Questions about MILD

Most of my lucid dreams have been MILDs. On successful attempts, I would go to sleep with a strong intention that I was going to have a lucid dream, and on some level, I expected it to happen; it often worked if I really expected to become lucid or was highly motivated.

The thing is, I never really used any of the recommended aspects of MILD to do this, e.g. I never recalled the last dream, used mantras, or set my mind to notice dream signs etc.; I just went to sleep with a strong intention that I would have a lucid dream, and soon after, fully realized I was dreaming.

So I was wondering, what exactly is it that causes lucidity from this? Is ‘belief’ the active ingredient? Could it just be that high expectation and motivation really help your prospective memory? I’m just trying to figure out what it is about this particular approach that seems to be so successful, i.e. what is the main cause of the lucid response?

Any ideas? Thanks for your responses! ;)

I think what's working for you would best be termed auto-suggestion. With auto-suggestion, you instruct your unconscious mental processes to manifest something. The instruction has to be indirect, through desire, expectation, will, hypnosis, etc. So it's not focused solely on prospective memory but a broader umbrella of mental processes called volition. It's still effective though. In the more recent scientific literature, the most effective DILD techniques in the laboratory (excluding EILDs) are the so-called "combined techniques" that combine suggestion (either auto or posthypnotic), prospective memory, and critical reflection. The distinguishing characteristic of MILD is targeting prospective memory but it really touches all of these. If you aren't doing formal MILD, you're probably still touching all these to some degree, just in different ways and proportions.

Great post sisyphus!

Adding to the discussion, on this meta-analysis , MILD, intention and auto-suggestion are presented as different techniques: MILD technique referring to the intention of remembering one is dreaming; intention technique as visualization of becoming lucid; autosuggestion as the same, but in a more relaxed state (less assertiveness?). What they don't do is identify aspects that differentiate them (well they do that, but very superficially). Regarding MILD, it's almost impossible to not include the aspect of volition that sisyphus mentioned, but once again, volition is present in pretty much every lucid dreamer's method of induction ^^

I for one would like to know the difference between auto-suggestion and intention in a neurological perspective. That would allow us to better understand the impact of mantras for example, because so far I don't think we have any research determining the differences on results based on the wording, do we?

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Originally Posted by sisyphus

I think what's working for you would best be termed auto-suggestion. With auto-suggestion, you instruct your unconscious mental processes to manifest something. The instruction has to be indirect, through desire, expectation, will, hypnosis, etc. So it's not focused solely on prospective memory but a broader umbrella of mental processes called volition. It's still effective though. In the more recent scientific literature, the most effective DILD techniques in the laboratory (excluding EILDs) are the so-called "combined techniques" that combine suggestion (either auto or posthypnotic), prospective memory, and critical reflection. The distinguishing characteristic of MILD is targeting prospective memory but it really touches all of these. If you aren't doing formal MILD, you're probably still touching all these to some degree, just in different ways and proportions.

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Nice response, sisyphus; thanks! That really clarified things. ;)

Yes, while this approach has worked for me on many occasions, I’ve never really thought of it as ‘the’ MILD technique, but rather some type of MILD approach, consisting of a general sense of expectation or intention. It does seem more likely now, though, that it’s down to a number of things, as you said, as I can’t imagine one single activity being the ultimate cause of this lucid response.

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Originally Posted by Zoth

Regarding MILD, it's almost impossible to not include the aspect of volition that sisyphus mentioned, but once again, volition is present in pretty much every lucid dreamer's method of induction

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I agree, Zoth. I've often thought of the 'MILD' technique as being very versatile, or maybe the sense of 'volition' that's associated with it, as it acts as a supplement to any technique you choose, whilst also being a powerful means of induction itself. So yes, I'd imagine that with any technique, there would naturally be some sense of it present.

Thanks for your responses! ;)