I think im close, but...

[Minkar]

Hello all, Ive recently tried to get back into WILD'ing using WBTB. I've made a lot of progress in the last couple attempts. After waking up and going back to bed, the same thing usually occurs. I'll hear a voice and then i'll see crazy splotchy color schemes and hear a high pitched "swirling" noise, and feel some vibrations. So i am definitely getting the hallucinations, so i know i'm on the right path. My question is... is this sleep paralysis? I've managed to get that same sequence about 3 times in a row, its happened the same every time. i haven't gotten the feeling of being made of concrete and unable to move, though. Does that typically happen after the hallucinations are gone? What do I do next to get further along in the process? Thanks, Minkar

[OneiroMoon]

No, it's not sleep paralysis. The sounds and swirling colours is hypnagogic imagery. The vibrations you feel don't mean that you're in sleep paralysis, but they mean (along with the hypnagogic imagery) that you're falling deeper into sleep. So yes, you're on the right path! When you're in sleep paralysis, you can't move at all. This happens as soon as you enter REM sleep. If you experienced sleep paralysis, you wouldn't even have to ask. It feels like powerful vibrations, and if you try to move (your arm, for example), you can't. The paralysis can quickly disappear if you get too excited, so it can take a few tries to get used to it. From what I can see, you're doing nothing wrong. Just relax and fall asleep while keeping a little bit of your consciousness. Don't be too aware, but not too little. And it's great that you know that WBTB is important before trying to WILD. I'm sure that you'll have a WILD soon if you keep trying!

[fOrceez]

Like OneiroMoon said, it's not sleep paralysis. HI can come with sleep paralysis, but sometimes it comes before, sometimes it comes after. In your next step, you should just relax. Relax as much as you can. Note that you should keep a teen weeny bit of awareness so that your mind is relaxed enough to fall asleep, but you've just got that strand of awareness to carry over into your dreams Good luck!