Thread: First WILD Attempt, Any Tips?

Last night I attempted my first WILD. Unsuccessful but interesting.

It was about 3am, I was reading an LD book I got from the library (have some questions about the book but will save that for another thread) and I decided to give it a go. I know it might have been at the wrong time in my sleep cycle but I didn't get up til 5pm that day.

I lay down flat on my back because I couldn't get comfortable in my normal sleep position for some reason. I used self hypnosis to relax as completely as possible and once I'd reached a trance I kept repeating in my head "I will have a lucid dream" and waited. The first thing I experienced was an odd twisted feeling like my waist was out of line with my body and my arms felt contorted. I waited it out and it eventually went away. Then the neon coloured bits you see when you close your eyes took the form of loads of scattered hawk eyes and every now and again one would appear that was very clear. Then I started to see things quite vivdly, just random things like passing road signs as if lying down in the back of a car, a family guy style cartoon fish (not klaus, it was grey) but each time I tried to go with it the image seemed to burn out - went bright white and dissappeared. Then I heard a woman's voice saying "I'm responding to..." and I had a strong impression she was a business woman on the phone. But then I lost that image and will never no what she was responding to. I then became increasingly aware each time I snapped out of it because my computer was on and I couldn't hear it when seeing something but it was very obvious when I came back from a vision. After about 45 minutes I gave up because I just kept losing the image every time.

After giving up though, I became quite restless which I found odd as I was really tired before trying and didn't get too excited whilst trying the WILD. Perhaps some rest is achieved in the hypnagogic state? Maybe I was just refreshed from the hypnosis.

Any ideas on greater success next time?

I would suggest ignoring the images for the most part, try to passively WILD.

Acknowledge that the images are there if you have to, but don't let them be your main focus. What you should be essentially concerned about is remaining relaxed(which you seem to be doing fine), aware, and concentrating on the ultimate goal of transferring your mind from waking life to a state of lucidity.

To keep focus, I breathe slowly and count each breath. When the HH starts to set in, I'll stop counting(usually when I do I'm too awake for my body to sleep), but make sure that I'm still aware of my breaths.
Wait for each scene that you view during sleep paralysis to pass, and only begin to focus on one when it becomes a solidified image, unlike the passing images that you've been seeing.

Thanks for the advice, I see now why people regard it as a more advanced technique. I've had a little trouble with it now disturbing my sleep because I can't stop watching my HH even if I'm not trying to WILD. I got to sleep at 7am this morning.

How long does it take usually to start being able to do it? I won't be able to do it every night because I'm really exhausted just now and it's not helping me find a job.

For me it takes about 30-50 minutes. Patience definitely pays off with this technique, though I usually give up if I'm not in the beginning stages of SP by then.

If your waking life is stressful, maybe you should put lucid dreaming on hold for now. You can always come back when you're ready In the meantime I'd suggest working on recall by keeping a dream journal.

Don't worry about it so much. :]

If it is hurting your sleep, and how you feel during the day, I'd focus on trying DILD technique instead. Learning to DILD, I believe, is a more rewarding investment, since its teachings are more permanent (preparing for your first WILD helps you achieve one lucid dream. Preparing for your first DILD means you've laid the foundation for many more).

Any technique takes time. Nothing wrong with failing for the first week or two. Certainly nothing wrong with failing your first attempt! Tweak it little by little (your technique) until you find something comfortable.

Originally Posted by Higurashi

If your waking life is stressful, maybe you should put lucid dreaming on hold for now. You can always come back when you're ready In the meantime I'd suggest working on recall by keeping a dream journal.

It's not really stressful, just annoying. I suffer from depression which has always had a negative impact on my sleep. Last year and the year before it mainly affected me through insomnia and recently just sleeping longer which means sleeping at odd times (how I lost my job). But recently I have taken some very positive steps toward dealing with my depression (PM me if you want to know more) and sleep patterns are next on the agenda. Also I need something new to concentrate on and lucid dreaming has me more enthralled than anything else just now, and may help me get control of my sleeping.

I've been working on my dream recall, except that every time I wake up I forget I have a dream journal and just go through it in my head (already getting much better dream recall although there is a long way to go) and then when I remember to write it down, I've forgotten too much of the dream.

On a side note, sorry that all my posts have been quite long, it must take it out of you guys reading them. I just love talking about myself

Originally Posted by Abra

Don't worry about it so much. :]

If it is hurting your sleep, and how you feel during the day, I'd focus on trying DILD technique instead.

I might switch to that if I continue to have problems with it, I have had two LDs that way by accident before I knew the subject existed. The WILD technique appealed to me more because you have them when you want them.

Originally Posted by Abra

Tweak it little by little (your technique) until you find something comfortable.

Ah Patience, my nemesis.

Thanks for everyone's tips. Not had too much of a chance to implement them as yet because my sleeping is a bit haywire just now. However I did have an unintentional DILD last night which ended straight away but encourages me to keep trying.