WILD technique + timers

[marsrider]

Hey happy people! I'm new to lucid dreaming. I've been reading about it for the last couple months and made myself a promise to have a lucid dream as soon as possible. I've been trying even since using WILD technique + timers (if this is correct term) as I got impression this combination is the easiest for beginners. I tried the method about 15 times and I had 1 false awakening and got to the noise/sound phenomenon stage 2, but not further - not much, right? Here are the steps I did/tried: 0. Go to sleep at around 2am (that's normal for me, I've been sleeping from around 1-2am to 10-11am for years - nothing unusual in my case) 1. Sleep for 5/6/7 hours 2. Wake up, get out of the bed for, stay awake for 20-60 minutes (tried 20, 30, 45, 60 intervals) 3. Go back to bed, put the timer 4. When the timer beeps, don't move, don't open my eyes (works pretty well for me) 5. After a few iterations the body is going into sleep paralysis and I feel some "checkups" from my body - roll over urges, swallowing reflex, itching, I can fight them about 70% of the time, the other times I do something and I simply start all over again - that's fine Now at this point, I almost never get to sleep paralysis (been there 1-2 times, and I'm not sure if it was really full), I simply fell asleep, timer runs out and it's all over - pretty disappointing. I need your help, Lucid masters out there - am I missing something? Can it be related to sleeping cycles? Me, going to sleep to late? What things can I tried to increase my chances? I appreciate your help very very much! Happy dreaming! P.S. I have some theoretical knowledge about reality checks and exit methods, but didn't really had a chance to try them.

[Scionox]

Sorry, what you read about the method is not correct. For one, sleep paralysis is not part of WILD or even lucid dreaming in general, it's very rare experience that only roughly quarter of people experience, once-twice rare, that only people with sleep disorders experience it regularly. What you are experienced is most likely not sleep paralysis, but normal sensations of falling asleep, i suggest reading this thread: http://www.dreamviews.com/wake-initi...mystified.html Next, to see dream you need to fall asleep, and for WILD you need to fall asleep while being aware of the state, the WBTB you are doing sounds good, you just need to find the right timing with REM, not sure about timer though, i am not using one myself. Also you don't need to worry about staying still, staying still can help but it's not something to focus on, just fall asleep like you normally would do. Also i highly suggest reading those tutorials: http://www.dreamviews.com/induction-...cid-dream.html WILD

[LukeSid]

Sorry, what you read about the method is not correct. For one, sleep paralysis is not part of WILD or even lucid dreaming in general, it's very rare experience that only roughly quarter of people experience, once-twice rare, that only people with sleep disorders experience it regularly. What you are experienced is most likely not sleep paralysis, but normal sensations of falling asleep, i suggest reading this thread: http://www.dreamviews.com/wake-initi...mystified.html Next, to see dream you need to fall asleep, and for WILD you need to fall asleep while being aware of the state, the WBTB you are doing sounds good, you just need to find the right timing with REM, not sure about timer though, i am not using one myself. Also you don't need to worry about staying still, staying still can help but it's not something to focus on, just fall asleep like you normally would do. Also i highly suggest reading those tutorials: http://www.dreamviews.com/induction-...cid-dream.html WILD Hi Checker666 I'm confused. I'm trying to WILD and, whether or not I use WBTB in front of it or not, I still have the same experiences. I won't use the term SP because that apparently isn't the case, but I swear that this is what happens to me within about a one hour period. I settle down and regulate my breathing. After a short while, my mind wanders (as they do) I then experience what I can only describe as a gripping sensation in my arms. I probably stop drifting as much, then I relax again. In what I can only describe as "rushes" I drift a bit and the tightness in my arms increases and it's really noticeable. After a series of these rushes both sides of my body down to my legs feel tight. I get an occasional muscle twitch (nothing major) and things continue like this for the rest of the hour. My hearing doesn't seem to dim and I don't get the images or colours etc (I've had a few random cases of that some days ago but not lately) The tightness in my arms and top part of my legs persists It's as if I'm gripped...I'm not paralyzed, because I can get up and walk away easily if I wanted to, but there's definitely something fairly major happening. If anything the intensity of the rushes has diminished slightly over the past few days...it was like being really zapped at first and it used to make me quite frazzled afterwards. But I generally give up after about an hour, because the sessions just don't go any further. As I said, I'm confused. Given the intensity of what I experience it really used to feel like something major was going to happen...but it always stalls. Any ideas why? regards Some more thoughts on the subject. What I consistently experience is definitely the early stages of REM atonia...albeit not disabling...and all I can say is that, if anyone wakes up still with full sleep paralysis, no wonder they would panic...it must be like being in a vice because my effects are certainly convincing until I get up and walk away..and note that I'm not an impressionable youth, I'm a grizzled, street-wise, scientifically-knowledgeable old man and not given to flights of fancy...well at least until I get this bloody lucid dreaming off the ground that is!

[MasterMind]

I used to be interested in the same kind of approach. I don't practise it anymore because I ended up tired the next day and I wanted to learn something more natural. But I had lots of success and learned many new things! You can read about my old theories and practise here and see if it can help you: http://www.dreamviews.com/wake-initi...5Bhelp%5D.html Good luck

[marsrider]

Thank you both, guys!!! Your info really makes me feel better and more assured I can reach my previous Lucid Dream Thanks a lot, Checker666, I have already read the WILD tutorial and will try it tonight. Also, very good to have some constructive criticism on SP. I'll read about your previous findings tomorrow, MasterMind

[marsrider]

Great success!!!! I don't know how to thank you Checker666 - I have read the tutorial again, followed the steps as good as I can and just had my very first lucid dream tonight! Such a good feeling to finally get where you wanted to be for the last 2-3 weeks )) It wasn't very special, lasted for only about 1 minutes and ended up when I sneezed, lol A few questions: 1. Do you have some recommendations/guidelines/links on how to pick the best time to lucid dream and calculate when REM is happening? This time I did a very rough estimate and it worked, but I wonder if that was a coincidence or not. Now I just know that REM is the best time to lucid dream and it is the last stage of a 4-6 sleep cycles we have over night. And that the longest REM period is on the 4th-6th cycle. Is my theory right? 2. My dream was pretty realistic, however I was expecting more details (I might be too optimistic as well), it was about 80-90% real compared to reality and some proportions were weird, like arms were pretty long lol. Do you have any tips to get more details and make the dream more realistic? Is it the same as stabilizing it? Thank you again, you're my hero!

[Scionox]

Congrats on the first lucid dream! 1: REM times slightly vary from person to person depending on sleeping schedule, but yeah, later sleeping cycles have longer REM so it's easier to time WBTB with it, it's generally a way of experimentation and trying various times, it's awesome that you found time that works for you. 2: Keep practicing lucid dreaming and awareness, dreams will get more vivid and longer as you practice, and yes, stabilization can help to increase vividness, here's tutorial on that: http://www.dreamviews.com/articles/9...-tutorial.html Have awesome lucid dreams and good luck!

[marsrider]

I'm so excited all day long DD Will definitely continue LD and will definitely read your suggested tutorials! Thanks again, Checked666, hopefully I will be able to contribute to this community when I get the hang of LD )

[MasterMind]

This might help: http://www.dreamviews.com/wake-initi...ml#post2030006 The mindset for WILDing is a real dilemma. Because when you transition you don't think about your body and therefore will not experience any strange sensations like vibrations, rushing noises etc. Although since you want some kind of sign that you are going to succeed you look for it and when you get those sensations you are actually focusing more on the physical body than the dream, so therefore nothing happens and you stay in the physical focus. In the beginning it's a good signpost that you are on the right way. Although in the long run the sensations doesn't mean anything. I have felt HEAVY vibrations on my bedtime, I have experienced rushing noises during the day when I took a nap, super excited when it happened but no transition there.. The successful transitions I have done, are more like "Oh snap I didn't thought about my body (forget about it again) and BOM Where am I?" So don't look for any sensations, only try to change your focus of awareness. Because where you focus, is where you will be.

[LukeSid]

Thanks for that Mastermind (I'm assuming you were answering me) I've hit a bit of a snag. It may well be my age...or the fact that I'm Wilding twice a day most times, but I feel that I've been through a mangle and my blood pressure is up. I'm going to shelve WILD'ing for now and wait till my BP stabilises, then do a before and after BP check. If it's OK I'll restrict the number of times I do it...otherwise I'll have to generally stick with DILD etc in future...or I might well find myself OBE'ing

[Scionox]

Sounds like HH/normal sensations of falling asleep. They vary from person to person, some people experience more of them, some less, don't worry about it. Like Mastermind said don't focus on physical sensations and focus on your mantra/count/visualization or whatever mental anchor you using. Also there's nothing dangerous in OBEs and i personally think that they are types of dreams.

[LukeSid]

Hi checker666 The OBE thing was a feeble joke about snuffing it if I overdo things. (us oldies have a macabre sense of humour) Blood pressure's stabilised now so I'll be a WILD thing again soon.