Thread: How to create a DILD method!

First post, done in a hurry coz of exams.
I've broken down the basics of how a DILD method is created. Feel free to use it to create methods, but post it ( or the link to it ) here, so that we can see it.

Basically, a great DILD method consists of 2 things -
1. Subconscious Primer a.k.a. an RC that you do all the time, subconsciously.
2. Awareness

What is a Subconscious Primer?
A Subconscious Primer is something that you do to check if you are in a dream or not. It is done subconsciously, not consciously, such as Nomad's Omnilucid. Consciously takes effort, and you need to be aware before the priming, which defeats the purpose of the primer.

Subconscious Primer consists of 2 things -
1. Checking for discrepancies in the world, either WL or DW
2. Expectation of the unexpected

Awareness is created when the Subconscious Primer results in confirmation that a person is in a dream.
If Awareness isn't created, the Subconscious Primer is useless, such as sometimes RCing is done mindlessly.

Expectation of the Unexpected: Imagine you are a god. If you actually become one, you are primed and aware, and lucid.

Examples:
Checking the no. of bodies existing - Checking for discrepancies.



Hope this makes sense to you all.....

Regards,
iMda1

I'm a bit confused xD After reading, this is what I've understand of it (let me know if I got it wrong):

A Subconscious Primer is something that you do to check if you are in a dream or not.

By that definition, a Subconscious Primer is simply a Reality Check.

Awareness is created when the Subconscious Primer results in confirmation that a person is in a dream.

So awareness here is a product of a reality check. Since you didn't define awareness in itself, I can only assume you're reffering to one of these 2 types of awareness definition:

- Awareness that you one is dreaming: in which case awareness is another word for lucidity;
- Awareness as a introspective state that allows you to self-monitor yourself and the reality around you.

Problems with your perspective:

1.- How can you expect the unexpected?

You can't. If you expect the unexpected then it is no longer the unexpected so you know not to expect it which means you dont expect it so you cant expect the unexpected.

2. if you're using the first definition of awareness (or something that resembles it), you're essentially stating you become lucid after doing a reality check. While this may be true, most times you're already lucid (enough) when you make a reality check, which if you recall, is a confirmation action, not an action that marks the beginning of lucidity (in the overwhelming majority of cases).

3. If you're using the second definition of awareness (or something that resembles it), then awareness always kicks in after the reality check. This is what happens with DILD that result from techniques like dream signs, MILD, etc, but it doesn't account for many other techniques, like Tholey's, ADA, subconscious cues that lead to lucidity, or simple awareness. Therefore, you can't say awareness is a product of reality checking, because it can (and does!) occur before it. Awareness usually kicks in before confirmation (the RC).

4. You're not taking into account the role of subconscious perception. Many people think DILD is a result of X technique, like from doing a reality check or remembering that you are dreaming, but many times all that really happens is that a certain cue is processed without you being aware and you're directed to the thought of "maybe I'm dreaming". This is especially true for things like MILD/intention technique: it's not always simple to determine what exactly make you recall your intention of becoming lucid.

PS: when you say DILD method, are you talking about DILD itself (the method), or a technique within it (like MILD/ADA, RC, etc)?

You can't. If you expect the unexpected then it is no longer the unexpected so you know not to expect it which means you dont expect it so you cant expect the unexpected.

WTF?!!! I've gone

So awareness here is a product of a reality check. Since you didn't define awareness in itself, I can only assume you're reffering to one of these 2 types of awareness definition:

- Awareness that you one is dreaming: in which case awareness is another word for lucidity;
- Awareness as a introspective state that allows you to self-monitor yourself and the reality around you.

Both.

MILD is like a delayed subconscious primer.

Anyways, I edited it.

BTW, Zoth, mess isnt a typo.

Originally Posted by imda1

BTW, Zoth, mess isnt a typo.

I never said it was

Both.

MILD is like a delayed subconscious primer.

My first thought was "that's actually a great way to put it!", but now you changed your first post you state Subconscious primer as "a reality check which you do all the time subconsciously". But you don't actually check all the time, and there's no way to verify we're doing something like that subconsciously (it's impossible to determine by yourself if it's outside your awareness). If we did it all the time, wouldn't we be always lucid - or at least, way more often? This is what I don't get.
The other issue is that while MILD can be considered a product of subconscious primer, which I'll refer as a reality check from now on, not all DILD are result from it. You can easily find many lucids without any reality check performance. So how would can account that into reality checking being a part of DILD? Many people achieve DILD without any intention, which makes the concept of reality check even less mandatory.

Both.

But if you're using both definitions, you're contradicting yourself : how do you account for awareness before reality checking? It just shows that those 2 aspects (reality check and awareness) are not necessarily inherent of a DILD, because a DILD can still occur without one of them.

My first thought was "that's actually a great way to put it!", but now you changed your first post you state Subconscious primer as "a reality check which you do all the time subconsciously". But you don't actually check all the time, and there's no way to verify we're doing something like that subconsciously (it's impossible to determine by yourself if it's outside your awareness). If we did it all the time, wouldn't we be always lucid - or at least, way more often? This is what I don't get.

Well, that is the point - it is done subconsciously, without our awareness. Remember the placebo effect?
The problem is we cannot actually accurately predict what is happening. Sort of like after youve had 10 years experience of driving. Sometimes you even forget why you got there, the state of driving becomes so automatic, and subconscious, always performed by your hippocampus. But when the driving is on an unreliable road, the awareness automatically returns to the drivers.

But if you're using both definitions, you're contradicting yourself : how do you account for awareness before reality checking? It just shows that those 2 aspects (reality check and awareness) are not necessarily inherent of a DILD, because a DILD can still occur without one of them.

For awareness, please reread the above lines.

The point of this is not to prove I'm right, but to rather enlighten you all, so if there are mistakes in our initial theories, let's build upon it Zoth. And thanks for the intellectual prodding.

I like the idea behind it! Basic and straight to the point (though probably easier said than done), but promotes lucidity quite well if successful. Here's my question: how do we train ourselves to use a subconscious primer if we can't check whether we're doing it or not, since it's outside of our awareness? There's not really any way to check if you're doing it right or not (well, besides the lack of lucid dreams, I suppose).

Trusting your subconscious.
If the habit is ingrained into the subconscious, then you are doing it, even if you arent aware of it.

I think Imda is talking about prospective memory when he says 'subconscious primer' (btw, the term 'subconscious is never used in serious psychology).

Prospective memory to carry out an action without the need of a physical cue, and the awareness itself to become lucid. Sounds like a good framework for DILD.

Yeah, exactly. And its strange. I've read lots of psychology books in reference to subconscious.
I am the 1. imda1. Get it?