Thread: Stuck in reality (WILD w/o WBTB try)

The last few days when going to bed I've been trying to WILD without WBTB. And I've been having no real success. First I lie down in bed and think of whatever I think when I go to bed, waiting to fall asleep. And before actually being sleepy enough to lose consciousness I start with the WILD. I was telling myself that I was relaxed, then that i was falling asleep, then that I was dreaming.
My body started to feel numb, and after a time my body felt just the way I thought about it. I thought my arms were lying across, and that was how it felt. A bit at least, my body was mainly feeling numb, quite a strange combination of feelings. I was fully aware, and from one moment to the other I had no troubles concentrating on anything. I could stay that way for hours or so without losing consciousness I guess. Eventually there was a wave of heavyness going over my body and then subsiding again, a few times. But that's it.
After about 2 hours from when I started, I was kind of bored of this state and decided to just "stop my try". (Checked the time then, it's been nearly 2 hours from the start, as I mentioned already.)

Then I woke up the next morning :S
Recalled 2 dreams... non-lucid ones.

Any advice?

You might be focusing too hard on your perception.

What you want to do, when WILDing, is to focus on the sensory hallucinatiosn you feel. That is what's gonna form your dream, by making you believe you are somewhere else than the place you are now. If, for example, you feel vibrations in your arms, then imagine you're flying like a bird, and the image of it will come to you. It will form a dream soon after.


Your sleep behaviour might make it a long time before you enter REM sleep (at whic hyou have dreams) but don't worry. Keep your relaxed and aware mind and if you feel any hallucination, focus on it.

Thanks for the reply Kromoh.
But there's a problem. I don't really see hallucinations in this state. When I see them, then I'm in some kind of trance state where it is hard to stay conscious, and as soon as I realize that, I "wake up" again. I've managed to be conscious in such a state for a few seconds only, I remember my awareness wander with the images I saw, and still on a regular basis check for my awareness somehow. But that state subsided too.
I guess this is something I have to train? Or is there any magic key to this (I wish there was... )

Hey there,

Exactly like Kromoh said. In my opinion you're stuck in "reality" because you're consciously staying there. You're just lying in bed, focussing on your body, basically giving this "reality" all your attention.

Instead, try to withdraw your attention from your body and your surroundings. If you get Hypnagogia (images, sounds, etc) focus your attention on them. If you don't, try to visualize things, try to imagine hearing them, feeling them, even smelling them if you can. Like that, imagine being a dream. Sometimes this will trigger hypnagogia and then you can start paying attention to those again. But even if it doesn't, that's ok.

The most important thing is to turn your attention away from your body, and the "reality" you're stuck in. Ideally, make yourself forget its even there


Hope that helps!


-Redrivertears-