Thread: What happened? Post Your WILD Attempts, Good or Bad, Here

My attempt isn't really worth mentioning form this morning, but I do have a question, Sageous.. I'm going to start college this fall (3 weeks! I'm excited), and I would rather not "lose sleep" from attempting WILDs at night.. as, you know, I'm bound to not get much sleep as it is (I'll at least get 7 hours though!). I'm thinking that I'll definitely attempt on Friday nights and Saturday nights. I'm afraid though, that in only attempting twice a week, that I'll lose motivation to WILD. As in, the whole week I won't be thinking about it as much.. It was easier to keep my motivation up when I only did it for four days, but now I'm back to attempting every night. Should I pick up another technique for use during the week nights? Or do you think I should do something else? What are your thoughts? ^^

^^ If I were you, Sydney, I'd take a week or two off from LD'ing while you settle into college, and then find a routine that best fits your new schedule. That said:

I think you could still stick with WILD by setting aside just one day per week for your real, whole-hearted, WBTB attempts, but then at least go through the motions each night as you go to sleep. This way you'll at least have both something to look forward to in the scheduled day and still keep your LD'ing muscles flexing while you wait.

Also, it's always okay to change your LD transition method, based on things like a changing schedule, mindset, or night's sleep. This might be a good time to brush up on your MILD techniques and go for a few DILD's to holld you over until proper WILD's can be attempted again.

Good luck -- and have fun -- at college!

I had 2 very unintentional WILD attempts this week which made me consider trying to get an LD again after over a year.
It was a combination of the increased awareness due to meditation and my general sleep deprivation in summer.

I'm taking naps in summer because I'm always tired and I can't sleep more than a few hours at once.

During 2 naps, it was very easy for me to notice when I was falling asleep. The first time I was paralyzed and had very convincing hallucinations. I forced myself to wake up - only to realize that I should have tried to fall asleep instead

the second time, today, I fell asleep and let it happen. I started dreaming and I knew it from the beginning. I forgot it for ~1 dream but then I remembered it again and became lucid (pre-lucid?) again.
Like I said it was unintentional, so I didn't have good vividness, clarity or length (didn't practice for a year after all!).


I knew I was dreaming but it didn't feel quite right. I was only able to actively control something once or twice before I woke up.
besides, I was only sleeping 15 minutes


what are your thoughts? Should I use this opportunity and try to learn WILD?

Hello there - had some nice LD'S last night after wbtb - I went to bed at about 10pm and woke a couple of times in the night then for wbtb at 4.25 - I stayed up about 35 mins did all the usual things as well as putting effort to imagine how the LD will be as iff I had just had it - ear plugs in cushions etc and also used a single duvet putting our usual double to the side( this single one will now be my very own wild duvet - just for me to use when i do wbtbs

Relaxed and aware as poss - noticed the beginnings of relaxing ect for quite a while - but i think I must have fallen asleep as i cannot remember the transition at all.. next I am Lucid in a dream then after a while back in bed - then Lucid again - Most probly the first was a DILD, the second maybe a DIELD - but they were GREAT - just not WILD'S as yet

Soon tho

^^ Keep in mind, Patience, that when you have a successful DEILD, you also had a successful WILD. DEILD involves the exact same transition (wake to sleep to dream without losing waking-life self-awareness) as "classic" WILD. So it's okay to chalk up a DEILD as a WILD!

Originally Posted by Conscience

what are your thoughts? Should I use this opportunity and try to learn WILD?

Sure, why not? Maybe with that experience was an unconscious nudge to return to LD'ing! Feel free to take the DVA WILD class to which this thread is attached...

Okay then. I put some observation into my attempt today..

First are some side things.. I have been trying to fix up my sleep schedule to be able to WBTB properly but today i felt that i could sleep in the middle of the day so i decided to put the alarm 1 hour later so that i don't oversleep. This is more like a nap attempt but it was done 6~7 hours after initially waking up.

What happened is that i layed down and tried to get into the "falling asleep" mindset, started the anchor and then after a while i got lost in some thoughts. Upon restoring awareness, i strangely remember a scene that played out during the time i was unconscious. At this point i forgot to continue counting and i had no idea what to do either.. Thus falling asleep unconsciously.

______________________

I observed the process itself.. And this is what i noticed:
Part 1: Laying down in a comfortable position and readying for sleep
Part 2: Starting the "sleep-counter" anchor
Part 3: Mind becoming semi-clear
Part 4: Gradually losing grip on the anchor after counting through the 20s
Part 5: Getting lost in thoughts
Part 6: Suddenly recovering awareness.
Part 7: Falling unconscious into sleep due to the lack of an anchor being used at this point.

Supposed Part 8: REM Atonia/Dream


I backtracked a bit on my previous REM-atonia-successful attempts since they are essentialy the same thing, and since i did reach the transition phase with them, i read back on what i did.

One thing for sure is that on Part 7 i should either use an anchor, or relax my body and use an anchor at the same time. Why an anchor? Because i keep falling asleep after reaching that point of the process. Chances are that i could be seconds or minutes away from my target stage 8.

I've had some surprising results from this anchor, i wouldn't have thought the process would go like this every time i tried it.


I don't know if i will try again on my sleep tonight, but if i don't i'll do another nap test tomorrow. Whatever happens, it looks like next time will be the time i reach that annoying transition phase.

Originally Posted by Sageous

Good luck -- and have fun -- at college!

Thank you!

Had really good wbtb last night and within 45 mins was in vibrations - leading to awakening - then almost reached dream fully again ; dream almost forming before my very eyes - leading to awakening
When I finally got up could still feel vibrations a little

I am really grateful for these experiences ...and will be soooo grateful when I can accept the dream totally, fully and thus engage with it

I have tried a WBTB and WILD last night, was up for 10 minutes because I was afraid I might not be able to fall back asleep if I stay up too long.
It didn't work at all, because I simply fell asleep. I might have been too tired. So next time I'll try WBTB after 6 hours.

I read about CAN-WILD, which sounds like an easy way to practice WILD


I was on the right track during my afternoon nap today, totally relaxed, almost sleeping and pretty much in a calm transition state, I could have been able to achieve my endeavors if I hadn't been interrupted. I don't fret though, it was a great 10 minute nap and it gave me hope.


More meditation and more practice and I'll be there!

As usual, nothing too special.

I have slightly fixed my sleep schedule but i'm not sure if it's really fixed or not yet.. I need to fix it before i can even hope to WBTB.
Other than that, my DILDs are increasing for some reason.. I've had one today but didn't have control over the dream, i hoped to DEILD after the dream ended but i don't know what happened. Probably i stressed about the slightest of movements so i gave up on DEILD.

Anyway, my next report will be WILD-related.

A bit late with my write up
Had a few close ones again last week but then This Morning I got in!
After a 4.30 - 5 20 am wbtb I prepared seriously and lay down - WILD.
After 40 mins or so I noticed the usual limited space of my thoughts had opened up vastly - into a very still,quiet and open space - I remembered this is a bench mark ; possibly the onset of sleep of my body and brain ( maybe?)

This stillness lasted for a short while when a bit of noise joined in - this time I managed to look ...accept the oncoming dream scene in way that allowed me to enter! Yippee - I saw what looked like a caravan, I could see through the window of the caravan and could suddenly feel the dream wasn't forming around me as properly as I might like ...so I tried to help it on its way by imagining a large lake next to the field - somewhere I might take a swim - the dream started seriously fading and I found my self back in bed

The night before I had a proper FA too it was only small but it was only after that I realised it had been a FA - I had sat up a bit to take my earphones out and could clearly hear music! I didn't have earphones in tho and had no music playing! - I laid back down and noise started immediately - I almost entered

Wild attempt

Day off. Stay up late. Sleep 5 hours. Lay flat. Ssild techniques while picturing my dream scene. Hands get heavy, get some

In the void. I hear a voice booming. It is ordering me. See the ground, a dirt path! Hear the wind! Start walking! I am spooked and look down at my body while the world shimmers into view. It is just a second before the world blinks and is gone.

Just reporting back here to see how everyone is doing. ^^ I'm about to be away for a while (probably 2-3 weeks) while I settle into college and decide my dreaming routine. But I WILL be back! I hope I won't lose motivation because of the gap - but I've got to keep trying! Good luck to everyone!

I was having an afternoon nap and woooooow the images that started to form where sooo clear, almost as if i have lcd screens taped into my eyelids. gotta do more naps. i got to excited and blew it lol.

Hey everyone! If you're interested, there's a lucid dreaming competition going on here: http://www.dreamviews.com/lucid-chal...-sign-ups.html

When I used to do these comps they gave me tons of motivation, and it was fun to be attempting LDs alongside other dreamers!

I hope y'all consider joining!

After 45 mins of wbtb from about 3.30 am I lay back down for Wild ;

I had a buzzer set every 24 mins laying close to me so I knew kinda where I was with time I heard it go off for the 3rd time and was clear and bright " it must be around the corner " I thought - ... Drifted off tho into some little dreams ... But soon had an occurrence I felt really good about ;

I was laying there doing my best to stay relaxed and aware etc - when I suddenly out of nowhere got it into myself to open my eyes ... the room was warm, bright inviting and I took it all in for a millisecond - I wish I had kept my eyes open as I was with good awareness but I didn't - I closed my eyes and felt myself laying back down but in my dark room awake. I am seeing this as a breakthrough tho ; with my wish to " get up" into the dream - as I have been having more and more mini false awakenings of recent and just can"t wait to invite myself into the FA to see it for what it is!

Any advise?

About the only advice I can think of is to avoid doing things that come "suddenly out of nowhere," if you can, because this leads to allowing your unconscious to work the process rather than your waking-life self. This allowance will likely lead to a loss of that self-awareness and may end your WILD attempt. Yes, it also leads to FA's, but -- as you discovered this time -- that is not always a good thing.

Thanks to their being driven by that brief elevation of your unconscious, FA's have the capacity to muddle your efforts to LD, even if you quickly know you are dreaming during the FA. This is because your grip on self-awareness might not be as strong as you think it is at the time; for instance, that you are dreaming that you just woke up sort of corrupts the feeling of actually being awake that you just had -- and lost -- in your WILD attempt, giving you the impression of strong self-awareness when it might not be so ...if you had closed your eyes with the self-awareness you thought you possessed, you likely would have continued dreaming.

All that said, if you find yourself in a FA like this, I suggest that you avoid closing your dream eyes. Instead, work with the scene: get up, gather your self, and look, say, for a door. Because the FA occurred just after you were fully awake, and you still have some waking-life self-awareness in hand, closing your eyes could lead to some unconscious confusion that might, as you discovered, lead to the loss of the dream.

Finally, if this happens again, and you do find yourself back in your actual bed, awake, get right back to your WILD. Don't assume your dive is over and give up: Your body and mind are in pretty much the exact same place they were just before the FA, so you are very likely ready to go right back to sleep and dream again.

Thanks Sagoeus - Yes I like to think I have awareness as I do seem to have enough so that I don't inflict too much harm on myself and others in waking life and dreams but it's obvious I need much more to make keeps and bounds in progress - my dreams alone show me how unaware I really am... Maybe one day they will invent an awareness injection

Sageous - laughter aside - any advise on being really sure one is working on developing ones awareness by day and night would be most welcome, thanks again

Did I understand you are saying FA just another way into the dream world but one where we must be especialy clear to navigate?

I keep having this strange experience when I've been trying to WILD lately. I will get to the point where I feel like my body is vibrating, then it stops, then I can move my dream body and form a dream. However, the dream never seems to fully form lately. Everything seems to be dark and I feel weak and lethargic in the dreams. This is strangely contrasted by FA's that I sometimes have after a WILD, where everything will seem like waking life vividness, until I realize that I'm still in a dream, then everything will become dark again and the weak and lethargic feelings will return. Do you think that I've programmed some negative expectations in my head? I don't know how to get past this, I would really appreciate your advice if you have any.

Youch, that's a tough one!

I had this problem myself for a while, and I think the only thing that resolved it was time, and maybe an extra infusion, of all things, memory.

Though it could well be that this low-resolution sort of situation is self-inflicted, it could also be a result of when you are doing your WILD's. Because WILD's work best very late in the sleep cycle, when you and your body would normally be hovering quite close to wakefulness anyway (or, normally would actually be up and about), you run the risk of your LD's occurring when you are very close to wakefulness -- you might even be partially awake. Because of this, dreams have a lot of trouble forming, and will seem dull. Also, and for the same reason, you might feel lethargic because you are actually trying to move your physical body at the same time as your dream body (because REM atonia is being shut down to prepare you for waking up). I personally tend to hear my physical body breathing during these sorts of LD's.

Also, and maybe ironically, NLD's don't seem to be effected at all by this proximity to waking-life. I have no idea why, except maybe that REM atonia is still fully active during NLD's, so you are comfortably removed from your body (and waking-life), or perhaps NLD's occupy enough of your consciousness that they will "work" no matter how close to waking you may be.

How to get past this? For one, I found that doing nothing seems to work: just allow the condition to go its course and let your body go back to a deeper sleeping state.

For another, I found that remembering works well too: rather than trying to form a dream, try instead to return to a dream you were just visiting (or perhaps an older dream which you've been meaning to revisit), and do so by remembering it, and how it felt to be in it -- by insinuating yourself into a more solid dream through memory, you might be able to sidestep the lower-performing dream you are currently in, and maybe kick your dreaming mind back into action. Also, simply remembering that this is just a bit of a WILD-related snag and that the dream doesn't have to be so dull can help you move past the moment and back to better dreaming.

That's what I got -- I know it isn't much, but it did help me.

Aw man Sageous, you always have the best advice! Thank you so much

I'm definitely going to try your suggestions tonight.

Thanks!

Update: Okay, so I tried WILD again this morning and the same thing started to happen where everything was dark and I felt sluggish and unable to move well or even talk in the dream. I remembered what you said though and I didn't worry about it, I just allowed the condition to go its course and eventually I felt less connected to my sleeping body and more connected to my dream body. Then I had a really long, vivid, and epic lucid dream.

Thanks again for the great advice!

I decided to continue my practice after school starts since my sleep schedule is refusing to get stable.

WILD aside, i'm increasing my general awareness and memory as these days are passing. After the halt of WILD i decided to use another technique that worked for me a few years ago. The one where you "activate" the left hemisphere of the brain to get lucids. The first time i used it, it worked. I don't know why i didn't continue using it but i tried it again today and i ended up having my longest LD ever. Sadly, i wasted all of my LD looking for my DG with no success, which means i will probably leave the DG search quest aside for now. I struggled a bit with waking up during my exprience, but i managed to DEILD. The problem is that i DEILDed my way into a non-lucid. I had my LD early on my sleep cycle and i barely remember having it as a result.

Even though this practically worked out, i'm using DEILD as an extension and since DEILD is a form of WILD, i might ask a few questions later on if i encounter problems with it. Nontheless, it seems that i need to start dream journaling seriously from today as my memory is below-average as far as it goes for remembering dreams.

Not too excited for the content of the lucid i had, but excited because i can move on and start working on dream control and memory.

I've had a bit of a dry spell the last month that I seem to be gradually recovering from (perhaps due to it being a bit more busy/exciting than usual). I haven't let up on the day work any, though; I always keep that going. Last night I had a rather interesting LD that seemed to contain a successful DEILD attempt, though I can't be certain.

I became lucid due to having a FA from a dream of taking shelter from a bad storm and finding myself in the exact same location and body position (I knew I didn't go to sleep there and don't sleepwalk or anything). When I went outside and started flying, I seem to have sensed the dream fading and my waking up, though my memory of this moment is oddly foggy. I'm not even entirely sure if the imagery actually faded, though I'm not sure why I would believe I was waking up if it didn't. I decided to focus on the scene I was just in for a while to try to bring it back. After a few moments, I considered giving up and going ahead and journaling, and that's when I realized I was actually already back in (or perhaps, never left) the dream scene, so I continued my dream.

I apparently got distracted from my primary goal in the process, though. I still knew I was dreaming, but I noticed an odd “edge” in my dream world beyond which there was a void of blue sky in all directions, so I flew over there to have a look and saw the moon, one of the planets, etc. I then spent the rest of the dream attempting to make the moon get bigger and bigger, as if it was on a collision course with Earth. That wasn't anything I was planning to do (though it's something I've tried before), but still kind of cool, and I got some good dream control practice.

So, not entirely sure what happened there, whether it was an actual DEILD, a dream-simulated one, or perhaps a trip through a brief blip of NREM.