Thread: Slow and steady

Alright so I'm learning that WILDing is a gradual process. I've brought my dream recall up to 2 or 3 dreams a night and I wake up pretty much after each one naturally. Every time I do I attempt to WILD. I personally don't get up, I have trouble getting to sleep even when I wake naturally and start wilding. So I wake, stay in bed and start right off the bat. I'm at a stand still at the moment...I've gotten full body tingling sensations on multiple occasions but when I notice themthey often stop. One time I relaxed back into the sensations three times before they stopped for good (My dog kicked me) I really don't know how to counter losing the feeling and advancing from this point. It doesn't happen often enough to learn how to calmly ignore it or learn how to relax into it. I honestly could stay up all night trying to WILD with no success because I'm not tired once I start my attempt. I start focusing on the rising and falling of my stomach and try to quiet my inner monologue, but this just makes me more alert and awake. Any advice? Sorry I'm all over the place...

Well there are many techniques around you could try, but you're definitely at least somewhat close. I've been trying to WILD for 2 years without success so far, just because my mindset was so bad for WILDing, basically I couldn't even get into the greyzones you describe at all. But with patience and training I got there, though I have to admit you're still a little further than me right now. Keep up your motivation and try out some things, you are already on the right track.

By the way, what do you see when you try to WILD, do you pay any attention to that?

Originally Posted by StaySharp

By the way, what do you see when you try to WILD, do you pay any attention to that?

I don't pay to much attention to it really, I find when I try to notice the random specks of color I start to move my eyes. Once I saw a desk floating in darkness (I think!? all these memorys are so vague!) during a failed attempt, I lost awareness and gained it back and was spooked by it and woke up.

When you wake up normally, is because your sleep cycle ended, so if you try to WILD right away, you'll hit a block of N-REM sleep that might be difficult to pass through.

WILD involves a bit of timing for most people, and it's the cause of many people reporting that no matter how hard they try, they can't do it. I suggest that when wake up normally in the middle of the night, you simply get off the bed for half hour (or even longer if justified) and when you start to feel really sleepy once again, go back to bed and WILD, when hopefully your next REM stage is closer and thus WILD will be easier to perform. Else, if you really want this technique, just put a soft alarm right after you enter REM (do you know the timings?), and when you wake up you can quickly WILD. Hope this made sense if not just let me know

Originally Posted by zoth00

When you wake up normally, is because your sleep cycle ended, so if you try to WILD right away, you'll hit a block of N-REM sleep that might be difficult to pass through.

WILD involves a bit of timing for most people, and it's the cause of many people reporting that no matter how hard they try, they can't do it. I suggest that when wake up normally in the middle of the night, you simply get off the bed for half hour (or even longer if justified) and when you start to feel really sleepy once again, go back to bed and WILD, when hopefully your next REM stage is closer and thus WILD will be easier to perform. Else, if you really want this technique, just put a soft alarm right after you enter REM (do you know the timings?), and when you wake up you can quickly WILD. Hope this made sense if not just let me know

I've always been confused about this, so if I stay up for half an hour( after a WBTB) my body will skip the other stages of sleep and dive into REM quicker? Doesn't it continue where it left off? I'll definitely try this, I've tried my way with little success so far so why not. My only problem is I have trouble falling back asleep, even when I stop my attempt I'll be more aware and won't be able to get comfortable.

Originally Posted by Serclfs

I've always been confused about this, so if I stay up for half an hour( after a WBTB) my body will skip the other stages of sleep and dive into REM quicker? Doesn't it continue where it left off? I'll definitely try this, I've tried my way with little success so far so why not. My only problem is I have trouble falling back asleep, even when I stop my attempt I'll be more aware and won't be able to get comfortable.

Well I just noticed that I am missing a real answer to this as well but as far as I understood it myself, yes and no. You will not just completely skip that sleep but often your REM cycles are partially bound to a specific daytime so a WBTB does allow you to get there faster. I think at least.

Originally Posted by Serclfs

I've always been confused about this, so if I stay up for half an hour( after a WBTB) my body will skip the other stages of sleep and dive into REM quicker? Doesn't it continue where it left off? I'll definitely try this, I've tried my way with little success so far so why not. My only problem is I have trouble falling back asleep, even when I stop my attempt I'll be more aware and won't be able to get comfortable.

Okay, first, WBTB stands for Wake Back To Bed. It does so for a reason, because it turns out that actually getting up and having a short -- no more than 90 minutes -- period of quiet wakefulness helps keep your mind prepared for the next REM cycle while it "cycles" around. You really can't do WBTB if you leave off the "BTB" part. And no, your sleep cycle doesn't continue where you left off -- if you stay calm and avoid doing major wakeful-life stuff, the chemicals in your head are continuing to progress as if you were still in bed. In other words, WBTB gives you a chance to consciously pause between REM cycles. Also, REM cycles occur much more closely together as your night's sleep passes, so if you've already slept for five hours or more, those cycles will be coming right after each other and will be difficult to miss... this is why it's recommended to do WILD in the morning. It really is all about timing, as Zoth said.

If you have that much trouble falling asleep, you might try DEILD, which is another form of WILD that doesn't require so much wakeful activity. And there is nothing wrong with DILD or MILD either, both of which allow you to fall asleep normally; there is no requirement that you must learn WILD to be good at LD'ing; if your physiology refuses to allow you to practice it, then do something else.

Regarding that tingling: things like tingling, vibrations, and "sleep paralysis" should not be considered goals in or even part of a WILD attempt, regardless of the breathless reporting so often done about them on these forums. They are just so much noise, the stuff that is going on every time you go to sleep but do not notice because, well, you're asleep.

I did a DVA class on WILD some time ago, and took the liberty of adding links to the classes that covered the things I posted about here; I hope you'll check them out, and that they are helpful.

Oh, and next time you're attempting WILD, you might ask the dog to leave the room.

Good luck!