Thread: PseudoWILDs

Your issues seem remarkably similar to mine in some respect. I too rarely seem to pull off a 'classic' or 'textbook' WILD. I also recognise the nuances in the transition stages you mention, including the visualisation, the dreamlets and the mini-dreams.

For example post-WBTB I tried to drop off to sleep normally. At first, I remember consiously visualising on purpose (initially in my minds eye) a route (aka "breadcrumbs") to take ouside my house and onto my street. The visualisation (without me being 'aware' after) formed a dreamlet/dream of myself walking out into the street from my house. However I then noticed an incongruous object appear (like the shape of a car) on the footpath. I noticed it (as not part of my visualisation) and this jolted me out of the dream and back to 'reality' in bed. If I have correctly understood, this sound similar to your VWILD attempts?

Ironically though I had a DILD this same morning, post-WBTB.

Back to your classification.
In my dream journal I sometimes add a question mark after entering it as a WILD. This is due to the odd (long) transition state itself at the start. Sometimes I feel that the transition is a 'dream', akin to an FA perhaps? (E.g. Where does it end/start?) I feel there is an element of subjectivity (regarding WILD) where everybody's experience differs to some degree. (My opinion/hypothesis).

As a side note, I often find on morning reflection I notice a dream event is often a series of dream scenarios rather than seperate dreams as such. (WBTB/awakenings aside).

I think if your visualisation gives you DILDs after then that is good. That's how I look at it with my practice. I guess we should not get bogged down with what happens during transition as long as we get some result and we learn from it.

To paraphrase, () I don't think the "noise" (HI, hallucinations, et al) is that important in regard to WILD - they are merely "signposts" to the eventual desired goal. Ironically in order to WILD a person needs to technically fall asleep.

In answer to your question I would say (from experience) that (c) and (d) are probably DILD.
With (a) and (b) I'm not sure? In fact they sound like what I get (see above). I have to judge mine case by case. I will sit on the fence with the former two, although if I'm pushed (a) to me does sound like (V)WILD as such.

No doubt there will be people who WILD on a more regular basis could chime in and answer better than me.