KingYoshi's Complete WILDing Guide - All my techniques & secrets revealed (WILD,DEILD,WBTB+more)
My previous WILD thread, Yoshi's WILD Technique, explained my personal technique and how to perform said technique. This is going to be a complete and all-around guide to WILDing & DEILDing using my techniques and experience as a basis. The first half of this guide is an in-depth explanation on WILD. The second half is my personal technique. So, as usual, sit back, fire one up, and learn to WILD/DEILD...the Yoshi way!
My DILD tutorial can be found here, All Day Awareness, A DILD tutorial by KingYoshi
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General Keys to Success
With any induction method/technique there are three keys to long-term success.
1. Effort - Aside from the handful of natural lucid dreamers out there, the rest of us have to put forth the effort and work toward lucidity. Without that drive, you aren't going to have the kind of results you are looking for.
2. Confidence - This one is as simple as the first. You need to be confident in your abilities. I don't care if you just joined yesterday and literally have no clue what you are doing. EVERYONE can lucid dream regularly.
3. Experience - You don't even have to do anything special for this one. Every single thing you do while practicing lucid dreaming, works toward experience. Just keep practicing and gain experience from every success as well as every failure.
What is a WILD?
WILD stands for (W)ake (I)nduced (L)ucid (D)ream. Basically, it is where you enter the (lucid) dream state, directly from the waking state, WITHOUT a lapse in consciousness. You stay aware throughout the entire process. You fall asleep, see the dream form, and enter the dream state without ever "blacking out"/losing consciousness. Here is a link to the DreamViews' wiki page on WILD: Wake Induced Lucid Dream
What Everyone Needs to Know Prior to a WILD Attempt.
A) No matter when, where, how, or why you are attempting a WILD, there is only one thing you need to do every time. That one thing? FALL ASLEEP. Its simple and no matter how perfect you are at performing a technique/method, if you don't fall asleep, you can't WILD. Its as simple as that. If you find yourself struggling, ask yourself, "Am I just not falling asleep?"
B) There is only one root difference in falling asleep "normally" and WILDing. That is your level of consciousness. During "normal" entrance into the state of sleep, we fall unconscious. During a WILD you want to fall asleep exactly like any other time, but maintain a certain level of consciousness. Basically, you want to fall asleep AND witness/observe this process as it is happening.
These two concepts apply to every single valid WILD technique and method out there. Now, its very possible to use this knowledge alone to go perform a successful WILD. The rest of this guide is going to help explain certain aspects of the process to help further your success.
SP and Why I Use the Term.
SP stands for "Sleep Paralysis." If you grab a medical book or any other "official" explanation on SP, it is described as an actual sleep disorder/condition that effects very few individuals. The state that most people refer to as SP, is actually called Sleep Atonia. I'm just going to tell you right now, all this may be true, but I don't care nor does it matter in the least. There is absolutely no need to differentiate between the two. They both have similar effects, the on-set of both can help you complete your WILD, and they both provide a unique experience almost every time you witness them. Between the asterisks is a little extra, personal insight on the two that is meaningless to this Guide and WILDing in general.
***I, personally, don't even believe these are separate conditions. There is no hard evidence or facts that differentiate the two. Only research based on observations. A disorder based on an "educated guess" diagnosis is not something I put faith in. I need hard facts, otherwise I'm basing my belief on my own experiences and observations. My educated guesses > others educated guesses, any day of the week. That is just my two cents. If you disagree with this, that is perfectly fine. My opinion on this matter and whether I am right or wrong on this matter, is completely irrelevant to this guide and WILDing in general.***
If you are a "by the books person," you may disagree with my logic, but I've been doing this for years and it truly makes no difference how you look at these two. I have experienced both the on-set of paralysis and the on-set of atonia more times than I can count. So, I'm telling you now, I'm going to use the term SP as a "general term." Think more along the lines of (S)leep (P)re-stage when I type SP.
When to Perform a WILD for Optimal Success
Like everything else involved in dreaming and life in general, there are very few definites. Though, in my experience, I have been able to gather enough information to help figure out your optimal WILDing window. I'm going to separate these into two categories, Standard Sleep Time (SST), and Naps. I'll also give a little information on the sleep cycle, and REM sleep, (R)apid (E)ye (M)ovement, so you understand the concept behind everything.
Standard Sleep Time (SST) & Wake Back to Bed (WBTB)
SST
Everyone's SST is going to be different. If you work night shift, your SST is going to be during the day. Vice-versa for those who work during the day. Basically, SST is the period of time that you are experiencing longer durations of sleep. For an even more simplified explanation, this is when you say, "I'm going to bed/sleep," as opposed to, "I'm taking a nap" :P. When performing a WILD during your SST, you want to pair it with the WBTB (Wake Back to Bed) method.
WBTB & REM
The idea behind WBTB, is to wake up during or just before your REM cycle. That way, its much easier to get into the dream state directly from the waking state. You don't have to be in exact unison with your REM cycle. You just want to be "close enough." Between the asterisks, I'll explain a little more about the sleep cycle, so you understand the concept behind WBTB. I'm not going to go too in-depth on the sleep cycle, because all of that information isn't necessary. Plus, the sleep cycle is nowhere near an exact science. It can vary greatly depending on a plethora of different factors. So, use all this information, in the "general sense." Its just more for you to get an idea of how it works.
***I'll try to keep it as simple as possible. On average, a person experiences multiple periods of REM sleep each night. Its not a requirement to WILD during REM sleep, but that is the optimal stage in the sleep cycle for lucid dreaming. REM is the stage of sleep when most dreaming occurs after all. The first REM period begins 90 minutes after sleep (on average). You can use this as a template for figuring out your REM cycle. Start with the base that REM occurs every 90 minutes. Now, keep a few things in mind....
1) The early REM periods do NOT last very long. Only a few minutes, so you don't necessarily want to try and WILD during these. Otherwise, you are going to be fighting against your body's natural sleep cycle to stay in your dreams and stay in REM. The further along you get in SST, the longer your REM periods will last.
2) As you progress in your SST, your REM cycles become closer together. They may start out 90 minutes apart (on average), but with each successive REM period, that number is reduced. Toward the end of your SST, you will be firing REM cycles back to back with very little time spent in between.***
--- So, now you have the information on WBTB, but where do you start? ---
I tell aspiring WBTBers to try and wake up after 2-4 hours of sleep, if you want to make multiple attempts on the night. If you remember a dream (even a fragment) upon waking up, then great. You have started your REM cycle and are good to go. If you can't remember anything, you may not have started your REM cycle yet. Try to sleep for 30 mins to 1 hour longer. Repeat the process until you are able to remember something. Even a fragment tells you, "Hey! My REM cycle has started." If you just want to perform a single WBTB attempt on the night, try getting up after about 5-6 hours of sleep.
--- How long should you stay awake during a WBTB attempt before attempting the WILD? ---
The idea is to try and stay awake long enough to where you won't lose consciousness easily, but at the same time, you HAVE to be able to fall back to sleep. So, you don't want to stay awake too long. No matter how long or short a period of time you stay awake, it won't hurt your ability to WILD. You can still do it no matter the time period you choose. That is strictly based on your ability to fall back to sleep. If you have trouble falling back to sleep, don't stay awake as long before returning to bed. If you find that you keep losing consciousness early on in the process, try staying awake a little longer. Its simple logic, so don't think about this too hard. Too many beginners over-complicate this part of the process and it is unnecessary. I, personally, only stay awake for 4 or 5 minutes before performing my WILD attempt. Others have reported better success after staying awake for 15-20 minutes. Just test it and find out what works best for you.
Extra WBTB Tips
- Use this WBTB information as a guideline only. None of this information is exact, so just play around with this information and figure out what works best for YOU. Most of these times are averages and "in general" statistics. That doesn't mean they are optimal for everyone, so feel free to increase, decrease, or branch off from any of this information. Lucid Dreaming, especially WILDing, is a unique experience for everyone. So keep that in mind. I'm just trying to help everyone understand the process, logic, and ideas behind it all. I'm not trying to set any standards because with Lucid Dreaming, there are NO standards.
- I'll tell you my personal method for performing multiple WBTBs. I set my alarm for after 2 hours of SST. I do the usual, "Have I dreamed yet," test to see if I hit my REM cycle. I set my alarm in 2 hour increments for the first 6 hours. Then, I set my alarm in 1 hour increments for the rest of my SST. Obviously, the longer you sleep the more attempts you'll get in. Even if you don't succeed in your WILD attempts, each time you wake up, you are recording a dream. So, at worst, you are journaling a bunch of dreams and building up your recall. This is one of the great benefits to WBTB. Even if you don't succeed in WILDing, you are building up recall
- Another great benefit of WBTB WILDing, is getting spontaneous DILDs from failed WILD attempts. You are trying to have a lucid dream, so even if you lose consciousness and fall asleep "normally," your mind was JUST on lucid dreaming moments ago. This alone can help lead to DILDs.
Naps
Naps are, personally, my favorite time to perform WILDs. For one, you don't have to bother waking up in the middle of the night, which takes motivation and discipline. I tend to be half asleep and say, "Fuck it." I just turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep without trying. I then wake up in the morning and am like, "Damn it!!! I did it again!" With naps, this isn't a problem. Remember the #1 rule for WILDing though, you HAVE to fall asleep. So, if you are all jacked up on Mountain Dew, its not going to be easy to have a successful Nap WILD.
---Why is WILDing during naps effective?---
Just like SST WILDing, for naps, you are wanting to play to your greatest strength, the REM cycle. Of course, you are awake, so you obviously aren't entering REM. However, your body just experienced the sleep cycle throughout your SST. It got adjusted and used to this cycle as SST progressed, until it was firing off REM cycles in rapid succession (toward the end of your SST). If you are able to sleep for more than 8 hours, that cycle will keep on going for as long as you sleep. You are awake, but your body had gotten used to that cycle and can easily hop right back into it after waking in the morning. The longer you wait after waking up in the morning, the harder it will be to nap WILD, because your body/mind has gotten more and more used to being awake. It'll be harder to get into that sleep cycle rhythm the further away from it you get.
Sleep Cycle example theories between the asterisks...
***Think about this. You didn't get enough sleep last night, but you have to get up and go to work. You are real tired until you get in the shower/etc and fully wake yourself up. Once you get to work you are good to go. After an hour or so, you hit that first wall where you are feeling tired. You power through because you have to and get your "second wind" and are good to go again. This is just your body wanting to get back into that sleep cycle it had gotten used to the night before. Since, you didn't allow yourself to go back to sleep and powered through, that second wind is your body/mind accepting that you aren't sleeping right now. This can happen several times and most everyone has experienced this before. Getting tired in a cycle during the day. Caffeine and other things like it, help deal with this and its not a problem You ever heard of someone being intolerable because they didn't have their morning coffee? Its because that coffee has helped them deal with this process. Without it, that internal cycle is still going on, or rather, "wanting" to continue on. This can create moodiness and "rolling" behavior, if you will.***
---What is the best time frame to perform nap WILDs?---
This depends on the individual. Just keep in mind that the longer you wait, the harder it may be to get the WILD process started. I suggest trying 1-6 hours after waking in the morning. Now, you can be successful outside of that time frame, but this is the easiest time frame in my experience.
Now you know everything you need to know about WILDing. You can create your own process/technique using this information. You can also search around the forums and find a plethora of different techniques and styles. Find something that works for you and you are comfortable with. If you love a technique except for one single part of it, don't hesitate to change that part of the technique to suit your comfort. No technique has to be done exactly the way it is written. Use any technique or method you read as a guideline for your own attempt. Play around with things and mold it to suit your needs and comfort levels. Anyway, the next section includes my exact techniques. I'll tell you how to perform them and I'll explain my views on why they work. This doesn't mean it will work for everyone, but if something sounds good to you, go ahead and give it a try. Don't be afraid to tweak the techniques in your attempts.
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KingYoshi's WILD Technique, "Rolling Victory"
Step 1: Relax
If you are using WBTB your body should be properly relaxed already. If not, use your favorite relaxation technique. I lie down and read a chapter or so of a book to relax. It works for me and isn't boring or complicated like some of the other relaxation techniques. This step is purely used to get you prepared for sleep. You don't need to over-think this one. Just get relaxed :P.
Step 2: Flex Freeze
This step is used as your final relaxation. Lie flat on your back and close your eyes. Try and keep your eyes in a fixed, but relaxed position. If they move around a bit, that is fine. You are just wanting to keep your eyes calm and relaxed. No, Flex your arms/hands/shoulders, hold the flex for a second, then allow them to go completely limp (don't move them again after you have done this). Next, Flex your legs/feet, hold the flex for a second, then allow them to go limp (don't move them again after this). Now flex your neck muscles/face muscles, hold it, go limp (don't move your head/neck again). Finally, flex your stomach/abs, hold it, go limp. From here on, try not to move any part of your body too much. If you move some that is fine, don't worry about it. You just want to stay relatively still after the flex freeze simply so your muscles stay relaxed and aren't being worked too much.
Note: If you are sufficiently relaxed, you can skip this step, but I strongly recommend it. It quickly gets my muscles relaxed in preparation for sleep. I quite like it.
*Optional Step (2.5): Reverse Blinking
This is where you can add the reverse blinking technique if you wish. After completing the previous step, begin your reverse blinking session. Once you begin to feel tired (your eye lids getting heavier and heavier) and feel like you could easily fall asleep, carry on to the next step.
To reverse blink, close your eyes for a minute or so. After this short period of time, begin to flick your eyes open and closed again every few seconds/moments. You want to try and mimic a normal blink as much as possible (only in reverse of course ). Make sure you aren't slamming/forcing your eyes open and closed. Keep your eyelids nice and relaxed as you quickly flick them open and closed. After performing this for a period of time, your eye lids will feel heavier and heavier. At some point, you will not be able to reverse blink your eyelids without forcing them open. This is the point where you should stop reverse blinking and move on to the next step.
Note: I perform reverse blinking sometimes and sometimes I don't. Its a personal preference thing. A lot of people asked about this in my last thread, so I put it in here to show where you would perform this technique, if you choose to try it.
Step 3: Getting into SP
This step is simple. Lay fairly still and try not to move too much. If you do happen to move, that is fine. Its not going to "break you." The idea of staying fairly still is solely used to help your body get closer to sleep. Let your mind wonder, but try not to focus on any of your thoughts. Just casually allow them to pass through your mind without truly focusing on them. Make sure you are aware of your thoughts so you don't fall asleep, but don't think upon one thought for too long. After laying still for a while you may start to feel uncomfortable or get that, "nothing is happening," feeling. Now, change position. I roll over to my side. Keep your eyes closed during the position change and try not to exert too much energy during your roll. Just casually and calmly roll over to your side/a different position. Once again lie pretty still and let your mind wonder freely. People often ask, "When do I change positions/roll over?" Its not an exact time. Start with the base of every 7-10 minutes or so you can roll over. You don't have to hit that time window and try not to focus on this time window either. The idea is for the roll-over to be used as a "refresh button"
---So you said to change positions about every ten minutes or so, but wouldn't that wake you up? Why does it put you in SP?---
The ten minutes is just an average guesstimation based on my experiences with the technique. Basically, you lay there until you are getting uncomfortable or feel like nothing is happening. Its hard to fall asleep when you are uncomfortable and/or frustrated, right? The average person repositions themselves before falling asleep, or at the very least, gets into a comfortable position before falling asleep. The goal of WILDing is to be able to fall asleep first and foremost. Too many inexperienced WILDers put way too much emphasis on not moving. If you are worried/thinking about not moving and being still, this is a recipe for failure. I always found it so much easier to just not worry so much about a stationary position and I put more emphasis on comfort. When I roll over and move, I perform this process slowly as to not exert too much energy. I can't count how many times I have hit SP right after rolling over. I'll be on the brink of sleep, but I'm uncomfortable or have a body numbness that is distracting (the numbness not to be confused w/ SP vibrations), so I roll over in a comfortable position and my body is like, "Oh Yeah! Thats the spot!" And BAM!! SP sets in and I've begun the process of the transition. The reason most claim you need to stay still, is to get your body in the state of rest. They aren't wrong exactly, but they don't always explain why they are telling you to stay still. I don't know about you, but I when I'm going to sleep normally, I don't focus on being completely still and trying not to move. I just get comfortable and drift away. Same principle with my technique. Only difference is keeping the awareness as this happens.
Step 4: SP
SP can be different for everyone. Sometimes you will feel paralyzed, sometimes you may not. Sometimes, you will get vibrations, sometimes you won't. Etc, etc. Once you start to enter SP, you are going to notice something. Usually, people experience some sort of Hypnagogic Hallucination (HH). The most common, in my experience, are auditory hallucinations (hearing noises/things that aren't really there) and visual hallucinations, aka Hypnagogic Imagaery. Just like your thoughts from before, do not focus too much on any particular HH/HI. For HI, just casually let them pass by your "mind's eye." Similar to watching a t.v. show that you don't particularly care much about either way. Make sure you remain still and as calm as possible during this time (if you happen to move or get excited, don't give up or start over, just carry on with the process as if you never moved or got excited in the first place). Just allow the process to do the work for you. Same with auditory hallucinations. Just casually listen to them as if they are a tv program in the background. Try not to understand or pay too much attention to the hallucinations. Just let them do their thing and keep staying relaxed. Keep in mind that at this point, you are transitioning into sleep. Your body/mind is falling asleep and this SP is the beginnings of your dream. Think of any hallucinations you experience as the very first part of the dream you are trying to enter. Its beginning to form, this is just the first step. Relax and just let the dream form on its own. You are just observing the process, you don't need to actively try to create a dream scene. That part will take care of itself. Trying to do too much during this process, can cause you to inadvertently wake yourself up. You are falling asleep, allow it to happen.
A lot of strange things can happen during the transition of a WILD. Often times, m body just starts sliding and floating all around the room. If this happens, I simply wait for it to stop sliding and moving. This is yet another hallucination that is occurring during my transition. Just relax and wait it out. Try not to get impatient and lay there until things become relatively stable. It really takes a feel to get used to when the transition has completed. Just gain experience and learn from each WILD attempt and each trip into the transitional phase.
Once you see a full dream scene (with WILDs you will generally see the ceiling or the sky from your laying position, it is often referred to as "seeing through your eyelids"), stand up from your resting place and you should now be lucid! I suggest performing a RC upon at this time, especially if you think you have failed the attempt. Often times with WILD, your dream starts right where you fell asleep in waking life, so you may not always notice that you have succeeded. The room can look exactly like it should and this can sometimes fool you into thinking you have failed. Plus, it is very possible to have a False Awakening as soon as you transition.
---Why do I never get HI? I've done WILD lots of times, and I feel the vibrations (it's really small, like in my legs) and I can hear a really quiet buzzing noise and I feel all prickly and stuff but I never get HI. I've tried to like get the scene going and let my dream take over, but the second I stop providing it nothing happens. Can you help me? And also, one more question. How do you know your in SP, like without moving to see?---
Well, HI happens most of the time, but not all the time. I've had plenty of successful WILDs where I didn't get HI at all. Its a lot more uncommon to not get HI in my experience, but it does happen. If you hit full blown SP, you will know it. You will hallucinate and dream elements will begin to happen. The hallucinations can be different every time and often times, unique to YOU. You are going to feel/notice the body change. Its going to feel like you are falling asleep and making progress. The HI is one of the last things to kick in on most dreamers, so if you've never experienced that full on SP, its not that surprising that you haven't saw HI. It really sounds to me like you just aren't getting to the stage where you are actually falling asleep. The small vibrations are numbness which is one of the first things that can happen, along with the light buzzing. You are right on the verge of hitting that full blown SP. Also, don't try too hard to force things. Just casually gaze into the darkness of your closed eyes. Stay calm and just let things happen on their own. If you are trying too actively to get the scene going, that is going to hinder your progress. The primary goal should be relaxing and striving toward sleep. The idea is to teeter right on the line between consciousness and unconsciousness. That is why WILDing consistently is such a delicate process. My best advice to you is to just keep trying and keep practicing. Makes sure you don't try too hard to push the process along. The best way to speed things up is to just fall asleep faster. Best way to do that is to relax and stay comfortable. Casually observe the darkness and the HH will start to slowly show itself. Don't be looking around for it in the darkness, just observe and let the process play itself out.
Much credit goes to Jeff777 for the WILD technique he posted, which greatly inspired this one. It can be found here...
[removed broken link]
* This step is optional, but I highly recommend it.
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KingYoshi's Quick Guide to DEILD
First thing's first, DEILD can be the easiest technique to inducing a lucid dream. What you have to do, is simply become aware of yourself waking up before you fully wake up.
When and how to DEILD
At the End of a Lucid Dream (Chaining Lucids)
There are several opportune times you can successfully DEILD without any sort of premeditation. The easiest of which, is at the end of a Lucid Dream. This is known as "Lucid Chaining" and it is very easy to do. If you are within a lucid dream and you feel yourself starting to wake up/losing the dream, don't try to fight it or hold onto the dream. Immediately, lay down and close your eyes. Even if you are still in the dream environment, but feel the dream starting to slip away, just lay down right there and close yours eyes. Now, keep your eyes closed and stay as relaxed as possible. Try not to move much at all. If you do, its not the end of the world, but since you were lucid and prepared to DEILD, just lay still and calm. Try to keep your mind "quiet" by just relaxing and just observing the process. Much like during a normal WILD, you don't want to do anything. Just lay there relaxed and let the natural process do all the work for you. You will be able to feel it in your body as you wake up and then slip right back into sleep. Most of the time, in my experience, the DEILD process only takes a few short moments. Sometimes there is a WILD-like transition with a few brief hallucinations, but most of the time, you just wake and then go right back into the dream. Most of the time I either end up right there in the dream environment that I initially laid down in, or I'm in my bed/place of rest that I actually fell asleep in. If you think you failed, be sure to perform a few RCs. You can sometimes be fooled by a False Awakening or the setting in which you return to the dream state.
Using this method, I have chained 8+ lucid dreams before. It is great for keeping the experience going if you accidentally get too emotional and kick in your adrenaline. Keep in mind, that the more dreams you chain, the easier it gets to forget the very early parts of the chain. I usually chain 2-4 lucids and the just allow myself to wake up so I don't forget anything.
Upon Waking from a Non-Lucid Dream
This one is a little more difficult, but its not hard if you can catch yourself early enough. Basically, upon waking up, you just simply try not to move too much, close your eyes, and go back to sleep. Your body is already relaxed from sleep, so this is like you are performing a normal WILD, but you are very far along in the process already. So, the key is to stay relaxed and just witness yourself falling back to sleep. Just casually observe the darkness behind your eyes and drift slowly into the dream state as you teeter on the line of consciousness and unconsciousness. The success rate will be higher the less you move upon waking up. Also, if you can keep your eyes closed, that is going to help as well. Neither of those things are required and you can definitely DEILD even after you have moved and opened your eyes, so don't give up. Like every WILD/DEILD attempt, if you fail, perform a few RCs just in case. You may have been fooled into thinking you failed.
Using an External Device
Basically, using some sort of alarm to wake yourself up. The key to this is to recognize the alarm sounds as quickly as possible. As soon as you recognize the sound, hopefully before you are fully awake, go right into the DEILD process. If you catch the sound while you are in the dream or waking from the dream, just lay, down, close your eyes, and relax. Basically, use the DEILD Chain process. If you woke up, just use the "Waking from a normal dream" process. You want to use an alarm that doesn't last too long and shuts off automatically. You also don't want to use an alarm that is going to jar you awake. You want it to gradually wake you up. The best alarm would be one that starts off quiet, keeps a consistent sound, and gradually becomes louder and louder. The consistent sound can help you recognize the alarm, especially after several attempts. You will slowly learn to recognize the alarm sooner and sooner. Even to the point that you recognize it while still in the dream. The gradual increase in volume can help ease you awake, so it doesn't startle you awake and hurt your chances.
If you start the DEILD process and the alarm hasn't gone off yet, don't worry. Just pretend it is one of the WILD hallucinations and don't even pay attention to it. Just casually observe everything, the alarm included. Stay calm and continue to fall back to sleep. Its the same concept as falling asleep with the TV on. You can still fall asleep with sound going, just don't focus/lock in on it. Let it be normal background fodder as you carry out your process.
DEILD Closing Tip
DEILD is pretty easy and very basic. You pretty much just lay there relaxed, calm, and fall asleep. DEILD is a specific form of WILD and you should treat the process as such. Just imagine during your DEILD that you are performing a WILD, but you have basically skipped 75% of the early process and you only have to go 25% more to complete it and be successful. Just like a "normal" WILD, you have to fall asleep first and foremost.
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Bonus Technique
Dry Spell Killer: The Actor's Technique
I have seen more than a few members across the forum who are having trouble achieving lucidity no matter what technique they try. They either can't seem to either achieve lucidity for the first time (which can be the hardest for many dreamers), or are in a long dry spell and can't seem to get out. I have suggested this to a few already, but I figured I would go ahead and post this technique for everyone to see (plus I don't want to have to type the whole thing up every time ). I don't use this every night, because I don't want it to become routine (it probably won't work as well if you overuse it). It works like a charm for my dry spells though...
For anyone experiencing a dry spell or having trouble achieving lucidity for the first time you can try this simple "mind over matter" technique. I use this to help break out of dry spells and I generally suggest it to others who are experiencing dry spells. I think it will also help first timers achieve lucidity. Basically here it is...Upon laying down to sleep you need to alter your state of mind. Basically, act as if you are an expert/experienced lucid dreamer and you know 100% that you will have a lucid dream. Don't only say/think to yourself that you will have a lucid dream, but truly 100% believe that you will achieve your goal easily. The best way to describe this "state of mind alteration" is to compare it to acting. Many actors and actresses "get into character" for their particular roles. They will spend several days (or even longer depending on the actor/actress) acting as if they are a completely different person to better prepare and play their role. Basically, you are trying to "get into the character" of an experienced/expert lucid dreamer. You could even go as far as getting into the character of "The Best Lucid Dreamer Ever." The idea is to fall asleep knowing and expecting yourself to become lucid, because you have done it millions of times before and it is easy for you. If you can do it correctly, and truly convince yourself that you will achieve lucidity, than it will greatly raise your chances of success. During a dry spell, I do this for as many nights as I need to break it. I usually am able to overcome my dry spell the very first night trying. Make sure that if you do not succeed, that you stay "in-character" and tell yourself/convice yourself that last night was a fluke and there is no way you won't become lucid the next night. You would be surprised how well this simple method can work. All it takes is a bit of "acting" !
Note: This isn't a WILD method, but you could try it with WILD if you like (I actually have never paired it with a WILD before). I simply use this as I fall asleep normally. Usually when I succeed, I just randomly become lucid in my dream. Essentially its just a DILD/MILD method.
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Closing Comments
I know there is a lot of information here, but try your best not to over-complicate things. Just relax, have fun, and enjoy the experience. Always remember that falling asleep is the primary goal. Everything else comes after. If anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to post them here in this thread. I'll gladly answer them in as much detail as I can. Your questions can not only help you better understand and make progress, but they can also help others who may be lurking. Lucid Dreaming is much bigger than me or you, so its always great to show that interaction in the thread to help the others who may be hesitant to post/or ask questions. Also, following along those lines, be sure to post your progress in this thread. If you succeed, post in here to help give others encouragement. If you fail, post what happened. I can help you evaluate what happened and why it happened. Not to mention, it'll help other lurking users get a feel for how things can go wrong and what to expect. On top of all that, I love hearing the stories about what other dreamers experience during SP and the WILD process. Its extremely interesting to hear the experiences of others. The #1 teacher when it comes to lucid dreaming, is experience. I've always stood strongly by that. The more experience everyone shares, the more everyone can learn. Also, I'll add to this guide and update it based on your questions and desired knowledge this is just Version 1. Good luck to everyone and I look forward to hearing from you!
