Thread: Do YOU personally swallow whilst attempting to lucid dream?

The times I've tried to WILD, I do swallow. Got really close one time.

It's really about where you put your attention. If you put more attention on swallowing, you won't fall asleep anytime soon. Just focus on being relaxed and entering the dream world, and it won't matter if you swallow or not.

Trying to avoid swallowing is much more distracting than just doing it.
If you just swallow normally you will eventually do it very naturally without thinking about it, just like you breathe without thinking about it.

Yes. But as the others said, I don't focus on it or make a big deal out of it. Unless I start thinking about it, I barely even notice it, and if I do I just swallow naturally as I need to. It doesn't prevent me from entering the dream world - I'm pretty sure I've swallowed whilst trying to enter a WILD before and it didn't hinder me, though again, I didn't focus on it or give it any more thought than it required.

Swallowing actually happens while you're asleep anyway--in other words, it's okay to swallow as long as you don't pay too much attention to it. To answer the question, I do, and just don't pay attention to it.

When WILDing, act same way, as when you falling asleep normally. Scratch, reposition, swallow... Of course, best is to not move too much, same way, as when you going to sleep any other time.

But worrying about not moving, swallowing... is lot worse than actually doing it. When you falling asleep normally, you do all those things. But I bet that you don't even remember. That's because you don't worry about it and you don't pay attention to it. Treat WILDing the same way. Happy dreams

Originally Posted by gab

When WILDing, act same way, as when you falling asleep normally. Scratch, reposition, swallow... Of course, best is to not move too much, same way, as when you going to sleep any other time.

But worrying about not moving, swallowing... is lot worse than actually doing it. When you falling asleep normally, you do all those things. But I bet that you don't even remember. That's because you don't worry about it and you don't pay attention to it. Treat WILDing the same way. Happy dreams

Hi Gab,
Makes sense to me, but a question...
I've read elsewhere that remaining completely still and not shifting positions or scratching, PERIOD, is the way to go when Wilding because it "fools" your brain into assuming you are asleep. Then there's the idea that impulses to scratch or roll over are the brains way of testing to see if the body is asleep. Are these myths? Or maybe a point of disagreement among experienced folk?
N.

When I have time to attempt LDing, I always do WBTB and some form of WILD (WILD, DEILD, etc.). However, I know what works well enough for me that I am usually back to "sleep" or in rem atonia quickly enough that I do not even think about having to swallow or scratch an itch. If I do do it, I don't notice. I learned a long time ago that what's important is being comfortable and being able to get back to sleep and not holding completely still. Remaining conscious while falling back to sleep is a nearly unconscious process that one must train themselves to learn and making a conscious effort to stay, well... conscious, but somehow let your body go back to sleep almost completely defeats the purpose or is nearly akin to purposefully setting yourself back. Go ahead and swallow or scratch that itch, it will only help you.

Originally Posted by Nailler

Hi Gab,
Makes sense to me, but a question...
I've read elsewhere that remaining completely still and not shifting positions or scratching, PERIOD, is the way to go when Wilding because it "fools" your brain into assuming you are asleep. Then there's the idea that impulses to scratch or roll over are the brains way of testing to see if the body is asleep. Are these myths? Or maybe a point of disagreement among experienced folk?
N.

Not sure about the "testing" part. But if I just think back, when falling asleep normally - I often fidget, can't find comfortable position, cratch, do all kinds of things, only to be fast asleep just minutes later.

Maybe a lot depends on your state of mind. If you think "oh dang, I hope I won't get itchy, or it will ruin my attempt" - then I guess you WILL get itchy. My state of mind is, if I get itchy, or need to swallow, I'm allowed to do so and I will do it. Without getting upset over it, or even paying attention to it.

So yeah, if you can stay still and not swallow, it sure is better. But if that should cause you any anxiety, then it's better to get over with it and continue. It may set you back a few minutes, but if your state of mind is in the right place, then you will catch up with falling asleep in no time.

Oh, and some of my best experiences were just seconds after I gave up, turned to the side and went to sleep normally. Next thing I know I'm looking at my ceiling from 10 inches away.

Originally Posted by Nailler

Hi Gab,
Makes sense to me, but a question...
I've read elsewhere that remaining completely still and not shifting positions or scratching, PERIOD, is the way to go when Wilding because it "fools" your brain into assuming you are asleep. Then there's the idea that impulses to scratch or roll over are the brains way of testing to see if the body is asleep. Are these myths? Or maybe a point of disagreement among experienced folk?
N.

I believe that what people mean when they say you shouldn't move during WILD, is that you shouldn't move more than you feel that you need to.
You should definitely fix anything that bothers you, like the urge to swallow or to deal with an itch, but you shouldn't focus so much on it, just get it over with and keep your attention on recognizing the dreamstate.
If you allow yourself to fix any distractions then you will gradually become more and more relaxed.

I swallow when going back to sleep too - it's not something that bothers me and it doesn't set me back an awful lot - I also move positions whenever I need to because I find, and always have found it, extremely hard to fall asleep on my back, so when tired enough and when my intention is set (through mantra etc.), I usually roll over to my right side which is the one I am most comfortable in