A Novel Method?

I've discovered what may turn out to be a promising technique for inducing lucidity. I'm sure that this has already been discovered, but hey, I'll take my victories where I can get them.

I call the technique "Hypnagogic Surfing" (which, I admit, isn't the best name, but it captures the spirit of the technique fairly well). It's basically a modification of standard WILD:

1. Go to bed. This may work after WBTB, but I've never tried it that way.
2. Relax. Depending on how energetic or anxious you feel, this can take anywhere from two to thirty minutes (approximately).
3. Do something to keep your mind focused (I find listening to calm, relaxing, non-exciting music helps. I suggest Brian Eno's song 1/1. It's slow and quiet and very long, which helps).
4. Pass through hypnagogiga. Eventually, you'll notice that your emotional reaction to the music becomes deeper, and you'll recognize the onset of sleep. [[b]NOTE: This is as far as I've ever gotten with this technique. I know it seems rather foolish to talk about an LD technique without knowing whether or not it works, but I'm just hoping to get peoples' opinions here, and maybe some feedback.[b/]]
5. I presume, at this point, you enter the dream state in the standard way.

Since my sleep has been somewhat erratic lately, I haven't had many opportunities to try this, although it has gotten me tantalizingly close a few times. It hasn't worked yet, but it's the first LD technique I've found that feels right to me, and feels like it has a chance of wringing an LD or two out of my stubborn brain.

Interesting. But I think that falling asleep while listening to music would be difficult for me.
Maybe I'll try that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Asymptote

1. Go to bed. This may work after WBTB, but I've never tried it that way.
2. Relax. Depending on how energetic or anxious you feel, this can take anywhere from two to thirty minutes (approximately).
3. Do something to keep your mind focused (I find listening to calm, relaxing, non-exciting music helps. I suggest Brian Eno's song 1/1. It's slow and quiet and very long, which helps).
4. Pass through hypnagogiga. Eventually, you'll notice that your emotional reaction to the music becomes deeper, and you'll recognize the onset of sleep. [[b]NOTE: This is as far as I've ever gotten with this technique. I know it seems rather foolish to talk about an LD technique without knowing whether or not it works, but I'm just hoping to get peoples' opinions here, and maybe some feedback.[b/]]
5. I presume, at this point, you enter the dream state in the standard way.

Since my sleep has been somewhat erratic lately, I haven't had many opportunities to try this, although it has gotten me tantalizingly close a few times. It hasn't worked yet, but it's the first LD technique I've found that feels right to me, and feels like it has a chance of wringing an LD or two out of my stubborn brain.

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I've had experiences like that before.

I usually put a timer on my music though so that it will cut off on it's own. But usually the mindset i'm in while the music is playing ties into the dream i have---or some imagery or extended focus of the song ties in. Shapes or colors morph until I'm in a new surrounding and then that's when I know i'm fully immersed in the dream.

Falling asleep while listening to music is rather easy for me and I often notice my relation to the music getting deeper, stronger...hard to explain. I like to listen to some modern jazz tunes, but I never really tryed to achieve HI by that. But I will now ;)

Last night, I did some more experimentation with the method. I was up pretty late, so by the time I got to bed, I was quite tired. After laying down and listening to my music for a while, I began to experience the same shifting emotional connection with the music, and I could feel my thought process change. This time, though, I didn't interrupt myself. After a few minutes, the darkness behind my eyelids suddenly brightened, and I recognized the sensation of sleep paralysis.

SP has always been a stumbling block for me, because I'm a very nervous person, and so I usually start to panic when I start to get that sensation of not being able to breathe, but it seems that the method works. In view of the new experience, I've revised the steps:

1. Go to bed.
2. Relax. The music can be extremely helpful at this step.
3. Concentrate on the music (and only the music). Don't try to think too hard about your mental state, as this will make it harder to attain hypnagogia.
4. "Surf" through hypnagogia and into sleep paralysis.
5. Presumably, you enter the dream state, assuming that you don't panic during SP.

I think this has potential to take people's fear of SP away and help them WILD without having that little fear and shock about everything.