Thread: Should I do it?

I've been doing MILD/Reality checks for over a month. I still didn't have my first Lucid dream. I am gonna try one more thing tonight: I'm gonna read some in my dream journal. Eat some bananas (B6). And I'm also gonna write down some mantras.Then I'm going to bed at 11pm. I'm gonna set my alarm at 4am for WBTB. I'm gonna wake up, Then I'm gonna try to remember the dream I had and write it down. Then I'm gonna read through my dream journal again and also listen to binaural beats until I go back to sleep. So I will be awake 20-50 Minutes. And hopefully I will have my first lucid dream.

If that doesn't work. I'll guess I'll have to do WILD combined with binaural beats. I'm terrified of sleep paralysis. I'm so scared of aliens and demons. People say if you stay positive, the sleep paralysis will rather be positive then negative. But I get scared easily lol. I know what it is about: You see entities in your room, demons, unable to move, voices, loud bangs, buzzing, It's getting harder to breath/choking feeling and so on.. Well I will do anything to have a lucid dream! I really need some help from people who are used to Sleep paralysis/Wild. One more thing 2 years ago I had some heart problems, can Sleep Paralysis damage my heart like if I really start panicking? I'm just hoping I will have a lucid dream tonight with Mild/reality checks so i don't have to go through sleep paralysis xD. I want people's experiences, I want tips,..
I JUST WANNA HAVE A LUCID DREAM :p

Firstly, I wouldn't seek medical advice on this forum. If you have a heart problem it may be wise to consult your doctor about the possible effects of shock due to sleep paralysis (you wouldn't need to explain the lucid dreaming stuff as you can get SP without trying to lucid dream). Of course I don't know how serious the problem was, and I don't know if shock/panick even has any adverse impacts on the heart, so I won't go any further with that.

For me, I had sleep paralysis for the first time a long while back before I tried lucid dreaming. I found it odd but not scary. That is because I hadn't heard about the risk of hallucinations, and so I didn't think I had anything to be afraid. After reading plenty about people's experiences with it, I had it again a few days ago. This time it was somewhat scary and so I tried to exit it as soon as possible (and I did indeed have a very brief hallucination).

After reading how to get out of it (google 9 ways to wake up from sleep paralysis) and how beneficial it could be for getting into lucid dreams, I was perfectly fine when I had it again a few days later. I took that opportunity to test out a method of waking up from it and it worked. Then, a few days later, I decided to use it to try and WILD. This worked well; not only does focusing on hypnagogic imagery give you a chance of getting into an LD, but it can distract you from hallucinations of the SP. I had it three times in one morning, and on neither instance did I have any scary experiences (despite failing to LD!).

I'm not an experienced WILDer but I reckon you can get over sleep paralysis. The main issue is just the weirdness of it, but you get used to that. Having said all that, I'm sure different people have different levels of susceptibility to hallucinatory experiences, so if it's not for you it's not for you. It's not worth being terrified of though!

Originally Posted by Nivv

Firstly, I wouldn't seek medical advice on this forum. If you have a heart problem it may be wise to consult your doctor about the possible effects of shock due to sleep paralysis (you wouldn't need to explain the lucid dreaming stuff as you can get SP without trying to lucid dream). Of course I don't know how serious the problem was, and I don't know if shock/panick even has any adverse impacts on the heart, so I won't go any further with that.

For me, I had sleep paralysis for the first time a long while back before I tried lucid dreaming. I found it odd but not scary. That is because I hadn't heard about the risk of hallucinations, and so I didn't think I had anything to be afraid. After reading plenty about people's experiences with it, I had it again a few days ago. This time it was somewhat scary and so I tried to exit it as soon as possible (and I did indeed have a very brief hallucination).

After reading how to get out of it (google 9 ways to wake up from sleep paralysis) and how beneficial it could be for getting into lucid dreams, I was perfectly fine when I had it again a few days later. I took that opportunity to test out a method of waking up from it and it worked. Then, a few days later, I decided to use it to try and WILD. This worked well; not only does focusing on hypnagogic imagery give you a chance of getting into an LD, but it can distract you from hallucinations of the SP. I had it three times in one morning, and on neither instance did I have any scary experiences (despite failing to LD!).

I'm not an experienced WILDer but I reckon you can get over sleep paralysis. The main issue is just the weirdness of it, but you get used to that. Having said all that, I'm sure different people have different levels of susceptibility to hallucinatory experiences, so if it's not for you it's not for you. It's not worth being terrified of though!

Okay thanks!! And do your eyes need to stay open in order to enter a lucid dream? Like what if you just close your eyes and start visualizing you entering the dream. With that way, you won't see anything scary right?

Originally Posted by Crashyy

Okay thanks!! And do your eyes need to stay open in order to enter a lucid dream? Like what if you just close your eyes and start visualizing you entering the dream. With that way, you won't see anything scary right?

Keep your eyes closed always during WILD.

Also, keeping my eyes closed during SP did indeed stop me from seeing any bad hallucinations. The one time I did get one was when I opened my eyes, so I keep 'em closed until I know the SP is over.

We all already have sleep paralysis; it's just that we're not usually aware during the sleep paralysis phase. It's the "being aware" during sleep paralysis that is what is disturbing to some people. We usually wake up after sleep paralysis has worn off. But some people become "conscious" during sleep paralysis and try to move their bodies, leading to weird alien abduction and rape dreams -- since you know what's going on with your body, you shouldn't have this problem.

Wild they say is harder than other methods. I am fairly successful with mild but never succeeded in wild... and I am not worried about SP particularly. If I were considering alternatives I would recommend two more successful approaches... DEILD, and Michael Radugas similar approach of exiting the body right after awakening.. It is more out of body, but basically all approaches yield same 'phase' result, as he calls it. Right at dream awakening you are closest to the gateway so to speak. But Mild with a short WBTB works best for me, if you put in the work of
RC's and some contemplation of reality during the day.

Originally Posted by Rothgar

Wild they say is harder than other methods. I am fairly successful with mild but never succeeded in wild... and I am not worried about SP particularly. If I were considering alternatives I would recommend two more successful approaches... DEILD, and Michael Radugas similar approach of exiting the body right after awakening.. It is more out of body, but basically all approaches yield same 'phase' result, as he calls it. Right at dream awakening you are closest to the gateway so to speak. But Mild with a short WBTB works best for me, if you put in the work of
RC's and some contemplation of reality during the day.

Alright, do you think I should keep on trying with Mild & Wbtb for a few more weeks :p?

I guess the first thing you need to do is take a break. To me it seems like you are treating lucid dreaming as an ordeal, a task, something you have to do. And it's supposed to be a simple fun first.

I'm not that experienced myself, but I had a time when I tried way too hard, seeking new methods, combining them together, everything. I was obsessed - and let me tell you, I had no LD during that time. Only after forgetting about lucid dreaming for about a month and then trying completely anew, did I get myself a vivid lucid dream.

What worked for me eventually is actually the simplest thing in the world and the most basic. I started to be aware in real life. Aware of everything around me. And I believe that's the first thing you should do if you want to dream lucidly. Stop seeing. Look. Stop hearing. Listen. Be aware that you're moving your legs when you walk, be aware of the way your hands move when you type a new forum message on your keyboard. Be aware of everything as often as you can. And every once in a while - scan your surroundings (or your body too, for example your hands with seven fingers ) critically, to see if there's anything weird around, something that doesn't fit - or lack of something that should be there.

One time when I did that I realized I was in a dream. No more need for WILDs, FILDs, SILDs or any such X-ILDs.

Originally Posted by eworm

I guess the first thing you need to do is take a break. To me it seems like you are treating lucid dreaming as an ordeal, a task, something you have to do. And it's supposed to be a simple fun first.

I'm not that experienced myself, but I had a time when I tried way too hard, seeking new methods, combining them together, everything. I was obsessed - and let me tell you, I had no LD during that time. Only after forgetting about lucid dreaming for about a month and then trying completely anew, did I get myself a vivid lucid dream.

What worked for me eventually is actually the simplest thing in the world and the most basic. I started to be aware in real life. Aware of everything around me. And I believe that's the first thing you should do if you want to dream lucidly. Stop seeing. Look. Stop hearing. Listen. Be aware that you're moving your legs when you walk, be aware of the way your hands move when you type a new forum message on your keyboard. Be aware of everything as often as you can. And every once in a while - scan your surroundings (or your body too, for example your hands with seven fingers ) critically, to see if there's anything weird around, something that doesn't fit - or lack of something that should be there.

One time when I did that I realized I was in a dream. No more need for WILDs, FILDs, SILDs or any such X-ILDs.

Yeah, maybe I am trying way to hard. I might just focus on being aware in real life first

depends, everyones different you never know which way you'll succeed first. I tried WBTB MILD/DILD for a month or two and only had one DILD. Then I started trying to WILD and I had 5 in like 2 weeks. When I first started getting SP I was scared as hell because its strange being fully paralyzed and seeing/feeling/hearing things. A couple times I've seen shadowy figures standing in my room but to avoid that now, I just keep my eyes closed when I'm in SP, until the vibrations go away and I feel like I can move again. Then I open my eyes and I'm in my bedroom dreaming, and I do reality checks to make sure. Its waaaay easier then I thought it would be. I personally love SP now because it symbolizes the beeginning of a lucid dream, its also just a cool feeling thats different every time and if your not scared it can be cool.

Originally Posted by smouse

depends, everyones different you never know which way you'll succeed first. I tried WBTB MILD/DILD for a month or two and only had one DILD. Then I started trying to WILD and I had 5 in like 2 weeks. When I first started getting SP I was scared as hell because its strange being fully paralyzed and seeing/feeling/hearing things. A couple times I've seen shadowy figures standing in my room but to avoid that now, I just keep my eyes closed when I'm in SP, until the vibrations go away and I feel like I can move again. Then I open my eyes and I'm in my bedroom dreaming, and I do reality checks to make sure. Its waaaay easier then I thought it would be. I personally love SP now because it symbolizes the beeginning of a lucid dream, its also just a cool feeling thats different every time and if your not scared it can be cool.

The way you just said that, makes me wanna try WILD. I'm gonna try WBTB/MILD/DILD a few more times and if it doesn't work, I'll try WILD. I'll let you know how it was :p.

Originally Posted by Crashyy

The way you just said that, makes me wanna try WILD. I'm gonna try WBTB/MILD/DILD a few more times and if it doesn't work, I'll try WILD. I'll let you know how it was :p.

Yeah I second what smouse said. I haven't WILDed before but it seems like I've gotten the closest to an LD with it (i.e. I was conscious of observing very vivid hypnagogic imagery). Also, I get excited when SP comes!

Heh, one time I was hearing funny noises during SP and I just said to myself "yeah, you can't scare me" and they went away. It's all in the mind!

Don't be afraid of SP, once ur mind gets the hang of it and understands the concept of SP there is hardly gonna be any fear. One time i was in SP, and some person pushed my head really hard against my pillow.

I heard this demon like voice, and just asked him to bring me to my favorite lucid dream character and he did cause i was expecting him to do it with my mind. Just don't freak out and no matter what stuff u encounter in SP, ur in control if u want to be!