Thread: #1 Misconception about WILD

I'm more inclined to believe that the mind probes the body, not the other way around. I believe this is done consciously during a WILD. Otherwise, why do we fall asleep every night when our body still moves?

It's not necessary for the body to be completely still prior to WILD. Sleep paralysis ensures this. I doubt anti-dream signals will be produced from a swallow or from satisfying an itch. Flailing your arms, maybe, but not flicking a finger.

Originally Posted by Abra

I'm more inclined to believe that the mind probes the body, not the other way around. I believe this is done consciously during a WILD. Otherwise, why do we fall asleep every night when our body still moves?

It's not necessary for the body to be completely still prior to WILD. Sleep paralysis ensures this. I doubt anti-dream signals will be produced from a swallow or from satisfying an itch. Flailing your arms, maybe, but not flicking a finger.

Maybe its because satisfying an itch is an intentional movement. You think "I'm itching, scratch it, but slowly... I'm trying to WILD" and thats way too much thought.

Notice we move in our sleep, but we don't do it consciously, or try to do it. Don't you agree?

Well I'm just parroting what I've already read, but it sounded pretty convincing to me... I dunno there were quite a few people that said it was true... yeah I dunno.

Not sure if it's really necessary to be still during a WILD - but I bet it has more to do with your mind than your body. I definitely want to know if you manage to WILD without holding still, so let me know.

Well, isn't this the thing with the body testing if you're asleep?
The body wants you to move, if you move, you're awake, if you don't, then it goes to sleep paralysis.
But that's with the sudden "I think I need to move my leg for some reason" feelings, not for if you need to swallow etc.

And the body adjusting to the most comfortable position... My body is either dumb, knows that I want to wake up in REM, or simply hates my arm. it always ends up on top of my arm, causing me to wake up with no feelings at all in my arm, sometimes I can't even move it for a while too. It's like my body's going "Psst, he's asleep, let's go lie on top of the left arm, I really hate that arm!"

Anyways, the swallow part while doing a WILD, I think they say that if it stays there, swallow away or it will just hinder your WILD even more.

I think when we fall asleep naturally, the mind shuts down before the body. Therefore, you are remaining still. I conjecture that every night, you have imaginary itches and discomforts, it's just that when you fall asleep naturally, your mind is unconscious and doesn't notice. Therefore, it doesn't move to scratch them or to change position. So you do remain still, automatically, just like what we're trying to recreate in the stillness technique of WILD.

I don't know about other people, but when I'm sleeping, if I have to change position, my body wakes me up and I move. I fall back asleep almost immediately, but during the moving, I'm actually slightly awake and aware.

This myth drives me nuts too. I see so many people failing at their wilds because they think all they need to do is remain absolutely still. This is wrong wrong wrong in my experience. The first time I ever heard this (in 10 years of LDing) was when I read Jeff777's tutorial on tricking your body into falling asleep.

When you WILD, you just need to fall asleep. Physically, just do what you normally do. You shouldn't be fidgeting around all over the place, but you shouldn't be trying to be absolutely frozen either. Its as if people forget how to fall asleep as soon as they try to do it consciously.

I think the myth comes from people's unfamiliarity with meditation and directing their thoughts. Its very hard to practice a technique that is all mental. People cling to something more familiar. "Shift your consciousness from your real body to an imaginary one? I can't do that. Lie still and don't move for an hour.....Ok that sounds easier. I'll try that one."

When you WILD, you need to shift your attention away from your physical body. Not moving will help this process, but it is not necessary. You need to ignore your physical body. 'Ignore' and 'Don't move' are not the same thing.

Originally Posted by Robot_Butler

When you WILD, you need to shift your attention away from your physical body. Not moving will help this process, but it is not necessary. You need to ignore your physical body. 'Ignore' and 'Don't move' are not the same thing.

I think he explained it best...