears adjust to the absence of loud sound - just the way your eyes adjust to the absence of bright light. For LD/OBE, Ringing of the Ears is different. You are not, or should not, be going from a very loud environment straight to your bed. You should make sure you have a few minutes of silence before going to bed so that you don't confust Tone Replacement with Ringing of the Ears. Then, when and if your ears begin to ring, you will recognize this as a physical gestault of separation. ~Deja

[freefalling]

Originally posted by DejaSoul When you are in a very loud environment, and then move to a quiet environment, your hearing adjusts and you will hear a tone replacement. It often sounds like a high pitched tuning fork. Your ears adjust to the absence of loud sound - just the way your eyes adjust to the absence of bright light. Yeah uhm, they don't start to ring, they've always been ringing, as far as I know of, everytime I think about it or am in a quiet place, I notice it. even right now - I've been in bed for about 30minutes. Even when I turn some music on i notice the ringing. The sound I hear is much like a constant high pitched radio wave (I think it can be described like that)

[Tornado Joe]

Hey freefall, I think I know what you mean and I have posted about this some time ago myself. One responce I got was it was the actuall sound of your blood running through your veins near your ear cannal. I guess this makes sense. The person said it was more apparent in people with high-blood pressure. Even though I don't have high blood pressure, I believe it's a possibility. I also concur with Deja's "tone replacemet" explanation as well. Many people listen to music or watch tv before bed, and may not realize how loud it is untill they finally "hear the silence "of bedtime.

[jay dawg]

yes like if i listen to a brainwave mp3 and its kind of low volume, then im drifting off to sleep and it seems anoyingly loud! but really, the ringing has to be from watching TV. i was noticing a literal ringing a few times last month before bed, i stopped watching tv for a few weeks and it stopped. a different ringing than when i try WILD tho.