WILD. Everyone says it's just laying still for a really long time, and focusing on something. The hard part is staying still. People make many threads on how stressful it is to stay still, or fret about swallowing, or hypnic jerks, or some other minor motion.

But why must we stay still?

I'm currently reading ETWOLD, and have come across only a single reason why he stayed still while practicing:

"I made extreme efforts not to move more than necessary to minimize interference with physiological recordings."

... That was in a laboratory setting. Never in the chapter does he mention remaining completely motionless to increase the chance of a WILD occurring. So why, then, do we strive towards motionlessness? Was something lost in translation? Does it stem from trying to mimic the sleep paralysis state? And, most importantly, does it even matter?

We move naturally when we fall asleep. Our bodies unconsciously find the most comfortable position (I most always end up waking in a different position than I first lay down in!). We also involuntarily twitch and swallow. Our eyes flitter open every now and then. So why, in a technique where we are supposed to fall asleep, would we inhibit these natural processes by concentrating on willed paralysis?

WILDing by "induced paralysis" isn't only unnatural, but it's mentally counterproductive. Those who are not prone to WILDs spend too much thought focusing on the sensations of their body than a more internal train of thought. I believe that this not only keeps the body awake, but puts awareness moreso on 'mentally' dispelling discomfort. Obviously, this can stress a WILDer out, especially if they have felt the same cramp building for thirty minutes!

I've read and reread my written dream journal entries where I've succeeded at WILD. The is only one instance that lasted for an entire REM period. And before entering the dream, I moved as much as I wanted.

So... Why?