Thread: Induction techniques

Originally Posted by Unia

I have a question on the induction techniques:
I started my dream journal on the 1st January, on the second night I realized I was dreaming but it was some kind of nightmare, so I woke up, and on the 4th I was dreaming something I didn't like so I thought "Hey, I know I'm dreaming but I don't want to dream about this" and since then I never realized I'm dreaming. So I decided to try some induction techniques, but I have a problem:
Since for most of them you have to relax I either start thinking about things or fall asleep fast.
For example that LaBerge technique (can't remember the name) where you have to relax and keep looking at the tiny stars, images etc. that appear and then at siome point start focusing on them and imagine yourself in them and then start the lucid dream (or something like that, I don't know how to explain it). But as soon as I focus I just fall asleep. Does anyone know what to do?
Oh, and how are WILD/MILD etc. techniques supposed to work if the dream actually starts about 90 mins after you fall asleep?

WILD's work right away because you're going back to sleep in your REM cycle but your keeping you mind awake, so you're in your dream.
Sounds like the problem your having is your not doing enough to keep your mind awake, and you should look into some other techniques. Like FILD (I think you might have been doing VILD), and concentrating on your breathing. Also to do a WILD before going to sleep you'd have to keep your mind awake for a long time to get into a LD (I think).

Check out the induction technique guide posts at the top of this forum It has links to other tutorials, which go far more in depth on how and why the techniques work.