Is this a trick of the mind?

**mimihigurashi** · 10-10-2015 07:51 AM

Something weird seems to happen often times when I want to WILD. After I'm supposed to be in my big REM period, and my timer goes off, I wake up, but I wake up feeling 90% awake. My brain automatically goes "damn, why did I wake up so much immediately? I'm too awake, I need to wait a few seconds or a minute to get sleepy again, and then I can start a mantra and try to stay awake as I fall asleep". But then, almost every time, within seconds, bam, I'm out, fast asleep, despite feeling so super "awake". Is the whole feeling of wakefulness just a trick of the mind? Does this happen to anyone else? It's so annoying, it feels like my brain is making me give up before I even started.

**Sivason** · 10-10-2015 08:20 AM

It must be a trick of the mind as you fall right back to sleep. I recommend getting all the way out of bed and spending a few minutes using the facilities or get a sip of water. Then as soon as you lay down start working on your WILD attempt.

**mimihigurashi** · 10-10-2015 10:52 AM

Oh trust me, getting out of bed is one of the hundreds of things I tried and tested, it doesn't work for me as it takes much longer to relax and I lose focus too quickly, it works best in those few seconds immediate upon awakening, but thanks for the reply, it is indeed most likely a trick.

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IT WAS a trick of the mind! I tested it this morning, I woke up with the same "too awake" feeling but ignored it and relaxed, within several seconds I began vibrating and literally felt like I slipped out of my physical body! Welp at least if this ever happens to someone else they should know they're most probably not nearly as awake as they feel and shouldn't get fooled.

**cmind** · 10-15-2015 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by mimihigurashi

Something weird seems to happen often times when I want to WILD. After I'm supposed to be in my big REM period, and my timer goes off, I wake up, but I wake up feeling 90% awake. My brain automatically goes "damn, why did I wake up so much immediately? I'm too awake, I need to wait a few seconds or a minute to get sleepy again, and then I can start a mantra and try to stay awake as I fall asleep". But then, almost every time, within seconds, bam, I'm out, fast asleep, despite feeling so super "awake". Is the whole feeling of wakefulness just a trick of the mind? Does this happen to anyone else? It's so annoying, it feels like my brain is making me give up before I even started.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I think the brain measures things in relative terms. So relative to the state you were just in a minute ago, you're wide awake. But relative to how awake you would be in the middle of the day, you're still mostly asleep.