Thread: Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD)

So I tried it with about 10 minutes for a WBTB. Still no success.
Seems like I'm falling asleep/forgetting what I'm supposed to do even more quickly.. >.>

I'll try again tonight. Maybe I wasn't focused enough.

Originally Posted by Sydney

Oh, so my mind doesn't need to wander a whole lot at the first part of the cycles?
Maybe that's whats getting me. Spending too much time on each step.

To get this straight, I should do the cycles, then let my mind wander? THEN I'll enter the trance?

Oh and how do I know when I reach the trance?

From Cosmic's opening post:

Theory

We do not know why exactly SSILD works. One user pointed out that the method shares some resemblance with the self-hypnosis method introduced by Betty Erickson, wife of the late Dr. Milton H. Erickson. Another theory is that by repeated stimulation of the various senses in a trance-like state, we incubate our mind and body into the right condition suited for entering a DILD, WILD, or OBE.

The cycles in themselves should create this trance state themselves if you approach the process in a a relaxed manner mentally.

I'm not sure if it was this technique that worked or if it was another one that I was doing that did the trick, but the first night I used this technique I had a lucid dream with a false awakening.

To reproduce:

Took 5mg Melatonin ( I usually take 15-20mg), did SSILD technique, fell asleep, woke up an hour after I went to sleep (no alarm), got something to drink (WBTB), said a few affirmations in my head (MILD), did SSILD again, watched for hypnagogic imagery (WILD) then drifted away. Woke up with a false awakening in which I was totally lucid from the moment I entered the dream.

I will try this again tonight. Good stuff.

I'm still not getting any success. Hmmm. I know the goal is to not be focused, but I think that is what's getting me. My mind seems to wander way too much, music is playing in my head, etc.
The first time I ever tried SSILD, I was alert and ready to try it, I was excited. I guess maybe that's my problem?
I'll read over my first post and the original thread post and see if that helps.

Originally Posted by Sydney

I'm still not getting any success. Hmmm. I know the goal is to not be focused, but I think that is what's getting me. My mind seems to wander way too much, music is playing in my head, etc.
The first time I ever tried SSILD, I was alert and ready to try it, I was excited. I guess maybe that's my problem?
I'll read over my first post and the original thread post and see if that helps.

I'm sorry to hear that Sydney, and I admire your persistance! Maybe you should try to be more focused on the sensations. At least in the first few cycles, pay close attention to the various sensations -- Do you see things in the dark? Do you hear buzzing sound and can you mentally raise the volume? Do you feel tinglings beneath your skin? Can you wiggle your fingers and toes without using your muscles? and so on...

Originally Posted by CosmicIron

I'm sorry to hear that Sydney, and I admire your persistance! Maybe you should try to be more focused on the sensations. At least in the first few cycles, pay close attention to the various sensations -- Do you see things in the dark? Do you hear buzzing sound and can you mentally raise the volume? Do you feel tinglings beneath your skin? Can you wiggle your fingers and toes without using your muscles? and so on...

Thanks. I just know that this technique has a ton of potential; so I'm not giving up on it just yet.
Yeah, when I usually start out on the first cycle my mind has already wandered to some extent, so it distracts me a lot, eventually ending up that I spend too much time on one cycle.
But there's always another night.

Originally Posted by Sydney

Thanks. I just know that this technique has a ton of potential; so I'm not giving up on it just yet.
Yeah, when I usually start out on the first cycle my mind has already wandered to some extent, so it distracts me a lot, eventually ending up that I spend too much time on one cycle.
But there's always another night.

Sounds like you might be too sleepy when doing the exercise. Usually people have the opposite problem, LOL. Try going to bed earlier, perferrablly before 11.

I forgot to post in this thread but I was able to achieve my first lucid dream on Friday, on only my second attempt at using this technique. It was amazing.

I was unsuccessful last night, wasn't able to get back to sleep after performing the SSILD. Probably stayed awake too long. Though I'm going to keep trying this method and see if I can achieve any more!

Thanks for the tutorial <3

Originally Posted by CosmicIron

Sounds like you might be too sleepy when doing the exercise. Usually people have the opposite problem, LOL. Try going to bed earlier, perferrablly before 11.

Oh don't worry about that, I go to sleep pretty early But yeah, you're probably right.

Originally Posted by Sydney

Oh don't worry about that, I go to sleep pretty early But yeah, you're probably right.

Perhaps you can put the wbtb a little later if you're going to sleep early and still are very drowsy for your wbtb

Edit: It's all about adjustments xD

Originally Posted by RareCola

I was unsuccessful last night, wasn't able to get back to sleep after performing the SSILD. Probably stayed awake too long. Though I'm going to keep trying this method and see if I can achieve any more!

Turns out I had the same issue again last night. I think I'm going to have to try and get my WBTB earlier, because I just don't seem to be tired enough after performing the WBTB/SSILD to fall back asleep. Not sure how I did it for my previous lucid dream but I'm definitely doing something wrong now.

I was wondering if you need to write a DJ to SSILD because when i wake up from a dream i will forget to write it and have forgotten my dream :/ any advise will be much appreciated

Well, no success last night. I got up at 5 hours for my WBTB, went to the restroom, then got back in bed. Then fell asleep. :/

It's weird though; because in my successes (2), I always woke up after about 5 hours and 30 minutes for WBTB. But now whenever I try that, I fall asleep.
Any tips on how I can keep myself busy during WBTB? I just sit on my bed for a couple of minutes, trying to keep myself awake lol.

Originally Posted by Sydney

Well, no success last night. I got up at 5 hours for my WBTB, went to the restroom, then got back in bed. Then fell asleep. :/

It's weird though; because in my successes (2), I always woke up after about 5 hours and 30 minutes for WBTB. But now whenever I try that, I fall asleep.
Any tips on how I can keep myself busy during WBTB? I just sit on my bed for a couple of minutes, trying to keep myself awake lol.

Try reading a book or these forums? Maybe joining the IRC chat?

Originally Posted by RareCola

Try reading a book or these forums? Maybe joining the IRC chat?

Although, I heard somewhere that staring at any kind of screen can hinder your chances of being able to fall back to sleep; but since this tech does make you sleepy, maybe it wouldn't hurt. I'll try it.

Couldn't sleep well last night (only got about an hour after my WBTB to dream), and for some reason IRC chat wouldn't load on my phone (bad internet connection).

Guys I've been praciticng SSILD for like 15 days and stopped because it didn't work after trying 3-4 times for some reason. I claimed that SSILD is not placebo back in the thread, but yes... I think it's placebo, at least, half, IMO. If SSILD works for you consistently then it's not placebo...because I think you found your technique that fits you, and I've already had my own technique before SSILD - didn't stick to it for long time though - I started to use SSILD because I thought it was the solution for WILD during night...but then I had a dryspell -.-
so don't rely on SSILD too much, I think. few days ago I didn't care about SSILD and then I got instant lucid strangely, and I started to use my own technique again and it's working well...

Originally Posted by Sydney

Well, no success last night. I got up at 5 hours for my WBTB, went to the restroom, then got back in bed. Then fell asleep. :/

It's weird though; because in my successes (2), I always woke up after about 5 hours and 30 minutes for WBTB. But now whenever I try that, I fall asleep.
Any tips on how I can keep myself busy during WBTB? I just sit on my bed for a couple of minutes, trying to keep myself awake lol.

I'm having the same problem with you! I fall alseep too fast xD you can pm me to discuss with this, we can figure it out.
I don't really care about staying 10 min 30 min whatever the time we have to stay for WBTB - it's really annoying if you waste 30 min and just pass out. I stay up for just 2-5 seconds for WBTB. I think intent is the key

This is an amazing Wild technique.
Thank you CosmicIron !

I had LD this morning
(WBTB + SSILD)

Originally Posted by astralboy

I had LD this morning
(WBTB + SSILD)

That's awesome! Can you tell us how it went?

Originally Posted by themoonman

I was wondering if you need to write a DJ to SSILD because when i wake up from a dream i will forget to write it and have forgotten my dream :/ any advise will be much appreciated

Well, it's always good to have a DJ. If you have recall problems then it can't hurt.

Sydney, in the second LD I had I used this technique, not only it.

Some moments before bed I tried to meditate, it was the first time I tried it in my life. I did it for about 20 minutes I think.

00:00 - I went to bed and did SSILD, repeated the cycles about 4 or 5 times, maybe I fell asleep while doing it.
05:00 - I woke up naturally after a dream, wrote in my DJ and tried a MILD, fell asleep and no LD yet.
06:10 - I woke up after another dream and stayed still in bed trying to recall all the details I could.
06:20 - My brother woke up to change of clothes and go to university, he took about 15 minutes to go and I payed attention on the noise he was doing to stay awake.
06:35 - My brother left and I started writing in my DJ the dream I just recalled.
06:55 - I finished writing and tried to sleep again.
08:20 - Voila I had my second LD. It was a DILD, "I was telling my sister that she was dreaming and after that I became lucid. I lost control of this dreams 1 minute after lucidity, had a FA but didn't notice that and woke up for real."

I don't know if the answer to my succes is only in the SSILD, but I was trying to have a LD for almost 2 months with no success and achieved in the first time of SSILD.

I will keep this strategy for a while to see if it continues to work

Rubens, CosmicIron says in his original post that SSILD will not work if you do it before bed. You should do it during a WBTB.

Originally Posted by McDreamy

Rubens, CosmicIron says in his original post that SSILD will not work if you do it before bed. You should do it during a WBTB.

I saw that, that's why I said that i'm not sure if the SSILD was the reason of my LD. But as I said, I was trying to have a LD for almost 2 months without success and got it in the first time I tried SSILD, and it came with the first False Awakening I experienced in all my life.