But what could I have done differently?

**JohnC** · 09-27-2012 05:19 AM

Well, I'm not sure where this post should go, but since I'm a newbie, I figured this was a good place.

First off I'm still yet to have a lucid dream, but I feel as if I just had experience that got me extremely close.
I just got done listening to this binural beat; http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=z7B6SHsz3-8
And I feel as if my must share this experience.

I'm feeling quite sleepy and I think to my self I could use a nap, and why not try that lucid dream brainwave entrainment thing.
So I put on the head phones and start to dose off. I feel as if I fell asleep for a short period of time. Maybe ten minutes. I wake up feeling extremely relaxed and sadated. I continue to stay still and keep my eyes closed. I start counting my breaths down from 100. Each breath I felt deeper and deeper relaxation. It felt increadible.
I started to lose feeling of parts of my body and before I knew it I my whole body was numb. It felt as if I was in sleep paralysis. (from what I've read it's normal and a good sign) I then start to feel vibrations in my lower spinal region, it was hard to distinguish where exactly it was. I then notice that I'm able to control this feeling up and down my entire body. I felt my body going deeper and deeper. I tryed not to get excited by these sensations, but they were Increadibly pleasurable. I felt like I was suspended out into space!! The more excited I became these sensations lessens and when I remember my self to relax they grew more intense.
Then this is where I felt the experience came to a dead end. It was still extremely pleasurable, but I felt I could have gone one step further (a lucid dream) but this one thing stopped me. Saliva. My mouth started filling with it, and I coulndt help but give into my swallowing reflex. This kept happening and shortly after I gained feeling in my entire body.

I'm not sure what I could have done differently to keep my swallowing reflex at bay. I felt as if my body was falling asleep while my mind was remaning conscious. I'm not sure exactly what I was experiance I was going through.
Any tips, comments, or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

**gab** · 09-27-2012 06:06 AM

Hi JohnC and welcome to Dreamviews!

The vibrations you experienced were part of falling asleep process. It was not SP. But no worries, you don't need SP to have a lucid dream.

And swallowing is allowed. That's how you fall asleep every day, afterall. When you get deeper into the process, swallowing reflex will subside and then nothing will stand in the way of vibrations to continue and to lead you to lucid dream.

You see, vibrations come more than just once. There can be two or three waves of them. They are a sign, that you are very close to falling asleep. And if your REM is near, a dream is pretty sure to develop and you can enter it while still aware.

It's good to learn to curb your excitement. I know, it's not easy to do, when you having some of the best sensations of your life (I do love my vibrations too). But if you feel, that you are getting out of it because you are too excited, or you had to swallow, or scratch an itch, just take care of whatever you need to do gently and slowly and in few minutes you should be back on track.

BTW, you don't allways experience vibrations. Sometimes you may feel different sensations, or possibly none. So if you don't feel them, don't give up on your attempt. Since this is a way to get LD called WILD, I'm gonna mention, that you should try this only after at least 4.5 hrs of sleep, so you have a REM (dreaming stage) nearby.

Please check out the Beginners guide and DV Academy, where you can participate (or just read through material) in classes. Have fun and do ask if you have any questions.

**Sensei** · 09-27-2012 07:01 PM

The only WILDs I have had did not have any vibrations. I have only felt the vibrations when trying really hard to WILD, but not succeeding.

Keep trying and looking up how to LD and you will be sure to have one soon! There is nothing quite like realizing you are in a dream.

**JohnC** · 09-29-2012 05:46 AM

Thank your for all the tips gab, and also links. I'll be sure to check them out. I do have one question though and what does SP stand for?

BrandonBoss. Hey thanks, after this experiance I would have thought it would be a must to experiance vibrations to LD. I'm glad you told me this, you guys probabaly saved me A LOT of frustration.
I'm reading a bit everyday becoming more and more interested. I went from thinking I might be able to do this; now I feel its only a matter of time!

**gab** · 09-29-2012 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by JohnC

Thank your for all the tips gab, and also links. I'll be sure to check them out. I do have one question though and what does SP stand for?

SP=Sleep paralysis
But going numb is not SP. That, and vibrations, and any other sensation are all part of falling asleep process. You can experience some of them, or none. Every attempt can be different. If you feel any of the mentioned ones, it just means, that you are still aware as your body is slowly shutting down. I didn't use to feel anything, just used to get some images behind my closed eyelids, that developed into moving pictures and dreams.

Now, all of this is happening only when you WILDing. When you trying to have LD called DILD, you just go to sleep and hope to get lucid in a regular dream, courtesy of your daytime training.

I recommend you start with DILDs, just because it's good to have some LD experience before going for a WILD. You will find classes for both, plus Intro and dream yoga class in the Academy.

**Sensei** · 09-29-2012 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by gab

SP=Sleep paralysis
But going numb is not SP. That, and vibrations, and any other sensation are all part of falling asleep process. You can experience some of them, or none. Every attempt can be different. If you feel any of the mentioned ones, it just means, that you are still aware as your body is slowly shutting down. I didn't use to feel anything, just used to get some images behind my closed eyelids, that developed into moving pictures and dreams.

Now, all of this is happening only when you WILDing. When you trying to have LD called DILD, you just go to sleep and hope to get lucid in a regular dream, courtesy of your daytime training.

I recommend you start with DILDs, just because it's good to have some LD experience before going for a WILD. You will find classes for both, plus Intro and dream yoga class in the Academy.

I started with just MILD with some mantra "I will realize that I am dreaming." I would recommend waiting for a WILD, I am still waiting to go all out and try WILDs, my first WILD I was just laying in bed not being able to get to sleep because of allegies for about an hour, and then I was like Is that a brick wall in front of me? this is a dream!

**JohnC** · 09-30-2012 05:10 AM

Thanks for all of your help guys. I guess I should go back to the basics before aiming for a WILD. Its kinda funny though, this experience kinda happened by accident, but I'm so glad it did. It was super eye opening.