Why can't I see hypnogogic imagery? I have been trying the WILD technique for several days now and every time I am able to completely relax my entire body and feel myself slipping away from it.
But as soon as I try to fall deeper into that state by counting in my head "1, the next scene will be a dream, 2 the next scene will be a dream" and so on, I never witness any hypnogogic imagery. I end up drifting into other thoughts that are more like daydreams than anything and then I have to focus on the counting again. Are there any tips or something I should do so that I can actually start to dream while I am conscious?
Rebecca says: Usually if I can't see any hypnogogic imagery, it's because my mind is too active. Counting or running any kind of internal monologue in your head can sometimes be counterproductive, especially if you have a "loud" inner voice. This may be what's preventing you from consciously entering the hypnogogic state. Its just too distracting mentally.
I find it best to focus on relaxing every muscle group and visualizing parts of my body dissolving, melting or becoming invisible. This helps induce the sleep paralysis which sends my body to sleep. This can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes (longer than that and I get bored and give up). Provided my mind is still holding onto a thread of consciousness, I will be mentally relaxed but still aware enough to start developing my own dream imagery. By this point the hypnogogic state has begun automatically; but it's not something you need to look out for. In fact, some WILDers recommend ignoring the hypnogogia altogether, and focusing on the mental space beyond your field of vision.
So, try to create a calmer, more quiesced inner state as you practice WILD. Like meditation, keep your mental activity to a minimum so it becomes very still like the surface of a pond, without any disruptions. The counting method can certainly come in useful for focusing your unconscious intention to lucid dream, but that is probably better for a MILD experience. With WILDs, you need to work at maintaining the meditative state in which your mind is clear, focused - and quiet.
A lot has happened in the last 5 months. But how did we go from business as usual to changing the face of the entire lucid dreaming supplements industry? It’s a story that I think will interest you – and you might even learn a thing or two in the process. When I was first taken on-board as Chief Lucidity Officer in 2016, one of the first things I was tasked with was taking a good look at our operations and giving things a bit of an overhaul.
Want to become a skilled and knowledgeable Lucid Dreamer by taking a Mindful approach? Awaken the potentials of your mind and integrate with your dreams through the guided meditations in this truly awesome app. Lucid Dreaming and Mindfulness actually share the same origin.
To lucid dream, I recommend being able to remember at least one vivid dream per night. That will boost your self awareness in dreams (making lucidity more likely) and also means you can actually remember your lucid dreams. Which is nice. Here are four detailed tips on how to remember your dreams more frequently. And if you don't think you dream at all - trust me, you almost certainly do. It takes an extraordinarily rare sleep disorder to deprive someone of dream sleep.
Years ago, before I had my first lucid dream, I had a very specific idea about what a lucid dream would feel like. I thought it would be intense and magical and a little bit spooky. This turned out to be a pretty accurate representation. Becoming aware in the dreamstate is like entering another world. One where physical laws can be manipulated (there is no spoon, Neo) and your fantasies can come true in an instant. There's definitely something magical about that - and it's as if the lucid dream world is a living, breathing organism that can react to your very thoughts.
Experts agree that everyone is capable of having lucid dreams. Dreaming itself is a normal function of the mind. We all dream every night, even if we don't remember. And we all achieve conscious awareness while awake every single day. So what does it mean to combine these states? Why, the amazing ability to have conscious - or lucid - dreams. Sounds simple, doesn't it? So why do I keep hearing from people who say they can't achieve their first lucid dream?
It is estimated that these wise and wily Indians have been using mugwort in their healing and ritual practices for 13,000 years, where it is known as the ‘dream sage’. They use the herb to promote good dreams, which they consider an essential aspect of normal human functioning! But that’s not all...