Thread: Adam's WILD Technique!

Adams WILD Technique
Version 1.0 updated 25th February 2008
Version 1.1 updated 16th March 2008

Introduction

I have been lucid dreaming for about 13 years, I do not know the exact time, but it has been since childhood. Until recently all my lucid dreams have been natural Dream-Initiated-Lucid-Dream (DILD) or Dream-Exit-Induced-Lucid-Dream (DEILD). I have been practicing a variation of Wake-Initiated-Lucid-Dream (WILD) techniques for near on 6 months now and this version of what I do when I WILD appears to be the most successful for me. As far as I know most techniques teach you to focus your attention on Hypnagogic Imagery (HI), ask that you stay awake for anything up to 2 hours; sometimes more. What I do is focus more on the physical sensations created by the mind, rather than visual sensations. Incorporating Wake-Back-To-Bed (WBTB) and only being up for a maximum of 10 minutes.

Synopsis

The WILD technique basically works by remaining conscious until you fall to sleep and start dreaming instantly. If done right with practice it can be a relatively easy technique and can produce some amazing experiences. The WILD technique works best in conjunction with WBTB since you enter Rapid-Eye-Movement (REM) sleep a lot faster after 5-6 hours sleep and don’t enter stages 3 and 4 as you do when you first go to sleep.

The big problem is remaining conscious until the dream starts. Overcoming this leads to many strange experiences, some can be quite scary, others very strange, quite synonymous with its name ‘WILD’ I guess.

I have put this guide together as this is a variation on the technique which works very well for me and has produced some amazing results, even managing to WILD from going straight to sleep avoiding WBTB! I hope this helps others, and if there are any questions I am happy to help, so on with the tutorial.

Prerequisite

Okay there is one thing you need to consider before trying this, this might change based on your successes but for me the following I have found is important. I will try to explain why it is important and how you can achieve results.

- Ensure your sleep pattern is regular and plentiful!

One point I have found common with people new to lucid dreaming or who have trouble with lucid dreaming and/or dream recall is a good amount of sleep and a regular sleep schedule. My theory is the better quality the sleep is, the more relaxed the body is. For example – if you tend to sleep for short amounts of time each evening your body doesn’t get the rest it needs. The amount of sleep required varies with each individual, with the average being 7.2 hours. Some people require no more than 4 to 6 hours of sleep, while others require 8 to 10 hours. By ages 15-19, we begin to establish our lifetime average. The amount of sleep required stabilises once one reaches adulthood. I am a believer that 8 hours should be sufficient for your body to be restful.

I have noticed with lack of sleep, I sleep deeper, primarily because the body doesn’t have a regular pattern of sleep, and doesn’t know when the next amount of good sleep is going to come from, so sleep is deeper for the body to get the rest required to recharge. Regular, plentiful and scheduled sleep allows the biological clock to sync and your body can sleep lighter knowing it will be getting regular sleep/rest – and I believe there is a direct correlation between good, light sleep and lucid dreaming success. Mainly due to lighter REM sleep.

The Technique

The technique is to be practiced in conjunction with the aforementioned prerequisite. Results cannot be guaranteed since this technique has been refined to me, but happy to work with people to get this to work well with them. My technique is aimed at working alongside WBTB, as this seems to be where the best results come, not just for this technique but also for most WILD techniques.

- Set your alarm for about 4.5 to 5.5 hours after you go to bed this is allowing for 30 minutes to fall asleep. It would be beneficial and results would be better getting to sleep at about 11pm. This means you get up around 3/4am, it is still dark, and external distractions are do not come into the equation, since everyone else should be sleeping too. One common complaint is people try to WILD and then some outside their room is talking, or their cat jumps on their bed. Doing it in the middle of the night limits these distractions.

- Once awake, aim to be awake for about 5/10 minutes. These times can vary, and you will need to work to find which amount of time is sufficient for you. If you are awake for 5 minutes and you find you fall to sleep to quickly, then lengthen the time you are awake for, and visa versa.

- When awake, I usually take a toilet break (easier to concentrate on the WILD on an empty bladder) and perhaps get a glass of water (I drink about a pint during the night) or something, but this is usually it. I then get back into bed. Try not to wake too much as this can sometimes make it harder to fall back to sleep. I find if it takes me more than about 20 minutes to WILD I get frustrated and this has a detrimental affect on my success.

- When in bed there’s not really too much ground breaking here, but it is different from what others do – I basically wait a couple of minutes for my body to get relaxed, thinking about nothing, just falling to sleep. This can be in any position you like, just try get rested again. Naturally your heart will be beating faster, because when you sleep, your heart rate slows down, getting up and out of bed speeds it up again. So resting for a minute or two is important to relax yourself. Then when I feel relaxed enough, and I am ready to drop off, this is when I start to WILD.

- Lay as still as you can, eyes shut, and preferably on your back, although not imperative, I find it easier to manipulate the sensations on my back, but try what is best for you. I focus my attention on my body; primarily on my back (this is why lying on your back helps). At first it seems there is not a great deal going on, but usually to start off with I will focus my attention on my back sinking into my bed. Sometimes in tandem my eyes will also feel as if they are looking further away into blackness. Like when you concentrate on your eyelids, it’s like you are looking beyond them. I use this visualisation to make it feel like I am sinking deeper into my bed.

[An important note here is that at no point do I concentrate on Hypnagogic Imagery. All sensations I focus on are motion, not visual. You might find visualisations help, but for me I do not use them]

- When you get to this stage, it is important to try not to force these sensations. Go with them. Initially it will more than likely be your back sinking and sometimes it might feel like you are going to flip around, or you might experience a sliding sensation. It varies each nigh, but the main focus is on the sensations. What I do is wait for them to get quite intensive, and then try landing myself (usually I feel like I am falling at this point) somewhere. Like back on a bed, or just into a room. You have to focus your mind on the feeling of your back sinking, or your legs rising, but once you get these, your mind takes over and this allows you to WILD.

- The transition from these sensations into a lucid dream can be quite tricky, getting into the dream might be difficult at first but it is important to remember that if at first you don’t get there you should be able to quickly get back to the sensations and start again. I sometimes find myself going back to the sensations a couple of times, and you should really get there instantly providing you don’t wake up.

I learnt that one key thing which helped was when lying still and with my eyes shut it was like I was focussing on my eyelids. But soon I tried looking beyond them, and my vision would change to seem like I was focussing further and further away from them. I used this then to feel like it was me moving away from this rather than my sight looking further ahead if that makes sense? So when I am looking into my eyelids, I visualise my back sinking into the bed, and at the same time my vision would look beyond my eyelids further convincing myself I was sinking further and further into my bed. And from here once you get these sensations they pretty much take over.

One difficulty I have experienced is breathing. I found sometimes that if I was breathing too deeply my breathing in would counteract the sensations of me sinking. Because your stomach/chest moves outwards when you inhale, so this counteracted my sensations I was trying to induce. So then I would lye still in my bed, waiting till I was tired and ready to sleep and my breathing had slowed right down, then I would be ready to try. Once I had realised this, then it was a matter of using my vision it help induce the sinking sensations, which doesn't always happen at first, but after a while you begin to feel it. Something which helped was digging my back into my bed and holding it there for 30/60 seconds, and then you relax, this gives the opposite feeling that it is in fact your legs sinking, which helped a lot.

This is the technique I have been working on recently with fantastic results for me.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have if you are going to try this technique. Any comments or suggestions you might have are also very welcome. I hope this brings you many lucid dreams like it has done for me.
Adam.

Copyright © 2008 Adam. All rights reserved.

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Here are some experiences from people who have had success with this tutorial:

Originally Posted by Robot_Butler

I tried this again last night, Adam. Great success!

I was on my back imagining my body falling backwards, and that my bedsheets were like a parachute that the wind was pressing against me as I fell. Like I was falling through space while wrapped in a bedsheet.

I hit sleep paralysis and started feeling my body humming and vibrating like mad. My girlfriend kept kicking me, so I kept popping out of SP. Once I was in, it was pretty easy to return, so after about an hour of trying not to get mad at the lady, I finally hit a great bout of SP.

I decided it was time to finally enter a dream, so I started imagining the feeling of floating upwards. I was trying to make it as vivid as possible, and next think I knew, I slammed against my ceiling. I reached out my hands and felt the texture of the ceiling for a minute or two to make sure I was 100% locked in the dream, then I opened my eyes. I then started climbing around on the ceiling like spiderman.

This whole time, I was listening to a man and a woman discussing Tax Law. They were talking about the alternative minimum tax and how it didn't allow for the deduction of wholesale grocery purchases at your farmer's market.

I was crawling on the ceiling trying to figure out what the hell they were talking about. As I turned the corner to climb down my bedroom wall, I felt a huge gust of wind, and looked down to find myself outside, on the side of a tall building above an outdoor farmers market. The two people talking were walking along the street far below me.

Originally Posted by Riot Maker

Worked for me last night.

I just basicly followed the procedure and after about 10 minutes of intense sensations, i just had that feeling that i could roll out of my bed, and i did.

thanks adam, great tutorial btw.

Nice write up.
How often do you practice this technique?

I did it for a while to refine it - about 3-4 times a week, will about 90% success. Now I have not had time because I have been so busy with work/holidays/study that I didn't want to disturb my sleep - but in full swing was quite often with very good results

You've told me this technique over DV chat but you didn't give me this much info so i'm going to try it this way tonight. Hopefully I will get close enough to modivate me to keep working on it all week lol (winter break ftw)

90% success rate, huh?
Does that come with some sort of guarentee?

Read the small print

It did take a lot of failed efforts to get here though, so this shouldn't be seen as the mirracle technique lol - I personally find it easier to stimulate physical sensations than visual ones, and induce lucid dreaming this way - for those similar to me, they should have similar success (I hope).

Originally Posted by Adam

I have put this guide together as this is a variation on the technique which works very well for me and has produced some amazing results, even managing to WILD from going straight to sleep avoiding WBTB!

Adam, I would love to be able to WILD without having to WBTB. I'll definately be giving this a try!

It worked when I was extreamly exhausted and really tired, because I then I found it really easy to fall to sleep and straight into a lucid dream (via WILD)

Like i said in your 'Poll' Thread, im gonna try WILD on my side tonight, and now i'll be using this method. Seeing as i wont be on my back, maybe i'll imagine my head falling through the pillow. That should have the same effect, shouldn't it?

A very descriptive and helpful tutorial adam.

Originally Posted by ArtfulBodger

Like i said in your 'Poll' Thread, im gonna try WILD on my side tonight, and now i'll be using this method. Seeing as i wont be on my back, maybe i'll imagine my head falling through the pillow. That should have the same effect, shouldn't it?

A very descriptive and helpful tutorial adam.

It should do - The main focus is on part of your body. It's just that when I am on my back it makes sense for it to be my back sinking into the bed - so on your side it could very well be the same

It does sound like a very cool idea. I can imagine now having my head go through the pillow and my legs falling through last, if that seems like a good idea. Either way i'm trying it tonight for definate. Cheers mate.

I find WILDing a very amazing tactic, its like nothing I have ever felt before and I remian Lucid for so long!

Originally Posted by Adam

It worked when I was extreamly exhausted and really tired, because I then I found it really easy to fall to sleep and straight into a lucid dream (via WILD)

Do you mean i can WILD whenever i am feeling sleepy?

Nice tutorial.
I'll try this tonight.

i find it hard to feel the sensation of my body moving, i end up just visualising it, is it right to visualise it? or do you have to go by the sensations you feel?

Initially you have to visualise it, then after you get the tactile sensations

Tried this technique last night, and it was the closest I've gotten to an LD. I got to some fairly strong vibrations, then a possum fight outside my window awoke me. I'll try again tonight.

P.S. I'm loving your avatar.

Thanks lol.

Good luck again tonight

Originally Posted by Adam

Adams WILD Technique


I learnt that one key thing which helped was when lying still and with my eyes shut it was like I was focussing on my eyelids. But soon I tried looking beyond them, and my vision would change to seem like I was focussing further and further away from them. I used this then to feel like it was me moving away from this rather than my sight looking further ahead if that makes sense? So when I am looking into my eyelids, I visualise my back sinking into the bed, and at the same time my vision would look beyond my eyelids further convincing myself I was sinking further and further into my bed. And from here once you get these sensations they pretty much take over.

I love the tut Adam, but I can't understand the above words. If you want to feel like you are sinking back into the bed, wouldn't you want to visualise back further into your eyes not further away to give the feeling you are sinking backwards?
Or are you sort of faking the back of your eyelids are moving further away by looking beyond? That would make sense.
Great job.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

yeah basically using looking beyond the eyelids is like instead of looking beyond use that to feel you are moving away from the eyelids, if that makes sense?

Originally Posted by Adam

Thanks for the feedback guys.

yeah basically using looking beyond the eyelids is like instead of looking beyond use that to feel you are moving away from the eyelids, if that makes sense?

Then I would feel drawn forward or upward, not back into my bed.

Yeah I'm am soooo exited to say that I had my first two REAL Lucid Dreams this morning using the W.I.L.D. technique. They were two short, yet, incredible experiences that I will never forget:

The first Lucid Dream was an O.B.E. which ended rather quickly after I tried 2 maneuver my 'Astral Body,' if you will, away from leaving my room and ended up moving (well at least trying to move) my body.

The second Lucid Dream was just indescribable. Well actually, it is, but the feeling it gave me is not. It took me a while to fall asleep again after waking from the first L.D., but when I did I found myself placed at the elementary school in which I like to play basketball at (I was there yesterday, in fact). I heard/saw a black SUV approaching to my right side and quickly dismissed it as my fan causing the sound produced by the engine, hence the SUV itself. But I had to do what everybody does at least once in a Lucid Dream... FLY BABY FLY!!! The feeling that hit me when I began to fly was AMAZING! It was soo real, unfortunately I couldn't control it and was headed into space. I tried to maneuver to the left to stay in the atmosphere but once again woke myself up, lol.

I was too happy at my accomplishments to be mad at myself for messing up both of my very first official Lucid Dreams, but hey this was just the beginning for me. I can't wait until tomorrow and that's when the fun is really going to start!!! XD

WolfeDreamer, congratulations and may this be the beginning of many wonderful lucid experiences!

Thanks Clairity, I had another one (actually quite a few that didn't last a second) this morning using the W.I.L.D. technique once again, but now I am having trouble controlling them

But I did manage to get to the 'scene selection stage' after spinning around (rather violently, lol) to maintain Lucidity. But I need to train myself to remain calm when trying to control what happens next. I always rush into trying to make something happen and end up startling my paralyzed body. But I know it takes time and practice... then I can know what its like to be in 'the matrix'

WolfeDreamer, every failure is "learning experience"!

It sounds like you know what to do (i.e., slow down).. you just have to remember to do it!
May your lucids only get better and longer!