Thread: WILD According to Sageous Q & A

Originally Posted by TheGrimRose

Hi sageous! I know RRC are very important to WILDing, but i am having a hard time remembering to do them. When i began this class, RRC's were part of my daily routine, but as time passes by, i seem like i am drifting farther and farther away from remembering to do it. Idk if i am getting lazy or what. My question is though, do you have tips or anything like that you use to remember to do them? It would really be a great help. Thanks Sageous

I just try to attach them onto either my normal RCs or my SAT, seems to work quite well. Although I have been having similar forgetful issues with RRCs, I think it's just because it's harder to get into the mindset for the RRC because it's such an obscure thing.

TheGrimRose:

I've been doing RRC's for years now, and to this day I have trouble with remembering to do them, and keeping them important! As RareCola said, it can be difficult to keep a thing like this on the front burner, especially without an external reminder. As I said earlier, the way I'm currently reminding myself is with a small wooden fetish that I carry in my pocket at all times. Whenever I feel it, I do an RRC.

There are many things you can do, from something as simple as wearing a rubber band on your wrist, or doing an RRC very time you walk through a door (handy regular RC cue as well, BTW), to something as complex as a random alarm app for your phone or an actual machine that will sound an alarm at random intervals, like the Personal Electronic State Tester (P.E.S.T.) that the Lucidity Institute sold years ago.

In other words, there are a lot of options... The key is finding a reminder that works for you, but is not too convenient. Also, you might need to change reminders occasionally, because you might find yourself getting used to, and thus ignoring, even the best reminder after a couple of weeks.

I hope that helped; let me know if it didn't...

What I find useful for motivation is to not force it in any way. It's fine to have off-days, if I struggle remembering to reality check or do dream incubation then I don't worry about it and 'have that day off'. The best way to commit to a routine of RCs is to affirm very strongly in the morning after you've recorded your dreams in you dream journal that you're going to carry them out through the day.

Sageous, you did say that RRC's take only a couple of seconds to do, right?
I seem to be making the RRC a lot harder and longer than it seems. First when I remember to do it, I think of where I just was, then where I am now, and then where I will be in the future. And then I wonder how I am affecting everyone and how they're affecting me (is that right?). But on the last part I struggle with it and it drags out for at least 15-20 more seconds as I am trying to get in that right "mindset".

Am I thinking about it too hard?

I think of it as how my perception affects both my, and those of everyone else around me, experience. Think, if you weren't in that location at that time, your experience would be entirely different, as would everyone else at the location and time, because you as an agent and observer wouldn't be there to experience it and be experienced by others.

That sounded better in my head.

But for each scene in waking life, as in dream scenes, you briefly create that perception of the world that wouldn't exist was your sense of self not there to perceive it.

It's a bit of a mindscrew to put it in writing like that, but really it's an abstract concept, such concepts can be thought without the need for labelling or even an internal monologue, as such it can be thought and acknowledged in an instant. I may be off the mark here, but it's almost like the intellectual puzzles called Koans that Zen meditators contemplate in the course of meditative practice.

EDIT: tdlr; yeah, in the moment of the RRC you're probably overthinking althought in a more philosophical scope it's almost impossible to over think this kind of thing.

Originally Posted by Sydney

Sageous, you did say that RRC's take only a couple of seconds to do, right?
I seem to be making the RRC a lot harder and longer than it seems. First when I remember to do it, I think of where I just was, then where I am now, and then where I will be in the future. And then I wonder how I am affecting everyone and how they're affecting me (is that right?). But on the last part I struggle with it and it drags out for at least 15-20 more seconds as I am trying to get in that right "mindset".

Am I thinking about it too hard?

Sydney, it sounds to me like you're thinking about it just right. I said that, with practice, you should be able to reduce an RRC time to just a few seconds. But you have to get there, and in the beginning it will seem like a long -- and often annoying -- thing to do, what with asking all those questions and having always to wonder and all.

So take your time, be more concerned about that right mindset than about whether you're doing the RRC right, and, ironically, you will do it right... I think you're already on the "right" path anyway, just by asking the question!

Originally Posted by Sydney

Sageous, you did say that RRC's take only a couple of seconds to do, right?
I seem to be making the RRC a lot harder and longer than it seems. First when I remember to do it, I think of where I just was, then where I am now, and then where I will be in the future. And then I wonder how I am affecting everyone and how they're affecting me (is that right?). But on the last part I struggle with it and it drags out for at least 15-20 more seconds as I am trying to get in that right "mindset".

Am I thinking about it too hard?

Just during the past week, I've found I am able to reduce the time it takes to do the RRCs. At first, it felt like it was taking me a few minutes to do the RRC and I felt very awkward doing it in public. (My girlfriend actually started to wonder why I kept getting these weird, spaced out looks all the time.) I think this is like anything in that the more you repeat it, the faster your brain gets at doing it.

I also found for me that it helped if I used visualization instead of asking actual questions. Though I imagine this is different for everyone, I know I am prone to over intellectualization and can better avoid it if I work in pictures and energy rather than thought words.

I was doing the RRC yesterday while playing a game of horse with my brother at the park. I realized that life had an infinite number of branching paths. For example, if I had missed the shot and gotten another letter, I'd have lost, but since I got it in, I kind of "switched paths," to say. Not really an amazing discovery, but it's the first thing I'd realized or felt while doing an RRC.

Originally Posted by hermine_hesse

...At first, it felt like it was taking me a few minutes to do the RRC and I felt very awkward doing it in public. (My girlfriend actually started to wonder why I kept getting these weird, spaced out looks all the time.)

Tell me about it. I've emerged from an RRC more than once with my wife looking at me like it was time to take me to the hospital. Or funny farm.

I also found for me that it helped if I used visualization instead of asking actual questions. Though I imagine this is different for everyone, I know I am prone to over intellectualization and can better avoid it if I work in pictures and energy rather than thought words.

Actually, if that works for you, it's a much better (read: efficient) way to do an RRC -- as long as you're always able to wonder.

Nice work, Hermine!

Originally Posted by Taffy

I was doing the RRC yesterday while playing a game of horse with my brother at the park. I realized that life had an infinite number of branching paths. For example, if I had missed the shot and gotten another letter, I'd have lost, but since I got it in, I kind of "switched paths," to say. Not really an amazing discovery, but it's the first thing I'd realized or felt while doing an RRC.

Very nice, Taffy, both because you kept the "wonder" simple -- as it must be, and because, well, you remembered to do an RRC in the first place!

I'm also doing the RCC in a visual way. It's just much easier like that to me, instead of asking questions. I usually don't even ask anything even in my mind, but wonder about things without words

Okay, thank you Sageous! it makes much more sense to me now

Oh and Ctharlie, I definetly understood what you were trying to say, thank you

Originally Posted by Sageous

So take your time, be more concerned about that right mindset than about whether you're doing the RRC right, and, ironically, you will do it right... I think you're already on the "right" path anyway, just by asking the question!

That's exactly what I was worrying about! Thank you for explaining.

Ok I'v Been trying these RRC through out the last 2 tweeks or so. Iv been doing what you say, feel how I am effecting the environment, where I am, where I am going, where I have been, but I don't get the sense of "wonder." Is the point of the exercise to "wonder" or is it just to realize I am in that situation?

Originally Posted by Ametam

Ok I'v Been trying these RRC through out the last 2 tweeks or so. Iv been doing what you say, feel how I am effecting the environment, where I am, where I am going, where I have been, but I don't get the sense of "wonder." Is the point of the exercise to "wonder" or is it just to realize I am in that situation?

Yes.

It's both, or either. The point of the exercise is to pause regularly and remind yourself that your "self" is always a part of everything. Remember that the "wonder" part is less about "awe" and more about a simple wordless openness to your constant exchange with your local reality. Remember also to include consideration of your effect on other people, and them on you, in your pause (even if no one is around).

Even if you fail to really wonder in your RRC's, doing them regularly should still be of some help to your WILD'ing, because the habit of pausing and asking those questions ought to follow you into your dreams, where it will be very useful is maintaining awareness.

So, yes!

Last night I had a huge jump in my recall - I was able to remember three full dreams plus five fragments. In each dream I kept having what I call "almost lucids". I would see something strange, then stop and wonder about it. Each time, I got distracted before I became lucid. The RRCs are definitely causing the "almost lucids". I feel that lucidity and WILDs are just around the corner!

^^ That's great, Hermine. though I don't associate RRC's with recall (they're a 'hear and now' sort of thing), I can see your overall immersion in all this stuff bumping up recall a bit. Nice to see the RRC's doing their job, too.

And yeah, hold onto that kind of interest and focus, and sure enough, the LD's will come!

Hello I'm pretty new to WILD and have never attempted to do it before I'm just wondering how to overcome the fear of it. I just don't like what I heard about SP, I know it's just my head doing funny things but it still feels kinda creepy.

Second question, I usualy play music when I'm out walking can I do the RRC with music on, or is it to much of a distraction?

Session Three: Notes about the Noise is now posted.

Enjoy!

Originally Posted by fuzzion

Hello I'm pretty new to WILD and have never attempted to do it before I'm just wondering how to overcome the fear of it. I just don't like what I heard about SP, I know it's just my head doing funny things but it still feels kinda creepy.

Your timing is excellent, fuzzion. I just posted this week's session, and if you read it you might find that there is absolutely nothing to fear about WILD, or SP -- all that stuff they talk about is just so much noise!

Second question, I usually play music when I'm out walking can I do the RRC with music on, or is it too much of a distraction?

Music is by its nature a distraction, but if you can incorporate it into your RRC (like wondering why the music is playing, or why you like it), it shouldn't be a problem. If you can't incorporate it, and you find yourself listening to the music during your RRC, then yes, it might be a good idea to shut it off for a minute.

Another great session this week, Sageous. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I completely agree that people get too caught up on "the noise", as you termed it. For me personally, taking this class is definitely about being able to become lucid at will. That said, I still would love to experience sleep paralysis, but I think that's something that would be best just left to happen, rather than striving to induce it.

I definitely learned a lot from reading this session and it helped me more accurately define my experiences with WILD to date. My most vivid lucid dreams by far have been ones where I've accidentally done a DEILD, but I've only been able to do it directly after waking from a DILD beforehand. I can't wait to learn more about inducing DEILDs at will. Thanks again!

Also just an update on the natural WBTB: I've had 2 lucids in 2 days and I definitely think naturally WBTBing is a factor in that.

Very interesting lesson this week, Sageous, and one that's well worth addressing due to the sheer amount of baggage attached to the somatic sensations associated with WILD. No matter how many times I think I've got it figured that sleep paralysis is not the goal I still seem to find myself excited at the slightest physical sensation.

I can only lay claim to one valid WILD and that indeed didn't involve sleep paralysis, I fell asleep and regained awareness in time to witness the dream formation occur around me. I've had a few DEILDs and most of the time if I'm successful I never become aware enough of my body to experience sleep paralysis, and even when I have experienced it I wonder whether it might just have been a construct of the dream based on my unconscious expectations of an SP experience.

Once again I can't wait for the next lesson

Also this lesson does outline just how flawed the progress arc of a WILD touted on internet guides is: lay down -> hold still -> SP -> HI -> HH -> Dream.
Personally I start to experience HI almost immediately after I lay down if I'm sleepy, and full HH not soon after without any hint of a dream or SP. Often I don't need to worry too much about laying still.

Sometimes I experience stuff like ringing ears and 'shocks' in my right hemisphere, these are just distractions?

Originally Posted by Ctharlhie

Also this lesson does outline just how flawed the progress arc of a WILD touted on internet guides is: lay down -> hold still -> SP -> HI -> HH -> Dream.
Personally I start to experience HI almost immediately after I lay down if I'm sleepy, and full HH not soon after without any hint of a dream or SP. Often I don't need to worry too much about laying still.

Sometimes I experience stuff like ringing ears and 'shocks' in my right hemisphere, these are just distractions?

I agree, I don't think any WILD guide (that I've read so far) is particularly that good for how it truly works. They focus too much on the scientific nature of it and generally get it all wrong anyway.

I also get HI pretty soon after laying down, particularly with a nap. I've never experienced SP before it.

Originally Posted by Ctharlhie

Sometimes I experience stuff like ringing ears and 'shocks' in my right hemisphere, these are just distractions?

Yup; and reminding yourself that that's all they are when they occur will only make the WILD easier...