A [WILD] technique that may help to get you great results
I have posted my experiences with Lucid dreaming in the hope that some of you who are struggling may find this of some use and maybe relate to and adapt the technique that I have found works very well for me producing long, high level lucids. I am sorry about the lengthy intro but wanted to give you a picture of my experiences and the problems I have found. I would say that this technique is somewhere between a WILD and the WBTB method, but I only briefly get up to splash my face with some cold water before returning to bed.
I became interested in Lucidity well over 15 years ago, after a stressful time of my life was causing disrupted sleep and the time I went to bed varied considerably from day to day. One night I had the most strange feeling of leaving my body and floating off into an amazing experience, which I later learned to probably have been a WILD. From that night on I was fascinated by the experience and wanted to find out more. At the time, typing Lucid Dreaming into a search engine would give you about 1 or 2 hits if you were lucky, there seemed to be very little info back then.
My interest in LDing has come and gone over the years, achieving some LD's when I have put the effort and intention in, but usually end up rather disappointed with the results from so much effort. The problems I have found with the DILD methods are remembering to do the RCing and being bothered to record lengthy dreams in a diary at some unearthly time in the morning. I have missed countless opportunities to become lucid because I either end up just not recognising the signs, I have had a dream discussing LDing with a friend even done RC's which haven't resulted in a lucid, when I have become lucid they tend to be low level and only last a few seconds. Despite setting the intention to deepen and stabilize a lucid by the usual methods, I rarely remember to do them, also I have been caught out countless times from false awakenings and sometimes through utter panic, when I realise that I can't move.
Now to the technique, I decided to ditch the idea of RCing and dream recording altogether as in my case the efforts just didn't seem to justify the results, I also had the thought that maybe RCing was a way to trick the mind into lucidity which eventually gets wise, resulting in RCing losing its effectiveness. I think that its better to become lucid through a natural process of increased awareness and steadiness of mind. I go to bed at around 10.30 and set the alarm for 5.00, doing this I am aiming to get about 6 hours of quality sleep. During this time I will usually briefly awaken a couple of times and sometimes remember a dream, however I will not dwell on or record any so as not to disrupt sleep. When the alarm goes at 5 o'clock, I will get out of bed, use the bathroom if needed and splash some cold water on my face, I am aiming to get my mind reasonably alert. I return directly to bed and get comfortable lying on my back, now I don't want to return directly back to sleep and will spend the next 20-40mins or so meditating[1] on the breath. I use my mind to focus on and count each in and out breath ( 1 on the in breath, 2 on the out breath, 3 on the in breath...) when I get to 100 I start over again, on each out breath quickly scanning my body for any tension[2] in the muscles. I will usually after a while start noticing imagery and in my case the imagery nearly always starts with deep washes of blue or yellow cloud like patterns. It is then that I will turn over on to my side and get comfortable again, making sure that my pillow is not too high. Now I have read in other posts about turning over on your side is a sure way to destroy any chance of lucidity, I do not agree with that, I think those people are confusing that with their intent to carry on with the awareness required for a WILD, I think you should assume whatever position that you normally sleep in, I always seem to favour my left side and I just don't like to sleep on my back. So I am now on my side comfortable, focused on the counting/breathing meditation and free of any tension[2]. Shortly afterwards I will notice the imagery turning from streaks of colour to actual images getting stronger and more vivid, it is at this time that I have to really concentrate as I may start loosing count and sometimes but not always I will notice the onset of SP, which with me is usually the sensation of pins and needles in the hands or a roaring sound in the ears. The next moment I will either find myself fully lucid in a dream or awake after a ND, I can't really say exactly what happens between the imagery and lucidity, only that I don't tend to do anything or engage with the imagery, I just let it take its natural course.
So far, after a short while of using this technique, I have had Lucids on about 7 out of 10 attempts and the attempts that don't produce a lucid are maybe because I have deviated in some way from the above technique. Even so I am not disappointed if I get no LD's when I have put the effort in as I have had a good nights sleep and have done a good meditation and I just struggle to find the time for quality meditation nowadays. My rational mind is also much clearer with this technique and I have not been caught out from false awakenings, (I just instantly know that what I am seeing is not my bedroom even without RCing) I also remember and use the tricks and tips for increasing and prolonging the lucid and have excellent awareness and control. For those people who want to try this for themselves, I would say that the most important things are to experiment with, and get the times right for you, if you're a person who only needs 6 hours of sleep a night then set your alarm after 4 hours, give yourself at least 2 hours before you have to get up for work or whatever and really focus on the breathing meditation and relaxation or you could be laying there for 2 hours not achieving anything. If you just can't focus because your too tired try a splash of cold water on the face, or just try again tomorrow. If anybody wants any further information please feel free to ask away or post your comments, I am only too pleased to think that I maybe of help others.
[1] I hear some of you saying 'not that mystical meditation rubbish', let me explain that there is nothing mystical or difficult about meditation, I have a rather scientific outlook on this. Basically meditation is all about focusing the mind and remaining in awareness, not letting it run off this way and that and getting lost in fantasy and day dreams, most people get into a meditative frame of mind now and again when they are engaged in something they enjoy like playing or listening to music, reading a good book etc. Meditation is a training method that helps you gain control over the mind, think of the mind like a muscle, you have to work your muscles to develop strength (I read that somewhere). The rewards can be much greater than just increased lucidity during the night and will bring about greater powers of concentration, awareness and a whole host of other benefits throughout the day and the rest of your life. You don't have to sit in silence in a full lotus posture in a sacred place either, you can do some meditation at anytime and anywhere (and you don't look weird like you do when you're RCing). I'm not going to hark on about the benefits of meditation as this post is getting long and there are many other posts in the forum about the subject.
[2] Releasing any tension I would say is very important and in my case I find that this is the hardest thing to achieve, just when I think that I am totally relaxed and have no tension anywhere in the body, I find another area that is not fully relaxed. The worst area in my case is the neck and I will return my minds attention especially to the neck on each breath, I have been very surprised just how much tension I can release there and my head feels like it weighs about as much as my whole body. I believe that once the mind is focused and the body totally relaxed then a conscious entry into sleep will follow, however if the mind is not focused and tension remains then you will not or you will make it very difficult to achieve a conscious entry.
