Thread: WILD'ing Question

This is my first post on this forum, and I already feel entirely overwhelmed by all the different smileys. I love using smileys on AIM, but AIM only comes with 16, so this is just amazing.

I've probably had 6 or so lucid dreams in my life, all DILD's, and I've been trying to WILD for a couple of weeks now. I've been attempting to WILD on most nights as well as some afternoons after lunch if I have nothing else to do at the moment. I've read everything there is to read (or at least I assume so) about WILD'ing that I could find on the internet, most of which mention relaxing, seeing hypnagogic imagery, feeling vibrations, then sleep paralysis, random noises, etc. First, I'd like to mention that when I attempt to WILD at night, I do not sleep for the 5-6 hours that are recommended before attempting to do so...I just try as I go to bed. Sleeping 5-6 hours and waking up would be too impractical for me, and I'd love to learn to WILD without this extra step, even though it is said to be much more difficult.

On a good night, I feel like I am able to consciously reach that border between being awake and asleep. This usually involves relaxing, drifting off a bit with my thoughts while retaining some awareness, which often leads to cold-ish vibrations throughout my body. When these vibrations occur long and frequently enough, my hands and feet become numb to the point that I can't feel them...However, I can move them, and I am sure I have never experienced sleep paralysis when attempting to WILD. Even if I'm getting these vibrations multiple times, it only further helps to numb my hands and feet, but definitely are not the vibrations of sleep paralysis itself. Nonetheless, I can eventually get to the stage where I momentarily hear random voices, and sometimes, I feel that light-headed, spinning around sensation. Between the voices and the spinning, it sure seems like I'm transitioning into the dream state (I've never achieved a WILD yet though), but I've never experienced sleep paralysis. So, I have a few questions...

Has anyone here achieved a WILD without going through SP? I feel like I'm capable of WILD'ing, and I also feel I've come very close, but I've never undergone SP along with any of this. I mean, if I was in fact beginning to transition into the dream state, shouldn't SP have occured by then, or was I just getting to that part of the process? Also, could the fact that I'm attempting to WILD without any previous sleep that night be affecting the onset of SP?

Welcome to DV

You don't need to experience SP in order to WILD, and when you are trying to WILD you may not notice that you are in SP because you are staying still (the only real indication of SP is that you can't move). SP is a good sign, but if you don't have it, no worries.

However, your chances of WILDing at the beginning of the night are slim unless you are sleep deprived. WILDing during a nap is probably your best bet.

Well, last night I was again unsuccessful trying to WILD, but something odd did happen anyway during my sleep. I was dreaming about something (I don't know exactly what), and I think I was moving in the dream in some way, then suddenly I hit my real life head against the wall and woke up.

That's exactly what sleep paralysis is supposed to prevent, right? Apparently, even though I was sleeping, I still wasn't paralyzed lol, and I hit my head on the wall beside my bed while I was still laying down. This is the first time this has happened, so I doubt I have any disorder preventing sleep paralysis during sleep, but maybe I don't get it quite as quickly as most people...in which case you might be right about how I, personally, may not have to go through it in order to WILD.

Well, I'm nost sure about the SP, but I've heard of these kinds of dreams you describe. Like, you drop a glass of water in your dream and in RL, the breaking of glass somewhere wakes you up. It turns out the brain can just really work that fast.

I was actually about to make a new post bout WILDing, but saw this one.

I actaully, for the first time, had a WILD last night w/o a doing WBTB?!?! It was really odd b/c it was unintended, I was just trying to go to sleep so I started breathing slow, remaining still, etc., etc. and before I knew it, I was going through SP. I just went along w/ it and was soon dreaming, about what, idk, but I do remember it happening. So if anybody WILDs w/o WBTBs frequently, I would like to know.

To baseballmk: I think that SP does come on quite faster when you've had sleep already (5 to 6 hours). And I dont think you can reach a WILD w/o going through SP (at least I never have). From what you've said, you must've been really close to reaching a WILD.

The key is to let it all just happen. When the vibrations, HI, AHs (auditory hallucinations) all start to kick in, let them do so. Dont worry abut whether or not you're paralyzed (dont move to check whether you're paralyzed or not), just remember to remain completely still and to keep taking slow, deep breaths. Eventually, you will notice w/ each breath you take, the vibrations will get more and more intense. They will continue to do so, until you feel that big rush of falling through your bed or the ceiling (in my case); thats when the SP process should be complete and you should be dreaming.

EDIT: Btw, you dont "have" to do a WILD w/ a WBTB, seeing how I did my first yesterday w/o one (as I said above), but its highly recommended. It makes it a lot easier to enter SP and you will already be in the REM stage of sleep, making your dreams much more vivid and clearer.

I'm going to do a WILD tomorrow morning if my usual MILD doesn't work. What's the best technique that keeps you focused yet lets you fall asleep?

A lot of what people recommend, I found, really doesn't matter. At least for me. Before, I tried everything that was recommended. I kept a dream journal, tried waking up a certain time during sleep and going back to bed, tried B6 vitamins. All that and I only got five LDs over a month. I gave up.

Recently I tried LD again. I did nothing, but auto suggestion and WILDing with no prior sleep. Somehow I was able to get seven LDs, with only a day in between some and some in a row, over two weeks. The only difference was recall was a little more difficult (I no longer record dreams) and they were all short (under ten minutes). However, I do believe with practice I will be able to reach long LDs daily with no real work other then the thirty minutes before sleep.