Trouble with WILD- trying to Lucid

[Psycho-not]

Hi there; I'm new to this forum, and have never had a truely lucid dream, but have been trying for some time now... I find it very frustrating, actually. I keep a dream journal, I (occasionally) practice reality checks, and I've tried to use the WILD technique several times without success, and I've never had a lucid dream. When I attempt to WILD, I enter sleep paralysis, feel the tingling throughout my body; sometimes I think I see the hypnagogic hallucinations, in the form of swirling lights, and once I thought I heard a slight chirping that might have been hypnagogic as well. However, no matter how long I lie there, I don't lucid dream... I can imagine stuff, of course, but I never completely lose track of my physical body, or get the full-sensory experience that I'm supposed to in a lucid dream. I try moving my dream-body without moving my real body, I try imagining a scene in which I'm lying down, and then attempting to stand up. I try imagining myself sinking into the bed... I haven't successfully entered a lucid dream. Eventually, my muscles start to spasm slightly, twitching, and my breathing requires reallignment, and eventually it breaks the sleep paralysis, and I get up. Just now, as I post this, I've gotten up from a full hour spent in that state without a lucid dream. I really would like some insight into what I might be doing wrong. Thanks in advance, Me.

[Mega93]

When I attempt to WILD, I enter sleep paralysis, feel the tingling throughout my body; -=- I try moving my dream-body without moving my real body, If you'd really be in SP you wouldn't be able to move AT ALL - No matter how hard you'd try. Many people think they reach SP when they feel the numbness, but this numbness is nothing like that really. And when you successfully do WILD you often won't even enter SP at all before you fall asleep. Cause, incase you haven't noticed: SP is NOT a step in WILD. And not many succeed with WILD as they fall asleep in the night. You should wake up 5-6 hours after falling asleep and then try WILD. Else, you might want to switch to MILD.

[ExoByte]

Uh no Mega, you're wrong. SP is a vital step in the WILD method. While there have been some new variations of the WILD method popping up recently that seem to exclude SP as a step, its vital. Its more of a milestone than anything. WILD is effectively trying to keep yourself conscious while you fall asleep, SP is one of the many things that happens when we fall asleep but are usually too unconscious to remember. When you experience it during WILD, its used as a sign and guide to continue the method and enter a dream state. As well he said he tried to move his dream body, which he'd still be able to move. And not being able to move the physical body when in SP isn't exactly true. Its really not all that hard, its not like you're totally paralyzed as if you broke your back. If you try hard enough you can still move, and can even end SP instantly if you turn your head in the right way.

[NeAvO]

Welcome to the forum Just a little bit wrong there As Exo said, SP and WILD go together all the time. There have been some cases I think when people haven't entered SP but have WILDed. To be honest though, I'd recommend that you don't try to WILD first. You should try and do the MILD, it's the easiest option for newbies atleast until you have had a few lucids and are willing to put some time into WILDing.

[Redrivertears]

Hey there, Firstly, before covering WILD and SP, remember that it is not the only technique that can help you have lucid dreams, and for most people, it's definately not one of the easiest. If you feel WILD is your thing, then alright, but I'd encourage you to try other techniques as well, as you might have more succes with then. Then, about WILD and SP: You do not have to experience SP to be able to WILD... and that's where the contention lies Sleep paralysis is something that happens everytime you sleep, regardless of dreams, how you dream, or even how you fell asleep. It is is physiological thing that stops you from acting out your dreams. (There's some people that do not have sleep paralysis, but this is a severe and dangerous sleep disorder.) WILD on the other hand is where you fall asleep without ever losing consciousness. Rather then falling asleep, losing consciousness and then regaining it in a dream (called DILD... Dream Induced Lucid Dream), with WILD you go directly from waking to dreaming, while your body falls asleep. Now WILD and Sleep Paralysis are not directly related. But they are related in that they're both linked to the phenomenon of sleep. You go to sleep, your body goes into sleep paralysis, and your mind begins to dream. For this reason, most WILD techniques include the mention of sleep paralysis, as it signals the onset of sleep, and thereby the onset of dreams as well. But... not everyone experiences sleep paralysis. In fact... more then that. Some people will experience no sleep paralysis but can still enter a WILD (basically, by the time sleep paralysis sets in they are already dreaming). And some people can experience sleep paralysis, but never manage to make the next step into WILD (as the sleep paralysis is there, but actual sleep and dreaming doesn't come. The issue here is how early or late in your transition from waking to dream sleep paralysis sets in. This is variable from person to person. For most persons, sleep paralysis will set in just before they begin to dream, but for some others, it's later in the cycle (possible at the exact same time), meaning they never get to experience any of it. Now in your case, it just looks as though you have trouble falling asleep with this exercises. The only advice I can offer is give it time. Possibly lots of time. Think of an analogy. Suppose you've slept on your back all your life. Suddenly you lie down and want to try sleeping on your stomach. Likely, you will have trouble getting to sleep. Because your body isn't used to this, and your mind doesn't associate this particular 'behaviour' with sleep. So it takes time for your body and mind to get used to it and be able to fall asleep. Additionally, try to wake up in the middle of the night after a few hours of sleep, and do it then, rather then right at the beginning of sleep. Your body and mind will have a much easier time going back to sleep, as it's still half asleep to begin with. Trying it in the beginning of the night when you're still wide awake makes things more difficult yet again. And remember, once more, this is not the only method to have lucid dreams. If this is hard for you, try some others, see if they go better. Anyways, good luck! -Redrivertears-