Thread: Lesson 3: WILD.

If you haven't already, go read the http://www.dreamviews.com/f131/intro...llabus-115705/. And of course read, http://www.dreamviews.com/f131/lesso...eaming-115876/, and http://www.dreamviews.com/f131/lesson-2-dild-116304/

In this lesson I will cover:

What is WILD
Should beginners try to WILD
Sleep paralysis
Fear associated with sleep paralysis
When to WILD
When not to WILD
Staying calm
Anchors
Preforming a WILD

What is WILD?

WILD stands for, Wake Induced Lucid Dream. A WILD is any type of lucid dream in which a dreamer enters a dream from a waking state with no lapse of consciousness.

In a typical WILD the dreamer will wake up. Stay awake for a short amount of time. Then lay down, close their eyes, and remain motionless in their bed. After some amount of time they will experience a transition. And then enter a dream.

This is not always the case. WILDs can be difficult to preform. But with practice it is possible to WILD every night.

Should beginners try to WILD:

Many members suggest that beginners should not attempt to WILD. There is no actual reason for this. A dreamer of any skill level can attempt WILD. The reason that I recommend starting with DILD is I find it much easier to achieve than a WILD. Although, if a dreamer wants to start with WILD more power to them.

Sleep paralysis:

Sleep paralysis, is the temporary immobilization of your body during REM sleep. This is quite natural and happens every time you enter REM sleep. However most people are not mentally aware during the start of REM sleep and never notice sleep paralysis. When using the WILD technique a dreamer tries to stay aware through the transitional phase into sleep paralysis.

This transitional phase cannot always be felt or noticed. But to some people it is simply terrifying.
Fear associated with sleep paralysis:
Sleep paralysis can be accompanied by all sorts of hallucinations. For example, vibrations, hearing voices, smelling things burning. Of course none of these, even the vibrations are real. They are all in your head. To some people the idea of hallucinating is quite frightening. There is nothing to be afraid of. How ever knowing the hallucinations aren't real can still frighten people.

If you plan on WILDing, exepect hallucinations. Know that they are not real and cannot hurt you in any way.

I actually enjoy the hallucinations. Most of the time my WILD transition feels like a train driving above me. I feel the vibrations of the train going overhead and hear the loud rushing. This may sounds scary but it is quite interesting.

When to WILD:

There are essentially two times when you should attempt to WILD.

1) After waking up after several hours of sleep.

2) During a nap.

These are the most ideal times to WILD. Attempts made at other times will almost certainly lead to failure. The reason being you need to enter REM sleep to properly WILD. Dreams are very difficult to induce in Non-REM sleep and are very unstable.

To WILD after previous sleep you will need to wake yourself up. The easiest way to do this is with an alarm. Set the alarm to go off after 3-5 hours of sleep. If you do not have an alarm or cannot use one here are some alternatives.

* Drinking water before sleep so you will wake up in the night
* Set a vibration alarm on your cell phone. Put the phone in your sock.
* Use a mantra, "I will wake up at 2 AM".

Now that you are awake you will need to stay awake. In almost all cases immediately trying to WILD after waking up will cause you to fall asleep. Staying awake too long will make falling asleep again difficult. Try staying awake for 5-10 minutes. If you still lose consciousness then stay awake longer. If you have trouble falling asleep then do not stay awake so long.

If you are choosing a time to WILD in a nap I recommend late afternoon if possible. Although other times can work just fine.
When not to WILD:
There is one very common time that people attempt to WILD which will almost always lead to failure. Before sleep. Back when I first learned about lucid dreaming I didn't believe that it was impossible. I have tried to WILD before bed over one hundred times. And guess how many WILDs I have had doing that? Only two. Both were when I was sleep deprived. And both were under 10 seconds.

So don't try to WILD before bed. There is really no point.

Staying calm:

Many times it is hard to stay calm during a WILD. I have found that repeating a mantra in my head helps me stay calm. Something like, "I am dreaming". This takes your focus away from the WILD attempt and the hallucinations you may be experiencing.
Anchors:
An anchor is something you can focus on while WILDing to retain awareness. Some examples are:

* Counting in your head.
* Repeating a mantra in your head.
* Holding an object in your hand.
* Music or sounds.
* Paying attention to how your body feels.

Experiment with different anchors and find what works for you.
Preforming a WILD:

Now that you have read all of this information you are ready to attempt a WILD.

First, pick a time to WILD. Either after previous sleep or during a nap. try to be in a quiet environment. External distractions can make WILDing difficult.

Now, wake up or go and get ready for your nap. Lay down in your bed and find a comfortable position. Most people WILD on their backs, however it is possible to WILD in any sleeping position. They key is being comfortable.

Take deep breathes and relax yourself. Focus on your anchor.

If you start to feel vibrations or hallucinate stay calm.

If you are able to enter sleep paralysis you can begin to imagine your dream. The dream will form around you.

Once you are in the dream, stabilize. And then go out and complete some of your dream goals.

If you do not succeed on your first attempt do not give up. Every failure is a learning experience. I would recommend keeping a WILD attempt journal. Feel free to keep one in your work book. Write info about, when you attempted, how long you stayed awake, the anchor you used, etc.

HOMEWORK

For this lesson I have three homework assignments.

1) Pick an anchor
2) Attempt a WILD
3) Have a successful WILD.

Good luck