Questions About My Experiences Attempting to WILD

**ExitReality** · 05-29-2010 07:13 PM

I have found out about this website about 4 days ago and so far had one lucid dream in which I woke up and then immediately fell back to sleep and that is when I had the dream. During which I was only lucid for perhaps a second because I woke up right after realizing I was lucid. I'm not sure what type of LD this was but I'm guessing DEILD but if someone could correct me or confirm this that would be great.

I think I fall into the group of beginners that try to WILD. So far I have only tried to WILD during my normal bedtime and a nap, however I will make an attempt to do it 5 hours after sleeping when I am most likely close to a REM phase. My dream recall has never really been good but ever since I found out about the website about 4 days ago, my dream recall has greatly improved, remembering dreams almost every night so far. I have read many threads on this website about lucid dreaming and WILDs but if anyone can give me some tips they are always appreciated.

The following are things I have experienced when I have been attempting to WILD. One of my attempts consisted with an Ipod but I couldn't even fall asleep. I'm thinking of my next attempt to listen to some relaxing music BEFORE attempting to WILD to already have my body relaxed.

I had once felt a swirling sensation in my head while counting. Like if you are going down a spiral.
I feel that my eyes are vibrating or flickering although my eyelids are closed.
My eyelids slowly try to open themselves.
I feel my limbs getting heavier and I know that if i were to try I could move them but they feel so heavy that I don't even bother trying. I think this is a stage before the onset of sleep paralysis.
I see some images on my eyelids similar to if you put your hands in a fist and cover your eyes with them, at first random images but then I start seeing a face or an object.
And finally, what was probably my closest experience to a WILD was when my body was flipped with my back facing the ceiling but my head slightly tilted to the side and I noticed that as I was counting my breaths, every time I counted I felt my head being pushed into the mattress. This persisted for about 20 breaths and then I fell asleep.

To help improve my technique I will list it here. I know that it is easier to WILD after a few hours of sleep but for this technique it is when I am going to sleep at night.

1. Stretch my arms and legs a bit.

2. Listen to some relaxing music on ipod laying in bed. Not concentrated on sleeping or anything but just enjoying the music and relaxing.

3. Take off the ipod and lay down on my bed with my chest, toes,and face facing up. Commence relaxing.

4. I extend my neck just a bit, this seems to help reduce the urge to swallow.

5. Count breaths, I don't really think about it just do it and sometimes I forget that I'm even counting but continue to do so and find myself at 30 60 or 80 breaths.

6. My body begins to feel heavy and I may see some things in my eyelids or my eyelids or eyes will feel like they are moving a lot.

That's as far as I get and the thing that is probably the most irritating to me is that when I swallow I can't really take a good breath so that interrupts my breathing pattern because then I have to take one large breath to regulate my breathing again. When this happens, I usually mess up my counting and come back to 1. If anyone has any tips to prevent this please feel free to share.

I also have 2 additional questions. The first pertains to your sleeping position and the second to itches.

Should you be laying normally on the bed facing up or can it be sideways or however is comfortable to you? I've tried facing down and up and when I was facing up was when I saw some of the images in my eyelids. Also if you were to lay in your most comfortable position, is that fine if your most comfortable position is sideways?

During one of my attempts I felt itching but ignored it and it went away. For the most part I don't really experience itching but when I do should I scratch it or leave it there like it has been?

Thanks for taking your time to read this.

**aimee47** · 05-31-2010 11:23 PM

I've only started trying to WILD about a week ago, so I can't say I can give you that helpful of tips.
However, for your two last questions, I might be able to help you with that.

For your position, I've heard people say to do whatever is most comfortable to you, or the first position you get in when you're about to fall asleep.
I lay on my stomach, because it's the most comfortable for me. I don't think it really matters what position you're in.

If I have an itch, I try my best to try to ignore it. One time I actually pictured myself scratching the itch, and it went away, but that's just me.
I also try to take my attention off of the itch, and put my full focus on my breathing, or whatever your method is to keep your mind awake.

I hope this helped you a little bit. Oh, also the LD in the beginning, I think it was a DEILD, unless you were inside the dream when it occurred to you that you were dreaming, then wouldn't it be a DILD?

Anyways, happy dreaming!

**ExitReality** · 06-01-2010 07:59 PM

So I tried last night and didn't fall asleep on the attempt and the white noise with the fan helped and although I did not WILD, I experienced two new things!

The first was that I noticed my hearing as it switched from external to internal. I had a fan which was quite loud actually in my room for the white noise and I remember not being able to hear it after a certain point.

The second is much more interesting. I don't think this was SP because I had felt SP before and it did not feel like I experienced last night. There's always the possibility that what I felt before wasn't SP but I'm 99% sure because I remember my legs felt as if they had become disconnected from my body and I felt like a wave of energy go through my body before the stiffness kicked in last time.

Anyways here it goes. I'm just relaxing falling the steps, P. S. Counting backwards really helps, and I start feeling a vibration on my toes. It gradually started becoming more and more intense until it came up to my thighs. At that point it was very intense and I got excited and then it faded and I abandoned the attempt afterwards. I'm guessing this is one of the pre SP conditions but I felt SP before and didn't feel that.

Also something was happening to me very strange that I'm scared might be preventing me from having SP induced. When the vibrations started my knee's just randomly twitched once. It didn't continue after the vibrations but I'm just wondering if that one twitch in that crucial moment is preventing me from advancing?

I will try to be more relaxed next time because I think that's the main thing that prevents people from WILDing. I just hope I don't fall asleep again.

**aimee47** · 06-01-2010 11:55 PM

Well, good job!
Since I've never had SP before, I can't say if that was SP or not, but it definitley sounds like the pre-stages of it.
As for your knee twitching, it might just be an involuntary reflex. It happened to me on my right arm one time, but the tingliness I was feeling didn't go away. I'm not sure if it's just our body doing some tests on us or not, but if it doesn't happen every time you try to WILD, it shouldn't be a problem.

And, relaxation is the key!

But congratz on making some more progess.

**Nightmares** · 06-02-2010 09:43 PM

What is this counting stuff, you count the amount of breaths you take? Is it supposed to help you concentrate?

**ExitReality** · 06-03-2010 03:13 AM

Every time you inhale and exhale you count a number, this helps to focus your mind and prevent other thoughts from popping up. I heard its better if you count backwards from a certain number as that requires more concentration.