Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreams

WILD: Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreams

You wake up briefly after a dream, then fall back asleep while maintaining conscious awareness. WILDs are less frequent than DILDs, because they require effort, but once mastered, they are the most reliable way of inducing a lucid dream.

WILD TECHNIQUES:

Hypnagogic Imagery

1. Relax completely (eg. with 61-Points of Light practice)

2. Watch hypnagogic imagery as it arises, holding it as delicately as possible

3. Loosely watch as simple images gradually become more complex

4. Allow yourself to be passively drawn into the emerging dream

5. Maintain a balance between relaxed and stable attention. Too tight and you’ll wake up; too lax and you’ll drift into unconscious sleep. Your meditative training will come in handy here!

WBTB: Wake-Back-To-Bed

1. Set your alarm for 4.5 or 6 hours after bedtime

2. Stay awake for 30-60 minutes

3. Fall back asleep with the strong intention to re-enter the dreamstate lucidly

*Research has shown highest success rates when paired with the MILD technique

MILD: Mnemonic-Initiated Lucid Dream

A mnemonic device is a memory aid. In MILD, we use visualization and deep intention to help us remember to become lucid the next time we find ourselves asleep.

1. Before bed, set your intention to wake up and recall your dreams

2. When you wake during the night, recall as many details as possible of the dream

you were just having - see and feel it (if you’re too sleepy, get up briefly)

3. Return to sleep focusing single mindedly on the intention, “Next time I’m

dreaming I want to remember that I’m dreaming” and feel that you mean it.

4. Imagine that you’re back in your last dream, but this time you realize you are

dreaming. Continue to elaborate on the visualization - what do you do next?

5. Repeat 3 & 4 until your intention is deeply set and nothing else enters your mind. This should be the last thing on your mind as you fall asleep.