Wake-induced lucid dreaming (WILD) It refers to a technique for inducing lucid dreaming directly from a waking state.
According to practitioners, WILD is a way to transfer a small amount of conscious awareness into the dream state. In doing so, a dreamer is able to observe and perhaps exert control over the courses of their dreams.
This process is sometimes referred to as lucidity. There are various techniques for inducing lucid dreaming, but many focus on increasing the likelihood of experiencing a lucid state while sleeping at night.
How does wake-induced lucid dreaming work and what techniques are most effective? In this tutorial, we will guide you through some of the strategies that have worked to enter into a WILD state.



- Increases acetylcholine activity for vivid dreams
- Promotes REM sleep stage
- Improves memory of dreams
Wake Induced Lucid Dream Technique
Current research reports that there are no lucid dream induction techniques that demonstrate consistent and reliable results.
Guides used to train the brain, electronic lucid dream inducers and various medicines and herbal supplements have been considered in research studies.
However, some of the induction methods did demonstrate potential for inducing lucidity, sometimes. WILD is one lucid dream induction technique.
Note that the realm of lucid dreaming is only beginning to be understood. The following wake induced lucid dream guidelines are based on the advice of certain experts and sleep/dream researchers, without clinical validation.
Entering into a wake induced lucid dream seems unlikely for most who attempt it when first laying down to sleep. Many lucid dreamers prefer to set their alarms to wake them from sleep after about five hours. Get up from bed.
Do not stimulate the brain with computers, televisions or other excitatory stimuli. Instead, read some pages from a book, or a dream journal’s previous entries.
Continue to remain awake, but unstimulated for about 45 minutes. Use the restroom if you need to. Then return to bed.
How to Become Lucid in your Dreams
Quietly breathe and allow your body and mind to relax as deeply as possible. If needed, utilize relaxation techniques like meditation, visualization, pranayama (deep breathing), wordless music, nature sounds, aromatherapy and/or white noise.
Make relaxation key and allow yourself to drift into hypnagogic state. Hypnagogia refers to the imagery, feelings and sounds experienced in the transition from wakefulness to sleep.
After relaxing for several minutes, focus your attention on your breathing and heart rate alone. Close your eyes.
You may begin to notice random patterns of dark and light with eyes closed. This is known as hypnagogic imagery. You may experience feelings in different parts of your body. You may hear hypnagogic sounds.
These are normal and you should try to relax with them; embrace them. Allowing them to stir your relaxation negates progress; making it necessary to begin again.
If you are able to maintain awareness without falling asleep, then you may enter a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phase without fully waking.
You may then begin to experience more intense 3D imaging. At this point, do not attempt to interact within the imagery.
As the dream becomes more stabilized, then slowly attempt to imagine yourself within the its course. If successful, this is wake induce lucid dreaming.
Wake Induced Lucid Dream Tips
Many lucid dreamers experience distractions from muscle jerks and other reflexive actions during the hypnagogic stage.
The most common of these is swallowing. Swallowing can take a person from the entrance of REM sleep back to NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, instantly.
For some, sleeping on either side of the body instead of the back helps to make swallowing cease. The key is to learn to accept reflexive actions without being disturbed by them.
Allow them to pass without disrupting relaxative hypnagogic states.
Lucid Dreams and Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis occurs during falling asleep (hypnagogia), or waking up (hypnapompia). It is marked by temporary inability to speak, act, react or move.
Muscle weakness (atonia) often is present during sleep paralysis. In many cases, atonia is accompanied by frightening hallucinations.
In some cases of sleep paralysis, the person feels that they are being suffocated, robbed, imprisoned, stocked, electrocuted or asphyxiated.
Because they are temporarily paralyzed, they cannot act to save themselves. This can be very disturbing.
If you experience sleep paralysis during wake induced lucid dreaming attempts, then, once again, relaxation is key.
By recognizing what is happening, and then acting intentionally to relax through it, your chances of achieving lucidity are increased. You cannot enter into a lucid dream if sleep paralysis frightens you into wakefulness.
Conclusions
Lucid dreaming experts recommend patience and dedication for achieving intentional lucid states.
For some people, lucid dreaming occurs spontaneously with little effort. Others spend years trying and seem unable to achieve lucidity for various possible reasons.
Lucid dream masks are popular for helping to induce this conscious dream state. These electronic devices stimulate lucid dreaming by recognizing when a sleeper goes into REM sleep.
When REM occurs, light flashes, auditory sounds and prerecorded voice prompts are used to induce and deepen lucidity.
Others use a supplement called galantamine to induce lucid dreaming. Waking up long enough to take a galantamine-based lucid dreaming supplement may be beneficial.
Galantamine is a prescription medication used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but it is also available as an herbal supplement for memory and cognitive enhancement. Talk to your doctor about the safety of galantamine in your case.
Research shows that lucid dreaming is a skill set that can be learned, practiced and improved on. There is no one way that works best for all people.
Every individual will respond best to a unique set of circumstances used to induce lucid dreaming. If wake induced lucid dreaming doesn’t seem to work for you, then there are several other options to consider.
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Article last updated on: July 5th, 2018 by Nootriment