Originally Posted by
spaceexplorer
I've written this in another thread but I think it's relevant here also:
Don't worry too much about sleep paralysis.
Having had hundreds of WILDs in my life, i've rarely experienced extreme sleep paralysis whilst falling asleep into a WILD. It has happened on occasions, but it's never been a huge factor. I think either i'm incredibly unusual (but many people i've talked to say they too share this), or that SP is made out to be more important than it really needs be.
What is far far more common for me is this:
1) Im aware of my sleeping body
2) I become disinterested in my body (see why later)
3) My imagination starts to become my main focus (my attention is focused inwards, rather than on sensory perceptions)
4) eventually my imagination forms into a dream and I find myself in a dreambody.
As for the Why? in number 2:
I've never bought into the idea that remaining completely still is required for a WILD. I think it's a red herring that has become popular.
Sure, don't move too much, but, after a while, if you're not obsessing about your body or not moving too much, the need to move to get comfortable tends to vanish on it's own anyway... because if you let yourself get as comfortable as you can, eventually your mind and body calm down enough to fall asleep.
If you don't make staying still your main focus, but instead you make your main focus, your thoughts/imagination, your body soon becomes irrelevant.
Staying completely still, in my opinion, actually forces you to focus on your real body more than you should... and in turn, that slows down the process of falling into your internal world.
I've always considered the most important factor in inducing a WILD (or falling asleep for those with insomnia) is to direct your actions towards whatever is the most restful and inward behaviour.
Obviously worrying about not moving, or laying uncomfortably frightened to move in case you "ruin your chances" is absolutely not restful behaviour.
I think the techniques that insist that you absolutely don't move, work not because they are the most effective techinques... i think they work in-spite of staying still. That is to say, that the staying completely still uncomfortably dosn't help you have a WILD, that instead it actually hinders your falling asleep.. but given enough time, the mind/body will become exaughsted enough that it will HAVE to fall asleep (unless you give up beforehand). Perhaps this is why people have more extreme SP with these methods... because they are putting the mind/body through a more traumatic drawn out sleep entry system.
I think a lot of people who have problems with the "stay completely still methods" would do well to try what I do... just forget about what your body is doing, it's not important as long as you are reasonably comfortable. If you need to shift about a bit, do it, don't sweat about it... it's just normal behaviour to want to get comfy. Move, then get back to your imagination.
I think the single most important factor for inducing a WILD is shifting your awareness towards your thoughts and imagination and away from your body and sensory external input
I find it especially useful to use my imagination to focus on shifting to my dreambody... so instead of focusing on staying still and awaiting SP, I'll just imagine walking around my room, or some other familiar scene, feeling the floor beneath my feet, touching objects.
The key, for me, is to let the body fall asleep on it's own... just let it do it's thing, ignore it, whilst keeping the mind active on the imaginary realm... focus on thoughts, imaginations, what it would feel like to be running, or walking or whatever. Just override your physical sensations with your imagination and imaginary sensations.
This way, I fall asleep much faster, much more easily, no worries, no painful laying around uncomfortably still obsessing about what my body is up to.
Instead, it's a relaxed smooth submersion into the sea of my imagination... and when you're deep enough, you find yourself in the sea of dreams.
Here's an analogy of the two:
One is like, wanting to go swimming... you slowly walk into the water, you let your body adjust to the water, you move slowly and naturally to a comfortable depth then start swimming.
The other is like laying uncomforably still on the shore just in front of the sea, waiting for the tide to come in, not moving an inch... just waiting... uncomfortably. Crabs come and nip your toes whilst you're waiting... but you can't move.... you've got to wait for the "sea to come to you", the occasional splash of a wave gives you a glimpse of what it's like to be in the cool sea... it excites you so much you almost move... but, no, you have to stay still... how else is the sea going to come to you?
I know which I prefer, and which makes more sense.
I see it like this:
Waking life: is the beach.
Imagination: is the shoreline where the waves crash and lap against your feet.
Dreams: are swimming in the sea.
Rather than waiting for the sea of dreams to come to you... meet it half way... play around in the shoreline of the imagination. You'll find yourself getting deeper, more confident... and the tide will come in much quicker if you're already ankle deep in the sea.
