What to think about

[Snowy]

When trying to WILD I tend to think too hard about things or I fall asleep. I find it very hard to find a happy median. I know some people count but I tend to count between breaths and then I try and control my breathing too much which makes it hard for me to WILD. What do you think about when attempting a WILD that keeps your mind awake but not too occupied? Comments, suggestions..

[Robot_Butler]

I like to imagine myself doing something familiar but very engaging. Like walking through my house or garden touching things, or jogging down a familiar street. Something really tangible.

[Clairity]

Snowy, below is what I think about or do: To help keep your mind on mundane things instead of things that will keep you awake.. try counting "1-I'm dreaming, 2-I'm dreaming, etc." or use what I call the alphabet method: I'll think of the letter "a", then picture my picking an apple from a tree (or simply picture an apple), think of the letter "b", then picture a balloon floating on the wind (or simply picture a balloon), etc. until "z" and then start at "a" again picturing something different. For variation, I'll sometimes think of the letter "a", then think of a name that begins with the letter "a" (such as "Adam"), then think of the letter "b" ("Brian"), etc. until "z" and then start again at "a" thinking of a different name. You can also do all female names first and then switch to all male names or vice versa. I also sometimes try to envision/daydream something tactile.. such as horseback riding.. i.e., feeling the reins in my hands, the wind on my face, my legs gripping the saddle, etc. Heck now that I type this, I think next time I'll envision myself playing jacks (throwing the jacks on the ground, tossing the ball in the air, scooping up a jack or jacks and then catching the ball). More info can be found in my technique if you're interested (see my sig below).

[Snowy]

I like to imagine myself doing something familiar but very engaging. Like walking through my house or garden touching things, or jogging down a familiar street. Something really tangible. Thanks, I will try that, something fairly mundane but which you're still in control of. Snowy, below is what I think about or do: To help keep your mind on mundane things instead of things that will keep you awake.. try counting "1-I'm dreaming, 2-I'm dreaming, etc." or use what I call the alphabet method: I'll think of the letter "a", then picture my picking an apple from a tree (or simply picture an apple), think of the letter "b", then picture a balloon floating on the wind (or simply picture a balloon), etc. until "z" and then start at "a" again picturing something different. For variation, I'll sometimes think of the letter "a", then think of a name that begins with the letter "a" (such as "Adam"), then think of the letter "b" ("Brian"), etc. until "z" and then start again at "a" thinking of a different name. You can also do all female names first and then switch to all male names or vice versa. I also sometimes try to envision/daydream something tactile.. such as horseback riding.. i.e., feeling the reins in my hands, the wind on my face, my legs gripping the saddle, etc. Heck now that I type this, I think next time I'll envision myself playing jacks (throwing the jacks on the ground, tossing the ball in the air, scooping up a jack or jacks and then catching the ball). More info can be found in my technique if you're interested (see my sig below). I tried your alphabet method today actually! I found it useful but got frustrated when I couldn't come up with a female name starting with u, lol. (Ultimately i came up with Uma). I'll continue trying it maybe with a little less enthusiasm because I got a bit carried away I also tried imagining passing my hand through my head (perhaps not your everyday activity, but tactile nevertheless). There's only so long you can imagine that for though

[Clairity]

I tried your alphabet method today actually! I found it useful but got frustrated when I couldn't come up with a female name starting with u, lol. (Ultimately i came up with Uma). I'll continue trying it maybe with a little less enthusiasm because I got a bit carried away Ursula! I get stuck every now and then and, when I do, I just skip it and move on the next letter.

[Shady]

Ya I also like using that alphabet method I picked up from your tutorial a while back clarity. One thing i wanna say snowy is don't get to worked up over this; you still need to fall asleep at one point.. Really pay attention to the nights you find yourself falling asleep 'early' and I can guarantee you are probably losing your count or getting distracted by other thoughts which leads you away from your goal. The amount of stimulation required to allow you to remain conscious yet still progress through the cycle is different for everyone. I originally learned by using basic tactile/counting/imagination methods. I think the overall goal is to simply distract yourself from your external surroundings; so sure to just experiment and your bound to find something that works. Another one I enjoy is simple doing nothing; although its not easy to learn to wild while doing so. I really suggest you keep working on just remaining aware during that mixed state of sleep and wakefulness. Keep trying every night to simply get a little further before passing out into "unconscious sleep", and you will see results soon. By this point in time I can pretty much just tell right before its time to "hold on". I've found my whole WILD transition really all comes down to a few second gateway.. Either you dont even get to it or you blow right by it if you are not ready. The fastest way to get there is to just let it all happen the same way I would when going to bed at night; then simply stay with it right before I fall asleep.. Its hard to describe really, but you just know.

[DreamChaser]

When trying to WILD I tend to think too hard about things or I fall asleep. I find it very hard to find a happy median. I know some people count but I tend to count between breaths and then I try and control my breathing too much which makes it hard for me to WILD. What do you think about when attempting a WILD that keeps your mind awake but not too occupied? Comments, suggestions.. The only thing concerning your body is not to move, so only remember that, regarding your physical body (after you get used to it, it is in the back of your mind). Think of the place you want to be at when your dream starts, but don't go there when thinking about it. A lot of people say "imagine being at the place you want to be". I have imagined myself being at a place over and over and always ended up starting somewhere else in my dream. I have tried that so many times and to no avail. I find you need motion whilst WILDing. What I do is see in the distance where I want to be and start running to it in my mind (feeling every weighted step and thud), but only in your mind, off course. Tell yourself you will be there when you go Lucid and strive to get there. This also creates a reward and longing to get there. If you had just imagined being there there is no reward. Trust me and try this.

[Clairity]

I find you need motion whilst WILDing. What I do is see in the distance where I want to be and start running to it in my mind (feeling every weighted step and thud), but only in your mind, off course. Tell yourself you will be there when you go Lucid and strive to get there. This also creates a reward and longing to get there. If you had just imagined being there there is no reward. Trust me and try this. Great idea DreamChaser! I'll try to remember to do this next time I attempt to WILD!

[Robot_Butler]

That sounds like something that would work for me, too, DreamChaser. I will try it next time I'm incubating a dreamscape.

[drewmandan]

The best way to kickstart the whole shibang is to try to imagine a complicated situation or a complicated idea with as much clarity and fidelity as possible. Your mind will fail horribly and start spouting random crap that most people call hypnagogic imagery, or at least pre-hypnagogic imagery. Then just let the HI flow until you find that -- as a test -- you are able to render a complex object or a person's face in high resolution and hold it in your working memory for several seconds. If this is possible, start to visualize a scene from the first person perspective and you should end up in a dream...if you're lucky.

[Snowy]

I originally learned by using basic tactile/counting/imagination methods. I think the overall goal is to simply distract yourself from your external surroundings; so sure to just experiment and your bound to find something that works. Another one I enjoy is simple doing nothing; although its not easy to learn to wild while doing so. I really suggest you keep working on just remaining aware during that mixed state of sleep and wakefulness. Keep trying every night to simply get a little further before passing out into "unconscious sleep", and you will see results soon. By this point in time I can pretty much just tell right before its time to "hold on". I've found my whole WILD transition really all comes down to a few second gateway.. Either you dont even get to it or you blow right by it if you are not ready. The fastest way to get there is to just let it all happen the same way I would when going to bed at night; then simply stay with it right before I fall asleep.. Its hard to describe really, but you just know. Thanks a lot! I will try lots of different things and find out what works best for me. Doing nothing sounds difficult, but with a little practise I think I should get the hang of it. Think of the place you want to be at when your dream starts, but don't go there when thinking about it. I find you need motion whilst WILDing. What I do is see in the distance where I want to be and start running to it in my mind (feeling every weighted step and thud), but only in your mind, off course. Tell yourself you will be there when you go Lucid and strive to get there. This also creates a reward and longing to get there. If you had just imagined being there there is no reward. Trust me and try this. I most certainly will, thanks for the tip - it will be put into practise. The best way to kickstart the whole shibang is to try to imagine a complicated situation or a complicated idea with as much clarity and fidelity as possible. Your mind will fail horribly and start spouting random crap that most people call hypnagogic imagery, or at least pre-hypnagogic imagery. Then just let the HI flow until you find that -- as a test -- you are able to render a complex object or a person's face in high resolution and hold it in your working memory for several seconds. If this is possible, start to visualize a scene from the first person perspective and you should end up in a dream...if you're lucky. Hehe, I'll try and imagine the universe or something then. I tend not to get much HI but maybe this is the way to do it! I'll try it out

[CrazyInSane]

Hi Snowy. I understand exactly how you feel. Here's how I avoid the whole difficult pre-SP stage: I pay attention to an external, rhythmic sound (i.e. clock TICK-TOCK) This keeps you conscious, but barely, so you do not have any of those insane swallowing urges or the like. It also eliminates the need for you to really "think" of anything, you're just paying very close attention to the rythmic sound until you reach SP. Let me know how it goes.