Thread: Something that happens most of the time I attempt WILD

Hey guys, been a bit since I last posted but I've still been trying WILD with WBTB or during naps and recently I've encountered a new problem.

I haven't been able to nap as much since I just recently started working more so my WILD attempts have been during WBTBs. Now, other than the all-too-often occurrence of me just losing consciousness and falling asleep, this other weird thing has been happening.

I will lie still and meditate, or just begin my WILD attempt as usual by counting breaths or keeping my mind aware in some way. If I don't just fall asleep, it seems like I'm lying there consciously asleep but I'm not dreaming. Idk, it's hard to explain but I'll try. Let's say I wake up for my WBTB at like 9:00 (I go to sleep pretty late usually, don't worry I know to get my hours of sleep beforehand so I enter REM) and I'll try my WILD at 9:15-9:30. I will lay still and do whatever do keep myself aware and it usually works, I'm just sitting there waiting for HH or some kind of sign to show me that I'm about to fall asleep. But nothing ever happens, it's like I'm just laying there looking at blackness with nothing but my thoughts. It will feel like about 10-20 minutes has passed and after nothing happens, I'm like what the fuck alright I'll try switching positions or just give up on the attempt. Except I'll look at the clock, and what do you know it's already 11:00 or 12:00 and an hour or more has passed! I must have fallen asleep but at no point do I remember losing consciousness. I know you wouldn't "remember" losing consciousness/falling asleep but it's different than the times I just "wake up" like oh shit I fell asleep, cuz those times I know I was asleep either by waking up or remembering a dream I had. But with this, it's like I can remember being conscious the entire time except I must have fallen asleep because more than an hour had passed.

Hopefully this makes some sense to some of you it's pretty hard to explain. If anyone knows what's going on I'd love to hear some ideas, or am I really just slipping between consciousness in this time? If so, why am I not experiencing/remembering any dreams?

Thanks for reading guys

Ahh fear not young padawan, your problem is uncommon but not unheard of and this is my hypothesis as to what it is. You are in a place called the "void" and it is the canvas for your mind to paint a dream. The way I see it you have two options. Option 1: Try to transition to the dreamworld through symbology, like picturing yourself descending down a stairway into the realm of the subconscious or using another device to help. Option 2: attempt to lose yourself in the hypnogogic imagery(Shapes in the darkness in that indescribable color) while maintaining the awareness that this is a dream and let your mind pull its own weight.

You might be dreaming of trying to WILD as well. I've had that happen to me a few times (where I had fallen asleep and was dreaming that I was still trying to WILD ). Have you tried doing an epiglottis block rc during your WILDs at all?

Originally Posted by AnotherDreamer

You might be dreaming of trying to WILD as well. I've had that happen to me a few times (where I had fallen asleep and was dreaming that I was still trying to WILD ). Have you tried doing an epiglottis block rc during your WILDs at all?

What do you mean by epiglottis block? Is there a good way to RC with your eyes closed/without moving?

Originally Posted by Jesslet

What do you mean by epiglottis block? Is there a good way to RC with your eyes closed/without moving?

Yea! You close your epiglottis (your throat air hole) with neck muscle and then try to breathe. If you can still breathe then you're in a dream