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I've recently found a good balance in my WILD attempts between awarness and trying to sleep. I'll usually get to this point where I'm probably just bordering sleep, but still slightly aware. The problem is that I'll usually stay in this stage, and can't actually pass into sleep. I'll eventually either fall asleep or rarely will be in this stage for so long, that I give up. What can I do to pass into sleep when I'm bordering it so I can get further into WILD?
I understand your problem well, I have experienced it many times. I do not know your full procedure tho, so i can not tell you what exactly the problem is, but I can speak on some general points. On should attempt a WILD early in the morning using the WBTB method, or early in the afternoon while the mind is still pretty fresh. It is best to lay on your back I have found on a very mild incline. Of course the ideal situation is to go right into the LD state, but sometimes a few moments of blackness does occur, usually a few seconds, but if you have done the enough of the visual and tactile imagination techniques and so on one should if all goes well 'wake up' in the vibrational or full LD state. Make sure you are not focusing too hard or too lightly on whatever technique you are doing. For me...
35% of the time a fully conscious transition will occur. 35% of the time there will be a temporary loss of consciousness, but a lucid dream state will start. 30% will end in falling asleep fully or not being able to fall asleep at all.
I would highly suggest being careful about expectations and over analysis while making a attempt, if your mind gets going in the wrong directions it can mess the whole thing up I know that for a fact. Like Crowley said "Act without lust of result; work without anxiety; taste without attachment to flavour". Also, If you are getting too awake do a method that takes a small amount of focus, if you are too tired do a more complex one.
Here is my procedure.
1. affirmations.
2. Visual tactile imagination. Create for yourself using the imagination a mental body, identify with it as much as you can, feel through it, see through it. Move up and out of ones physical location toward the ceiling in this new body. One can also simply imagine this body as a sphere of any colour, what is important is that you identify with its movements up down left and right. I just keep doing this over and over again. If you want you can extend the mental roaming to outside. What one should be looking for is a sense of tingling, pulsation, vibration, or pulling in your body.
Well to expand more, I do my WILDs 5 hours after sleep with a short WBTB. I usually start by lying on my back, then just lying still until I get uncomfortable, then will turn on my side. After that I quickly get to the point I described in the original post, but sometimes don't need to turn on my side. To maintain awarness, I focus on my breathing. But I have not ever tried using the tactile sensations you described above. How would that help, wouldn't it just wake you up more? Also I know to not expect anything, and I don't.
A consideration, AlexTheDreamer, is to try what is considered a version of WILD. That is SSILD. Instead of waiting through the WILD for a dream to spawn after your body makes its way into sleep, it uses a combination of self-hypnosis and observation. I get to the edge of sleep after just a 2-3 minutes, if nothing gets in the way. You revolve through three observations: Your visual, your auditory, and your tactile. Just 15 seconds or so each. On rotation. On a WBTB, I'm hard pressed to get through two rotations before I'm out or in a dream. This is even true if I'm tired enough and trying it on a nap. Just look up the tech rather than have me trying to rephrase it.
If you were looking only for advice specific to WILD unadulterated, then all you can do as far as I know is to continue to practice watching yourself as you fall toward sleep. As you find the edge, perhaps create your own visualization of a scene and allow yourself to flow into that. Focus is the key. You must shift your focus into the dreaming reality and completely away from your waking condition.
My take.
Ok thanks I've actually tried SSILD before, but didn't have as much success that u had. However I've never actually thought of using it as a part of WILDs.
^^ Just to be clear: SSILD is a technique for achieving a WILD (which is not a technique, but the name for the transition to lucidity). You are not combining techniques, but rather are choosing a different or additional technique to achieve your WILD.
So by using SSILD you will still be attempting (and hopefully succeeding at) a WILD.
I thought one of the main objectives of SSILD was to increase awarness in the dream which would lead to a DILD. I know it can also lead to WILDS, but like I said, I haven't thought of it as a technique to help in the WILD process.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sageous
Something Alex said caught my eye
"then just lying still until I get uncomfortable, then will turn on my side."
I have noticed while attempting WILDs, a recurring strong urge to roll on my side as well. I recall reading something about this being a kind of physiological test, the idea went as I recall, the body does this to check if your still conscious or not. If you have been laying perfectly still for a long time, I might suggest resisting the instinct because it could indicate your body is close to falling asleep. I could very well be mistaken, I cannot recall when or where I came across this, If anyone knows I would like to know if this is true.
^^ Not only is the rollover urge a real thing, but your description and suggestion to resist it are right on the mark.
Oh so I shouldn't roll over. Ok that could be a reason as to why I'm having trouble. Also for anyone who knows, how would I use SSILD in WILD attempts. Would I just repeat the cycles until I get enter a dream or just get close enough to start to visualize my own dream. I have a lot of hope for tonight. :)
^^ You've probably already found it, but here is the original SSILD tutorial as presented by CosmicIron several years ago... might as well start at the beginning. I'm not sure I remember right, but I'm pretty sure the tutorial is written in the context of a WILD attempt, so you'll see how it goes together (though repeating the cycle makes sense).
And yeah, do what you can to resist the rollover urge!