Transition Phase

I am not that much good at formalities or anything so the best I'll just do is to say Hi everybody!

Last night I attempted my 3rd WILD. After much reading through it is generally agreed to be quite difficult to master. Anyway, after following general Instructions, I done the "61 point relaxation" I think it is called. Which sent me, as it felt, into what I could describe as gliding through the air. I assumed this was SP, my body feeling as if it was tied in knots, I tried numerous times to "glide" towards my dream. Here was the problem, Like a bubble ready to burst I was lying, getting rather frustrated It was not working, although I had not even thought it would, I just could not grasp anything past SP. I felt a sort of rocking/vibrating motion, though I still hadnt moved. Eventually I got fed up and fell into a non-lucid dream. Can anyone please explain to me if I have done anything wrong, I rack my brains trying to give anyone enough information, so that I might fare better. Sorry for the long winded post. thank you ~ Smee

Hey Smee :) And Welcome to the Forum! Don't worry about formality, its all cool here :D

Well, when WILDing you first go into SP, now when your in SP you don't try entering a dream just yet, first let the vibrations continue whilst staying calm and focused, don't get frustrated because it will ruin your attempt. Just stay calm about it, let the vibrations continue, then you will eventually come into HI which it hynogogic imagery, you will see shapes and hear sounds around you, it may seem scary or abstract at first but it should be normal, then eventually a dream should start to form, you'll know when your nearing the dream, then when you reach the dream state you can start doing as you wish :) Hope that helped you out.

Thanks for the speedy reply, and your great advice, I'm relatively new to the forums, have been lurking the few past weeks,I have seen this HI before? a cloud of lights, thats what scared the bejeezus out of my a few times, thanks again, peace out :) ~ Smee

Thats not a problem, yes, what you described sounded just like HI, you'll do fine :) If you need any more help or have any questions feel free to ask :)

Hey there,

I'm experimenting with WILDs myself, and I'm by no means an expert on this topic, but I'd say you're probably best of just letting things come naturally. Do they come, then they come. If they don't, that's fine too. Pushing things too much gets you frustrated, which is counterproductive, and probably keeps you from actually falling asleep too.

So for me, I just try WILDS, but without feeling the need to achieve a WILD when I try. I figure every evening I try I become more aware of how my body reacts when I fall asleep, and become more learned about the entire process. And sooner or later it'll happen, but even every night that it doesn't, it's still a partial succes simply because I'm taking another step closer.

Just my 2 sleepycents,

-Redrivertears-

Well, with some great advice I achieved my first WILD, last night although it was rather short, Thanks to Lucid Seeker and Redrivertears. Only I would ask confirmation this short phrase was a dream or SP. "It is pitch black and I cannot see, cannot move, cannot hear anything, in a stupid thought, zombies pop up in my head and I feel Clammy, cold hands, pressing down on me. At the same time I realise that I am dreaming and must have control. I thought of my bedroom and safety and before I open my eyes the sensation is gone and I am standing in a very similar room to my own" Now I had earlier thought this type of SP, if thats what it was, as it felt to me as an awful nightmare, happened when you were lying face up however I always sleep on the side in order,trying never to experience that, so being aware I was dreaming, makes it, a very short Nightmare? or SP? If anyone can shed their experience or some advice, I would say my normal version of SP is a gentle tickling from my , toes and fingertips that "creep" along me. I apologise if any of this is not too clear, just ask if anything needs clarification. I did try to make it as direct as I could ~ Smee

Hey there,

Sounds like it was definately the onset of a dream.

SP, or Sleep Paralysis, is simply your body being paralysed, so that you do not act out the movements you make in your dreams. SP itself is actually not directly related to dreams though, but rather is a part of the physiology of sleep.

So if you feel things that are 'not part of your waking reality' during SP, that's either very faint dreaming or hypnagogic sensations.

To give you an example, while your body is paralysed, you might feel a strange vibration, you might feel shivers running along your limbs, or you might feel numb. These things are part of your sleep paralysis.

Now at the same time, you might hear strange sounds, you might feel 'clammy cold hands' pressing down on you. You might see yourself being somewhere else then in your bed. These things are not part of what is happening to your waking body, but rather are dreamsensations (hypnagogic or full dream).

So what you describe, definately sounds like you were very close to WILD, or perhaps even just over the treshold of it. Congratulations!

As for the somewhat nightmarish aspect of your experience. Remember that even while asleep, the body is still generating stimuli that your mind picks up, and these are often 'worked into your dream'. For example, suppose that your blather is full, then you might dream of having to go to the toilet. Suppose that you're thirsty, you might dream of trying to find a drink.

Same thing with the sleep paralysis. The body is generating stimuli, and your mind is picking them up and weaving them into dreamimages. The feeling of being paralysed can be quite oppressive and somewhat scary, and that's why the corresponding dreamimages are often the same way. This has led to entire myths being created during the Middle Ages, where people spoke of Old Hags and Incubi which would come sit on your chest when you were asleep.

Knowing what you're experiencing and why will help your mind realise that there is in fact nothing to fear, and that you can use this state to enter full blown wake initiated lucid dreams.

So, you've taken a great first step, and I wish you well taking the next steps! Let us know how it goes!

-Redrivertears-