Collection of Techniques and Methods for DILDs
I have put together a collection of techniques and methods mentioned on this site, that when practiced together, give you a very good chance at consistent DILDs.
All comments or questions are welcomed.
COLLECTION OF TECHNIQUES AND METHODS FOR DILDs
(Dream Journal - Mantras - Reality Checks - Daytime Awareness - WBTB - State of Mind)
To realize in a regular dream that you are dreaming and to become conscious, you need to train your mind by practicing methods that are described in this guide.
You can use just one or two of them, but if you want consistent DILDs, it's best to use all of them together. They are all very simple and they will take just a few minutes of your time, couple of times a day.
DILD vs. WILD
Dream Initiated Lucid Dream is a lucid dream, that starts out as a regular dream. The difference between DILD and other main induction technique called WILD is, that you go to sleep in normal fashion, there is no need to wake up at night for a WBTB.
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METHODS
DREAM JOURNAL - DREAM RECALL
Remembering your dreams is important. Otherwise, you may have a lucid and don't remember it. Dream recall may fluctuate, but writing in your Dream Journal will help you start remembering more dreams and in better details.
Recording your dreams
For a DJ, you can use a paper notebook, a voice recording device or a word processor. I prefer paper notebook, just because I can read through my old dreams, highlight some important data, look for dream signs and other things. Voice recorder may be best to record just keywords that will help you remember your dream in the morning. Keep them handy on your night stand.
Dream recall
Write in your dream journal, even if all you can remember is just a single word or feeling. If you don't remember anything at all, write that in your DJ and also write some kind of affirmation to help you remember.
- I remember my dreams
- I like my dreams
- I have good memory and my recall is getting better every day
Writing in your DJ and thinking about your dreams tells your mind, that dreaming and remembering your dreams is important to you and it will help you achieve both. When you remember something, say thanks to your mind for your dream and for remembering it.
Additional help with recall:
1. Drink water before bed and every time you wake up and write your dreams down.
2. Repeat these or similar mantras as you falling asleep:
- I wake up after each dream and remember it.
- I remember my dreams in the morning
3. Each time yu wake up, don't move, don't open your eyes. Relax for a bit and try to think of any dreams you may have had.
Here are some ideas about what to write in your DJ
• Date
• Bed time - wake up time - total hours of sleep
• Supplements and time taken to help you figure out the best time for taking them
• Mantras, RCs, awareness you did during day to see if they manifest in your dream and if there is a delay of manifestation - find out which work/don't work
• Stress level of the day - does it affect your recall?
• Time when you woke up from a dream and how long was it - figure out best time for WBTB
• WBTB time and how long, what did you do and ease of falling asleep - do you need to get up sooner/later for shorter/longer
• Dream itself
• How good is your recall
• Type of a dream RD, DILD, WILD, DEILD
• Level of control, vividness, special features, stabilization
• HH - Hallucinations, effects, sensations
MANTRAS
Mantras are short phrases that you repeat to reinforce some idea. They should be always in present tense, never in future tense. So instead of "I will lucid dream tonight" you say "I lucid dream tonight". It is because, our minds interpret "I will" as anytime in the future, just not now.
Classic mantra to induce a DILD is:
"Next time I'm dreaming, I look at my hands and realize I'm dreaming".
You should say it during day together with your daytime awareness training (see RDAT section below) and also as you falling asleep. In that state between awake and asleep, our minds are most receptive to suggestions.
This technique teaches your mind by repeating mantra (affirmation) to remember to notice in a dream that you are dreaming.
Other mantras are best said when falling asleep, as a last thought before drifting off to sleep. They can be used for practically anything.
Mantra examples
- I wake up after each dream and remember it (wake up to write down your DR and for recall)
- I remember my dreams in the morning (for recall)
- My memory is good and recall getting better every day (if your recall is not so good)
- I wake up and stay still (for DEILD)
- I wake up at [x] o'clock (for WBTB)
- I lucid dream (for an LD)
- My dreams are long, stable, vivid, ... (dream control)
REALITY CHECKS (RCs)
The sequence of becoming lucid and doing an RC is usually really fast, so sometimes it feels like RC gets you lucid. When in fact, first you become lucid because of your mantras and daytime awareness training and then you do a quick RC to confirm that you are in a dream.
Some of the best RCs based on ease of practice in a dream and success rate:
1. Looking at hands + Counting fingers Very reliable
2. Nose plug Very reliable
3. Thumb/palm Very reliable
4. Gravity Very reliable
5. Try to change something Very reliable *NEW RC
6. Switches Less reliable
7. Reading Less reliable
1. In Waking Life (IWL) Look at your hands, palms up and notice details. Count your fingers. In dream, look at your hands. Do they look normal (color, shape, size, can you make your finger longer?) Count your fingers. Do you have the right amount? This is a good RC, because your hands are always there, IWL and in a dream and you can practice this discretely.
2. IWL - pinch your nose shut with your hand and try to breathe. If you can breathe, you are in a dream. Also a good RC, because your nose is always there, little less discrete to practice.
3. IWL - Try to gently push your thumb through a palm of your other hand. Pay attention to the sensation. Anticipate, that it will go through. In dream, do the same. If it goes through, you are dreaming. Good RC also because you don't have to go and look for them and quite discrete to practice.
4. IWL - Say, "If this was a dream, I could levitate" and expect to float up. Do the same in a dream. Good RC, you can do it anywhere and totally discrete.
5. IWL - look at something and say "if this was a dream, that [something] would be [something else]. You can think of an item being some other item, or try to change color, size, movement... It's fun and it transfers into your dream very well. Don't forget to use emotions when doing it - be sure you are in a dream, so the thing will change.
6. Try to turn on a light switch. In a dream, flipping a switch usually won't do anything. But people do report that they can turn on lights in a dream. And if there is no light switch near in a dream, you would have to look for one and waste your time.
7. Try to read. In a dream, you can read, but when you take a second look, it will say something different, or gibberish. Also time on a clock may have letters instead of numbers. But it can also look correct. And you have to find a clock in a dream before you can do RC.
RDAT - RANDOM DAYTIME AWARENESS TECHNIQUE
This is not really a new technique, just simplified technique from existing ones, that works for me. For more information about daytime awareness techniques, please visit Sporadic Awareness technique and All Day Awareness technique.
When I started reading about lucid dreaming, my biggest question was: "How in the world am I suppose to realize I'm dreaming?"
Well, for the realization to happen, first you need to teach your brain to ask the question: "Am I dreaming?" while you are in a regular dream. Later on, after you gain more experience, you may notice that even this question is skipped and out of the blue, you just realize you are dreaming.
You teach your brain to ask the question/realize you are dreaming by practicing daytime awareness technique.
AWARENESS +RC TECHNIQUE:
During day, pause what you doing and ask yourself a question "Wow, am I dreaming?" that jolts your attention and makes you stop doing whatever you doing. For a moment, entertain the idea, that you are sure this is a dream or false awakening and feel the excitement in the pit of your stomach. Just pretend, that you have had a lucid dream before that was indistinguishable from waking reality, so this moment could also be a dream and you don't know for sure until you RC. Really consider the answer. Don't just automatically answer "Of course I'm not".
Look around and notice details. Look at your hands and count your fingers. Do you have the right amount? Do they look normal? Do a reality check. Try to gently push your thumb through your palm and expect it to go through. Is it going through? Pinch your nose and expect to be able to breathe. Can you? Can you levitate? If not, tell yourself "Next time I'm dreaming, I look at my hands and realize I'm dreaming". Repeat this mantra a few times while looking at your hands.
Pretty soon, this behavior will start manifesting itself in your dreams and you'll be asking yourself if you dreaming, while in regular dream. That will make you lucid. You will do a couple of RCs to make sure.
WAKE BACK TO BED
WBTB is when you wake up after at least 4.5 hours of sleep, stay up for anywhere from 5-60 min. and then go back to sleep. During this time you need to get out of bed, put on the lights and do something lucid dreaming related (read, go on DV). Stay up only until you can think clearly, but you are still sleepy enough to fall asleep without any problems.
WBTB is used primarily with WILD technique. But you can use it also to get DILDs. The theory is, that you wake up your mind, when it would be normally sleeping, so when you go back to sleep it's easier to become aware in your dreams.
STATE OF MIND
This is possibly the most important factor in you getting a lucid dream. You have to believe that you can and will lucid dream, otherwise it will not work. It may take you a day, a week, or a couple of month, but everybody can lucid dream and so can you.
You have to be motivated, practice the techniques and be excited about lucid dreaming. Read tutorials and posts to keep yourself motivated and to get some ideas for what to do in your first lucid. Write your idea down and daydream about it.
Happy dreams:)
