Thread: Problem with visualizing in a WBTB

Day Dream like we talked about

Originally posted by bwdaedra
I've been attempting the wake back to bed technique and all is well except that i have a very hard time visualizing being in the dream and not waking myself to complete consciousness and alertness. Might there be some alternative to this step of WBTB?

Well, you can do more than just visualizations. In the tutorial they suggest using the WILD or MILD or HILD techniques or using affirmations, reality checks, and the like. But as for visualizations, what exactly are you having trouble with? Is it just keeping you awake or are you having trouble imagining yourself in a dream? If it's keeping you awake, maybe just work with it for a while, but give yourself a time limit. I've found that especially when I'm trying to WILD (which I have yet to do), that I can lie still in bed for hours and still get nowhere. It all just depends on what type of person you are.

It may just be that you need practice. Especially with visualizing, I've found through personal experience that it can often take many tries before you get it right. I've been working with visualizations along with music, but I haven't quite been able to join it with an LDing technique.

-Amé

Originally posted by Barbizzle
Day Dream like we talked about

This may not be any of my business, but what do you mean?

Oh, I should of explained it all out. I just didn't because we were having this conversation about WBTB and he made the topic after we talked. What I said was instead of thinking of it as visualization where you have to concentrate, think o ti as day dreaming. I Bel;vie that when people think of visualising it may sound hard and cause stress, but if you are just told to let yourself "day dream" about what you were just doing, its much easier and its something we all have had practice with.

Thanks Barbizzle (i went ahead and made the topic anyway to see if anyone else had ideas, not that i distrust yours lol), I tried to use the day dreaming mindset instead of focusing really hard on visualizing. I still didn't have any luck becoming lucid, but I have hope of it considering it was much easier to will myself to sleep (and I didn't do the WBTB right anyway, too lazy last night).

When I did the daydreaming thing, it was kinda hazy and not focused but I then tried to add detail to everything, as though i was actually in the day dream. Just then, what i was visualizing became very clear and it was like i was sucked into it because everything else got blocked out, and then my whole body went numb. Not sure if that was sleep paralysis or not, but it kinda surprised me and i thought about it and fell right out of the 'visualization' again lol. A few more nights of practice might lead me to my first good lucid dream : P.

bump

bump bump bump ~

P. Diddy, B2K !

ugh...i hate to be a defeatist, but this is getting a little frustrating. Still no real LD. I'm only getting the 3 second realizations and then waking up again. The day dreaming seems to be helping, but i just don't know what i'm doing wrong

Originally posted by bwdaedra
Hey guys, still working on getting my first real lucid dream * *

I've been attempting the wake back to bed technique and all is well except that i have a very hard time visualizing being in the dream and not waking myself to complete consciousness and alertness. Might there be some alternative to this step of WBTB?

What does visualizing have to do with WBTB though?
WBTB is in itself the use of any one of the techniques such as WILD or HILD after waking up in the middle of sleep.

None of those techniques, however, require visualization. In fact visualization = concentration and in order to "flow with the hypnagogic imagery" (for WILD) or actually pass into a dream first in order to realize it (HILD and such) one must be as passive as possible and only keep concentration on a very insignificant level to not drift off.

Thus, instead of "visualizing being in a dream" as you put it, it seems to me to make more sense to wait for the dream onset by training a form of passive awareness.

That is my point of view on the matter, correct me if I'm wrong.