WAKE-INITIATED LUCID DREAMS (WILDs)
WILD techniques are very similar to self hypnosis and some people believe that a Wake Initiated Lucid Dream is not actually a lucid dream at all, but instead falls under the category of an astral projection or out of body experience. The owner of this web site believes they do not fall under the astral projection category, but could fall under either Lucid dreams or OBE's.
Any technique that involves falling asleep consciously would fall under the WILD category. Your goal is to keep the mind awake (conscious) while the body falls asleep.
1) It is usually best for your body to be completely relaxed. Any method you may already be use to for relaxing your body is fine. Many people get into a relaxed position, then consciously tighten the muscles in their feet, then release them, allowing the muscles to relax completely.
Next, do the same with the ankles, then the lower leg, moving slowly up the body, one muscle group at the time untill you reach your head and all your muscles are completely relaxed.
If you have removed all the tension from your body, it should feel sort of heavy and very relaxed.
2) Now close your eyes and focus your attention of the back of your eyelids and any images you may see there. Most people see either flashes of light or geometric shapes. If the images start to move, follow them with your eyes, but do not stare at them and don't try to force them into doing anything.
As you continue to stay in the relaxed state and just casually watch the images, they will begin to change from the flashes of light or shapes and become what can best be described as fleeting images. They may seem disconnected images, not following any rhyme or reason, then slowly but surely the images will begin to develop into scenes. Just allow it to happen without forcing anything.
3) As the imagery develops into a vivid moving scene allow yourself to be drawn into the scene. Your goal is to move from watching the dream imagery to being in the dream imagery.
It is important however, to only allow yourself to be drawn into the dream, you don't want to actively participate in the dream. Your goal is to be more of an observer.
Please note: It is important to pay attention to your dream body and not your physical body. To do the later has been known to cause sleep paralysis. This condition, while not dangerous can be quiet unpleasant and nerve wracking.
Your body may feel a tingling sensation not unlike a mild electrical shock running through the body or perhaps like the tingling feeling you get when an arm or a leg has gone to sleep. (pins and needleds).
Some people have reported feeling as if they would die, as if they could not breathe or where choking on something. Rest assured you will not die. It is a normal reaction that happens almost every night but you are normally asleep when it happens so you do not feel any of it.
Just stay calm and allow it to pass. Your fears and tensions could make it worse or could pull you out of the lucid dream altogether.
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