how should i if i try this technique, try and stay awake should i try counting? and if i do, do i just count from 1 - 100 until i fall asleep but i will be concious? 
It’s basically, get really relaxed, then start counting “One I’m dreaming, two I’m dreaming, three I’m dreaming…” etc. until you get to some number and realize that you are in the dream state. Count as high as you want. Start over after 100 if you want. It’s not easy, it’s really easy to let your mind wander. If you’re too relaxed you simply fall asleep.
I don’t use the counting method. I find that the concentration on a task keeps me from getting relaxed enough to WILD. I try to clear my mind, but stay alert enough to notice little “thoughtlets” and images that invariably occur.
C_mon
The first thing you need to do is get yourself into a state of alert relaxation.
This is a basic relaxation technique:
- Take a long slow deep breath through your nose you should feel your stomach rise not your lungs. Hold to the count of 4. Then gently exhale through your mouth (do that 2x)
- tense up your right arm. Then keeping your arm tense take a deep breath as you did in #1. Count to 4 and let your arm relax as you exhale. Let your self feel the relaxation for a moment then do the same with your left arm.
- now tense your hole body. Take a deep breath as you did in #1. Count to 4 and let your body relax as you exhale. Enjoy the relaxation for a moment.
- Don’t pay attention to your breath anymore. Let your breathing find it’s own pace. Instead turn your attention to your feet. Imagine a wave of blue energy starting at your feet, feel the energy relaxing your feet, then move to your shins and so on all the way up your body and out through the top of your head.
- you should feel very relaxed and you may feel a little tingling sensation. From here you can practice what ever WILD technique you like.
This is how I got my first WILD. It is just a basic relaxation technique. I suggest reading anything you can on meditation and also self hypnosis. Eventually you will develop your own progressive relaxation technique.
As for counting it does not really matter how you count. You can just keep counting, count to 100 then start over, some people count to 100 then back down to 1.
thnx for your replies, i tried WILD last night along with WBTB. Tensed my hole body and relaxed then i just closed my eyes and looked at the colours i saw with my eyes shut and i kept seeing this red dot multiplying in my mind and then it would disapear. i then felt my mind wonder and i had a sudden feeling which was weird. I started then to see a strong blue blob with a lime ish green center grow bigger and i didn’t want to move my body, not because i didn’t want the feeling to go, it’s i just didn’t want to soo relaxed feeling. Then it stopped and i was unable to concentrate.
Ooh, counting sounds horrid to me. Back when I used to try WILD by counting, I would always get up to the three or four hundreds and just be bored stiff as I repeated the stupid “blah, I’m dreaming.” I guess I should stop trying to post in WILD topics because, though it’s really easy for me, maybe just jumping into one’s HI and becomig lucid isn’t that simple. All I can say is don’t really concentrate on anything but let your mind wander until you starting seeing images or hearing sounds. Once you’re in this state, visualize yourself in a dream or walking, spinning, or running somewhere. I have had so much success with this that I am convinced it will work for others if they try it. Besides that, good luck with your WILD attempts.
sno_isulli
I agree. Counting to sleep just keeps me awake. I use a self hypnosis/WILD combination. Once very relaxed the HI will start and I follow that into the dream.
Seems this thread belongs in the Big WILD thread…
Anyway - funny you should all be talking about the counting technique…I used a partial counting technique and it worked for me last week. This morning I tried the counting (1, I’m dreaming, 2, I’m dreaming, etc) - anyhow I tried it for 1/2 hour while being very relaxed. I lost count several time -(common for me - I use it as an indicator that I’m getting closer to sleep) - anyhow, after 1/2 hour I stopped. I do think that the counting might keep you too alert. I was just alert enough that I couldn’t quite let go.
This seems to be what we all struggle with -finding a technique for WILD that will allow the mind the consciously enter sleep but not keep us so alert that we don’t start to sleep… arr…
Anyhow, after my failed WILD attempt…I rolled over ready to just fall asleep and intently focused on my desire to comprehend the dream state. I’m not sure what happened next - 1 of 2 scenarios -
#1 - Dream imagery started to form and I took hold of it and willed myself to LD
or I began a normal dream and realized I was dreaming…
Either way I had a good LD this morning 
i will try tonight, as i will have a nice lovely lie in, to do WILD again but his time instead of counting i will just shut my eyes and try and concentrate on all the lovely colours 
I’ve been using this method for some time in combination with a little self-hypnosis to remember my dreams before I go to sleep. I can’t really do WBTB with a brother sharing a room (I sleep too heavily to notice vibrating alarm clocks and he sleeps too lightly to go through an alarm), so I’ve been using WILD directly when I go to sleep, which so far has given me my only lucid dream.
I am usually able to go as far as HH (or was it HI?), and sometimes even as far as hearing the sounds, but I generally fall asleep after that. What really bugs me is that after the first time I close my eyes to sleep, they get irritated and I have to open and then close them again! I’ve actually been hoping for a FA because I tend to do reality checks as soon as I get up.
I dislike that counting method, takes too long! Lol.
I highly recommend you to focus on something like maybe a flame in your throat or on your breathing. The goal is to focus on something and let your consciousness fade away as much as possible until you enter into a dreamscape then you can get the rest of your consciousness back. To me it’s the quickest way to WILD. Breathing, of course, is the important part of WILD. You have to relax and breath slowly to really enter a trance in order to WILD, you know?
Also you could focus on HI’s/HH’s while you’re attempting to WILD. It’s also helpful.
Good luck.
P.S. Is it just me or that this discussion could be better belonged in Big WILD discussion?
plebian
Hi.
I found that counting is only good for me in the beginning of WILD. On the times that I do use counting it is only until I get deeply relaxed then usually the HI kicks in. I watch HI for a while and start to let my self go deeper. But, if I keep counting 1 im dreaming 2 im dreaming etc. I would be up all night doing that.
Yes This does belong in the big WILD topic.
Congratulations again on your successful LD. 
How many does that make for you this month?
Hey Milod
From reading the interchange between you & DM7 I am think I am developing a better understanding of the delicate process of transitioning the waking mind to a WILD. This morning I just kept counting and counting…and you’re right it keeps me too alert. I also have attempted to just use the counting in the beginning and when I lose count to use that as an indicator of a deeper state. The question then becomes what to focus the mind on after the counting takes you into a deeper state - the mind still needs to focus on something but I guess not stay as alert as the counting method provides. Perhaps I will try flame visualization like DM7 suggests… I find that if I focus on HI I keep consciously recognizing that it is HI and I inadvertently reflect upon this and wake up too much…
But, yeah, the LD this morning was great. I just can’t remember if the LD was truly initiated by WILD or if it was a DILD. I’ve had about 5 LDs this month. 3 DILDs and 2 WILDs (the WILDs were of much greater clarity and power). How is your progress going?
BTW - This is also OT for this thread but can you outline how you apply your self-hypnosis to your LD regimen? I did a little self-hypnosis over the summer. What do you use as your induction technique for self-hypnosis? (perhaps this should be its own thread).
Take care
plebian
I would say that it does not really mater whether it was a WILD or MILD you had a LD. I have always felt that DILD or MILD can be a great backup when WILD fails.
1)I can put myself into a state of hypnosis by counting from 1-10.
2)Then I deepen the hypnotic state by either counting or imagining that I am breathing in anaesthetic. and I go deeper with each breath. (I am usually in a deep trance by now)
3)I then give myself a suggestion that I will realize I am dreaming while dreaming. (My back up for wild)
4)From there I just use what ever WILD technique I am experimenting with at the time.
This is just a rough outline. I can give you a more detailed outline later if you want.
The letting go of your consciousness is the key. It is also the hardest to do. When I watch HI I just sort of let my mind wander a bit and occasionally tell my self to let go more. When I start to feel the vibrations I sort of let myself go almost completely blank(kind of hard to explain) things happen very fast from this point on.
I think that by putting myself into a trance with self hypnosis is what makes WILD possible at bed time (Just my theory). As Jeff says you change the rules of your sleep cycle.
Milod - Thank you for posting your hypnosis method and application. I may try some of this.
Take care…
Pleban
You can also get the trance state with meditation to. With self hypnosis you might want to try to make your own tapes at first. You mentioned that you did some experimenting with self hypnosis so I assume someone either taught you or you have a book or something. Put the hole routine on tape at first to get yourself in a deep hypnotic state. Then give yourself a post hypnotic suggestion that you can get into hypnosis by closing your eyes and count to 10. Play the tape 2x a day if you can but at least once a day even if you have to do it at bed time. You should do that for 5-7 days. If you do it at bed time don’t give yourself the command to wake up. In stead just tell yourself that you will drift into sleep from hypnosis and you will have vivid dreams and realize you are dreaming while dreaming and that you will remember all your dreams. You don’t have to use the tape you can just memorize the routine but, you get faster results with the tape. Very soon you will be able to put your self into a deep trance without a tape.
Good luck
Happy Dreaming