Thread: WILD...uhh...problem.

Originally Posted by Minus

I've decided to try and WILD without sleeping first, now I just need a good anchor. That first time I used counting but I kept losing count, it does work, just not for me. I'm thinking of clipping a peg to my hand, any thoughts on this?

Now I'm no expert on lucid dreaming but I have studied sleep cycles in the past. You see the problem with trying to WILD before sleep lies in the way sleep cycles work. When you first fall off you will enter NREM sleep rather than REM sleep (the sleep state in which dreams occur). Sleep works in cycles. The first REM cycle may kick in 1.5-2hours into your sleep if you are lucky, but this cycle is very short. As the night goes on, the REM cycles become much longer. So waking up later in the night allows you to WILD straight into a REM cycle.

Try this link http://www.dream-recorder.com/helpHT...eepPhases.html

I myself have just started trying to WILD. I tried to practice it before bed and as for yourself, I found it easier to concentrate then than at 5am. But you gotta try doing it at 5am if you want to increase your chances of LD'ing. Literally make yourself get out of bed long enough so that you don't drift straight back off but not so long that it will take you ages to get back to sleep. After 3 attempts at WILD I haven't LD'd yet but I have gotten closer and closer each time. Last night I found a window of opportunity after two waves of "vibrations" (which feel more like head-rushes to me) where it felt like I was lying in a different room for about 10 seconds, but I didn't know what to do with this and so it closed.

This is of course all just my noobish opinion but I just thought it might save you the anguish of further failures! I know something of the frustration you may be feeling!

Yeah, last night was my 2nd failed attempt. It was without sleep first as I said, I got the paralysis and the falling sensation but no real progress from there. It got to about an hour and a half later (it only felt like 20 minutes) and I gave it up. I'm thinking the peg was an alright idea, the paralysis negated it a little, but it worked ok. Although, after I took it off, it left a pretty sore mark.

Think i'm gonna give the alarm a 2nd go.

EDIT: Just thought I'd mention how much I enjoy that falling sensation, it felt like I must have fell over a kilometre.

Darn, 3rd attempt also failed, this time I did wake up at 4, read a bit, tried to WILD for about an hour and I didn't even get the falling sensation, I only got paralysis. I also had major trouble sleeping afterwards. Don't know what I'm doing wrong, not sure what to try tonight.

Can anyone suggest any more ways to increase my chances?

EDIT: I just noticed that I used the number 2 instead of the word to. It's a bit of a habit.

After you get the paralysis, falling sensations, etc. try to do something to check if you're in a dream. Chances are after you experience that, you're probably in a dream. Almost all of my wilds start out as blackness, like I'm still lying there with my eyes closed. Try to open your 'dream eyes', or move your 'dream body'.. Don't actually do it physically, but kind of imagine it. You'll understand better once you actually try it. If you don't have any luck with that, just take the chance and do a RC. You might be in a dream and not even know it.

Also, I found out recently that it's a lot easier for me to enter a wild if I try to imagine all five of my senses instead of counting, etc. Most of the time I imagine I'm running. I'll think up some simple scenario, like running through a field. Next I try to imagine the wind hitting me. After that, I try to actually feel my legs running. I concentrate on my legs for a few seconds, and then I use my eyes again. Usually by then I notice that I'm looking at a really vivid dream place! I started doing this a few weeks ago and it works a whole lot better for me. Everyone is different though. This might be worth a try for you.

Good luck and I hope you have your first lucid dream soon.

I've decided im gonna wake earlier, probably around 2 or 3. I'm not gonna sit up as long, I think that was half of my problem, and I might try counting again, the peg leaves awful marks.

[QUOTE=Minus;943256]Darn, 3rd attempt also failed, this time I did wake up at 4, read a bit, tried to WILD for about an hour and I didn't even get the falling sensation, I only got paralysis. I also had major trouble sleeping afterwards. Don't know what I'm doing wrong, not sure what to try tonight.
QUOTE]

I found that it took about an hour and a half to get to the point of shifting into a dream. I guess it takes ages when you aren't used to relaxing into it. I also had the same problem getting to sleep afterwards, how perculiar. I woke at 4.30am, tried to WILD until about 6:00am but then couldn't get to sleep at all afterwards! It wasn't fun getting to lectures the next day

I tried last night, but I was too tired and just fell asleep. I'm really narrowing down my options pretty quickly. However, I think in reward of my efforts, my subconcious was feeling a bit generous and let me fly for a bit, I had very little control over it, but it was still really fun. It involved me freefalling off of a very high building, then pulling up and shooting over some trees. I think i may have been the tinyest bit lucid because, for some reason, I just knew that I couldn't die from the freefall.

Not sure what to try now.

EDIT: I'm sorry if this has become a bit more of a dream journal than a question, but I thought it would just be easier to post here.

I believe I used to have WILDs about every other day. I used to take a bus to my middle school. In the morning, I would fall asleep about half the time. Most of the time, I was asleep, but I could hear everything that was going on and even wake my self up with almost no effort. Any clue what this could be?

I have to ask, why post this here? Also, I haven't been trying to WILD over the weekend, I was really tired from the week. But I'm gonna give it another shot tonight.