Thread: Entering lucidity directly from waking state?

I guess I haven't read something right then.. I've discussed this topic with some of the Dream Guide members, and it is not possible to WILD before bed. But then again everyone is different so I have nothing against not believing it..

-CV

I know about the stages of a sleep cycle and that's why this is not making sense to me. Going from wide awake to an LD, I would have to be alseep and wind down for a good 30 minutes or so, before entering REM and enjoying the dream world.

However, and I may be wrong, but I don't believe these were hypnagogic images.

My personal experience with hypnagogic images, they usually last around 5 seconds and then they morph into other images. If I'm really tired, I'll get the occasional hypnagogic voice of someone saying something. These are always of random things (other locations, funny faces, dancing polar bears, etc). They are nothing like this prolonged experience of looking around my room.

The longest I've been able to stay in this state of observing my room was roughly 30 to 45 seconds. Way longer than any hypnagogic image I've ever experienced.

The interesting thing is that it is an exact recreation of my bedroom, but visualized as if I have my eyes open (although I know consciously that my eyes are closed).

Sometimes while I'm in this state, I'll lose lucidity and forget that I don't have my eyes closed and it takes waking up to realize that they were never open in the first place.

...and it is always an exact replica of my room from the perspective of lying in bed on my side (as I usually sleep). If I have a pile of clothes on the floor before going to bed, then I will see that pile of clothes in this "dream-like" state.

It also definitely feels lucid. The sensation I'm feeling while looking around the room is similar to that lucid state where if I allow myself to become too conscious, I will snap out of it and wake up...and if I let myself get too "deep", then I forget my eyes are really closed and I fall into typical unconscious sleep.

Anyway, just thought I'd share the experience. Not disagreeing with anyone.

Just trying to figure this out...if there is some loophole in the cycle.
Could it be possible to bypass the NREM stages and fall right into REM from wide awake. I think this maybe wishful thinking on my part.

Still, would like to know what the hell this experience is.